According to The Daily Telegraph, Newcastle United could be willing to part with influential midfielder Matt Ritchie this summer. The Scotland international played a key part in helping the Magpies win promotion to the Premier League back in 2017 before inspiring them to safety last time round, thus underlining the huge mistake they would be making if they were to let him go during the close season.

The Breakdown

Ultimately, the 28-year-old has been a hugely integral part of Rafa Benitez’s side ever since he made the move from Bournemouth to St James’ Park back in the summer of 2016, with the midfielder seemingly happy to drop down to the Championship knowing that the Magpies would be back in the top-flight very soon.

And he played as big a part as anybody in helping them reclaim their place in the top tier with 12 goals and eight assists in 42 Championship appearances, which he then backed up in the Premier League last term with three goals and six assists for the North East giants.

Significantly, no-one in the Newcastle squad created more chances than the Scottish midfielder last season to underline how crucial he is to the attacking ranks at St James’ Park, while his willingness to work defensively off the ball and track back is likely a big factor in why Benitez wants to keep him at the club – he seems to epitomise everything Benitez wants from a player in his squad.

Ultimately, take Ritchie out of the Newcastle team, and they are immediately much blunter going forward – while the likes of Jonjo Shelvey and Ayoze Perez obviously have the ability to compensate for Ritchie’s absence, it’s the 28-year-old that carries the greater threat of anyone.

Be it getting balls into the box from open play, or indeed his incredible ability from a set piece, the Scottish ace has it all from those wide positions, and if Newcastle are serious about moving to the next level under Benitez, and thus improving upon their tenth place finish last term, they cannot be in the business of selling their most influential players – Ritchie is one of those.

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Thus, if the Magpies are indeed to sell the Scotland international this summer, it could well be one of the biggest transfer mistakes the North East heavyweights have made in a many a year, and thus one that could seriously come back to haunt them in the Premier League this season.

Newcastle fans… what do you think? Let us know!

Dav Whatmore has been confirmed as the new coach of Kolkata Knight Riders, filling in the vacancy left by the sacking of John Buchanan after IPL 2009

Cricinfo staff06-Nov-2009Dav Whatmore has been confirmed as the new coach of Kolkata Knight Riders, filling in the vacancy left by the sacking of John Buchanan after IPL 2009. His appointment was part of a team management overhaul: the franchise also recalled Sourav Ganguly as captain, named Wasim Akram as their mentor, signed on Vijay Dahiya, the former India wicketkeeper and Delhi coach, to assist Whatmore, while retaining Andrew Leipus as physiotherapist and Adrian Le Roux as physical trainer.Ganguly said in a press release issued by the team management today that he was keen to bring a turnaround in Kolkata’s fortune after a nightmarish 2009 season, in which they finished last. “I am excited at the prospect of working with Dav and the entire team closely in addition to playing at our home ground once again,” he said. Ganguly would be responsible for all cricket-related decisions for the next season.Speaking to Cricinfo, Whatmore said his main objective as coach would be to ensure that his players gel as a unit and start thinking positively after two bad IPL seasons – in which Kolkata finished sixth and eighth – and, to that end, he would bank on Ganguly’s wealth of knowledge and Akram’s exceptional game-reading skills to turn the team around.He also said he was confident his experience in the region – he coached the 1996 World Cup-winning Sri Lankan team and later, Bangladesh – would help him develop a “decent relationship” with Ganguly, who has had a controversial history with foreign coaches including Greg Chappell for the Indian team and Buchanan. “I have a fair idea and a fair understanding of the importance of Sourav in Kolkata and it’s about getting the best out of him as it is with everyone else.”Significantly, Whatmore said he would not employ the multi-captaincy theory that was mooted by Buchanan and sparked a debate in world cricket before Ganguly was replaced by Brendon McCullum as team captain for the previous season.Whatmore, however, declined to elaborate on what he felt had been going wrong with the team over the last two years – apart from poor batting, there were reports of a rift between players and the team management – but said he would bank on his experience with the National Cricket Academy, of which he was director for the last two years, to spot new talent and act as a bridge between them and the team’s top international players.Asked where Kolkata would reach in the next IPL starting in March, he said: “Sometimes, I think it’s good to have a goal like that, but other times I feel you don’t want to limit yourself too much either. But as you saw, in IPL-2, the two teams that finished last and second-last respectively in the first edition ended up being the finalists (Deccan Chargers and Royal Challengers Bangalore). So perhaps, hope is the right word to use now. But I would like to know that hope will become a different word as we go along. That can happen.”Kolkata zeroed in on Whatmore after meeting a number of candidates, including John Wright, Richard Pybus, Dermot Reeve, Duncan Fletcher, Lalchand Rajput, WV Raman and Ashok Malhotra. The team management had informally sounded out Whatmore in June and followed it up with an interview in August at the Mumbai residence of the actor Shah Rukh Khan, who co-owns the Kolkata franchise with businessman Jay Mehta.Whatmore’s presentation to the Kolkata management was titled ‘Let’s Turn It Around’. “I just want to be the one that helps them turn their fortunes around. It will be a genuine effort.” Whatmore will begin his three-year stint with the team by attending the IPL workshop in Bangkok next week.Whatmore, 55, played seven Tests for Australia and brings to the IPL an impressive record. Apart from the 1996 World Cup title for Sri Lanka, he guided Bangladesh to two historic wins in the 2007 World Cup against India and South Africa, and also coached Lancashire to title wins in the NatWest and Sunday League in 1998. Last year, he was coach of the India Under-19 team that won the junior World Cup in Malaysia.

It has been an emotion-filled 12 months for West Indies fans

Brydon Coverdale at Adelaide Oval08-Dec-2009From the highs of a Test series win against England to the crushing lows of the player strike and subsequent home losses to Bangladesh, it has been an emotion-filled 12 months for West Indies fans. The team’s 2009 finishes with next week’s third Test in Perth and all the pain, all the disenchantment, could be forgotten if Chris Gayle’s men walk away with a 1-1 draw.They can’t beat Australia in the series, they can’t regain the Frank Worrell Trophy, but they can restore much-needed pride after beginning the tour with a three-day loss at the Gabba. It was a result that many onlookers felt proved the series would be a flop, and even prompted the former Australia captain Kim Hughes to suggest West Indies be cut from the Test cricket family.The redemption process began at Adelaide Oval, where Australia escaped with a draw but not without realising the eighth-ranked West Indies remain a threat. For most of the final day, the tourists were the only team with a realistic chance of victory and that has buoyed Gayle’s side heading into the match at the WACA, where Australia have lost their past two Tests.”We definitely can win in Perth,” Gayle said. “There’s no two ways about it. The way that we went about this game showed we have the capability of winning. It’s up to us to have the same sort of determination to go out there and put up the same sort of fight we did in this game. Having said that, it’s going to be tougher, I think the wicket there should be an even better one.”The fight that his team displayed in Adelaide should, for the time being at least, answer any questions about the squad’s commitment to the five-day game. Questions have been raised about the state of West Indies cricket for several years and came to a head during the argument between the players and the board this year.That conflict led to a substandard side being named for the home series against Bangladesh, although the one positive was that it gave Test experience to men like Kemar Roach and Travis Dowlin, who kept their places for this tour. A mixture of older and newer faces was brought together under Gayle and he was thrilled with how the group gelled, and forced Australia onto the defensive in Adelaide.”I have to commend the fellows, the way we actually went about it, the effort was really, really good,” Gayle said. “Kemar Roach kept running in, Bravo, Sammy, all the rest of the bowlers actually chipped in. It was really brilliant. And Benn in the first innings picking up his first five-wicket haul was very good, so there’s a lot of positives to come out of this game.”Since we got back in Australia as a group things have progressed really well and we’re all looking out for each other. We just need a couple of wins under our belt to change things and take a bit of pressure off us.”Gayle led by example, carrying his bat for 165 in a Man-of-the-Match performance, and the only criticism came when he decided to bat on for half an hour on the final morning. It meant Australia would have to rewrite the record books for the highest fourth-innings chase in an Adelaide Test, but Gayle said he didn’t regret his decision even though his bowlers ran out of time.”We wanted to put ourselves in a position where we definitely know we can’t lose the game,” he said. “You have to take into consideration it’s a small ground. But at the same time we didn’t have nothing to lose. So we decided to bat about six overs and then we’d declare.” Closing their innings overnight may not have changed the outcome, but their fighting attitude has enhanced the way West Indies will be viewed for the rest of their tour.

India’s stand-in captain is hoping his more inexperienced players pull their weight in the absence of two proven matchwinners

Cricinfo staff23-Dec-2009Virender Sehwag, standing in as captain for MS Dhoni for one more ODI, is hoping his more inexperienced players pull their weight in the absence of two proven matchwinners. With Dhoni missing, and Yuvraj Singh injured, Sehwag has urged the new generation of players in the squad to take advantage of India’s predicament in an attempt to test out the resources with an eye on the 2011 World Cup.”When the series is going on the team has to play the matches, irrespective of who is in or out. Definitely, we will miss their services but we have to look at our other options,” he said in Kolkata. “The youngsters are getting an opportunity to play for their country and if they do well and make a mark it’s good for the team as well. The bench strength will get stronger and stronger.””With [the] 2011 World Cup coming up, if players like Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma get [an] opportunity to play and get runs, our bench strength improves.”Dinesh Karthik kept wicket in Cuttack and will get another shot to do so in tomorrow’s game, with Dhoni due back after serving a two-match ban for slow over rates in Nagpur. Bengal’s Manoj Tiwary has been called into the squad as a reserve player for the fourth ODI. Yuvraj is also in doubt for next month’s Bangladesh tri-series, and Rohit is a strong candidate following his triple-century for Mumbai during the Ranji Trophy last season. Kohli, who stepped in for Yuvraj in the first two ODIs against Sri Lanka and scored 54 in the second, was termed a “truly special player” by Sehwag.”He had played very well in the Champions Trophy,” he said. “Hopefully he will become a star of the future. We are all looking forward to him.”Trevor Bayliss, Sri Lanka’s coach, has urged his squad’s batsmen to step up as the visitors aim to cash in on Dhoni and Yuvraj’s absence. “In the last game, probably for the first time in the series, we did not bat well. We did not score enough runs,” he said. “If we had scored in an excess of 300, which we we were looking at one stage of the match, we would have had a fair chance of winning that match.”So we have to get back to scoring runs so that we can put pressure on the opposition. It does not matter what team you are. If you are under pressure, you will lose wickets. Good sides make their own luck. I don’t think there would be any different.”India lead 2-1 with two games to go and a win at the Eden Gardens will seal the contest their way.

The ICC has sent its Anti-Corruption and Security Unit (ACSU) to New Zealand to sensitise players participating in the Under-19 World Cup about match-fixing

Cricinfo staff16-Jan-2010The ICC has sent its Anti-Corruption and Security Unit (ACSU), led by chief investigator Ravi Sawani, to New Zealand to sensitise players participating in the Under-19 World Cup about match-fixing. Prior to the tournament, the ACSU lectured the teams on safety precautions to ensure they did not fall into the trap of bookies and match-fixers.Chris Kuggeleijn, coach of the New Zealand team, said Sawani cautioned the players about the prevalence of match-fixing, and how bookies often tended to fix smaller details in ‘spot-bets’ rather than involve players in full-blown match-fixing. Potential spot-bets include the number of wides or no-balls bowled in a spell or even the number of fielders wearing caps on the field.”The thing that was made clear is that it is still going on, it hasn’t been stamped out, and it’s pretty scary. Fixers take you out for tea, they talk to you, always say hello and become your friend,” Kuggeleijn was quoted in the “It might even take them a year to fully build the relationship. They’re just after little snippets of information and it is things within a match to bet on rather than full-blown match-fixing.”Once you do something you’re bug*****. That’s because someone across the road will be taking a photo of you having a drink with the match-fixer or they’ll snap you taking something off him. Then you can’t get out.”Kuggeleijn expressed hope that ACSU’s measures at the World Cup would help to develop awareness among players at a young age.”The ICC approach includes prevention through education and enforcement of minimum standards and discipline in the dressing rooms; the gathering of intelligence; the investigation of reported breaches or approaches; and, where appropriate, disciplinary procedures. Hopefully, the ACSU’s presence will make players aware of the potential dangers.”ICC spokesman James Fitzgerald also reiterated that the ICC strove to control spot-betting at all levels.”Spot betting is an area we work hard to monitor. Players will be educated on that issue too. Potential corruptors look for vulnerable players and officials to provide inside information or encourage them to under-perform”, Fitzgerald said.Ross Taylor, who captained New Zealand in the 2002 edition of the U-19 World Cup, was in favour of the involvement of the ICC ACSU in the youth event.”Those involved in illegal betting like to ‘groom’ players from an early age, so quite a long way back, we decided to extend our education programme to the Under-19 World Cup. Obviously what to look out for doesn’t apply so much at that [Under-19] level but a number of those players were always going to represent their countries at the top level,” Taylor said.

Western Australia won their first Imparja Cup when they beat New South Wales in the final of the national indigenous carnival in Alice Springs

Cricinfo staff14-Feb-2010Western Australia won their first Imparja Cup when they beat New South Wales in the final of the national indigenous carnival in Alice Springs on Saturday. The team, which was coached by the former Test spinner Bruce Yardley, was unbeaten in the week-long event and their allrounder Dane Ugle was named Player of the Tournament.New South Wales were dismissed for 110, with Tyson Jolly making 30, and Western Australia lost five wickets in the chase after being led by Michael Bailey’s 33. The New South Wales women were more successful as they remained unbeaten throughout the competition.The Black Caps Honour Squad for the tournament was named along with the Under-23 Indigenous Development Squad at the Imparja Cup dinner on Friday night. The national youth selector Ray Bright was chairman of selectors for both squads.The Under-23 squad will take on the Papua New Guinea national team in a series later in the year. The squad contains two over-23 leadership players in South Australia’s Dan Christian and Tasmania’s Bernie Lamont, while two players in the state system, Josh Lalor and Preston White, were also included.The Black Caps Honour Squad John Halloran (NSW), Dane Ugle (WA), Bernie Lamont TAS), Liam Ugle (WA), Joel Liddle (ACT), Andrew Gordon (NSW), Lewis Upton (WA), Chris Swain (QLD), Michael Coulter (NSW), Julien Feehan (WA), Peter Thomas (SA), Domenic Croft (SA).Under-23 Indigenous Development Squad Dane Ugle (WA), Kris Halloran (NSW), Michael Bailey (QLD), Darcy Short (NT), Cameron Trask (QLD), Lewis Upton (WA), Chris Swain (QLD), Trent Clemments (QLD), Michael Coulter (NSW), Julien Feehan (WA), Domenic Croft (SA), Josh Lalor (NSW) , Preston White (QLD) , Dan Christian (SA), Bernie Lamont (TAS).

A round-up of matches from the third day of the RBS one-day competition

Cricinfo staff14-Feb-2010

Group A

Karachi Dolphins joined Multan Tigers as group leaders after Azam Hussain inspired them to a thrilling four-run victory over Quetta Bears at the Rashid Laitf Cricket Academy ground in Karachi. A century from Nasrullah Khan and Sabir Hussain’s 72 guided Quetta to 225 for 3, on track to overhauling Karachi’s 280. However, debutant Rumman Raees ended that partnership by bowling Sabir, before left-arm spinner Azam took four quick wickets to engineer a dramatic collapse. Nasrullah remained unbeaten but Quetta lost six wickets for 37 runs to finish on 276. Earlier, after opting to bat, Karachi were powered by half-centuries from opener Adnan Baig (71) and Sheharyar Ghani (67), and a late assault from Raees to reach a formidable total.In a bottom-of-the-table clash at the Southend Club Cricket Stadium in Karachi, Peshawar Panthers eased to a 39-run win over Hyderabad Hawks. Peshawar were struggling at 94 for 4 before being rescued by half-centuries from Azam Jan and captain Riaz Afridi, who added 58 for the sixth wicket. That helped Peshawar finish on a defendable 252. In reply, Hyderabad couldn’t get together any substantial partnerships, sliding to 147 for 7 before the first sustained spell of resistance. Mohammad Shahroz and Mir Ali put on 54 for the eighth wicket but couldn’t undo the damage caused by the top-order failure. Hyderabad were bowled out for 213 in 45 overs, their second straight defeat.

Group B

A strong opening stand of 174 between Taufeeq Umar and Shan Masood helped Habib Bank Limited brush aside the challenge of Karachi Zebras at the Diamond Club ground in Islamabad. After choosing to field, HBL’s bowlers didn’t allow Karachi to stitch together any big partnerships. The only one which grew beyond 50 was for the fifth wicket, between Akbar-ur-Rehman (59) and Wajihuddin (31), coming after Karachi were down to 65 for 4. Karachi cobbled together a not-too-challenging 208, a target which was easily reached after the solid base provided by the openers. Umar went on to make an unbeaten 100, and though there was a mini-collapse once Masood fell for 72, HBL won with six wickets and more than six overs in hand.It was a similar theme at the Gaddafi Stadium, where National Bank of Pakistan’s openers made short work of a small target set by Lahore Eagles. On being sent in, Lahore slipped to 29 for 3, before Junaid Jan (56) and Asif Yousuf set about stabilising the innings with a 51-run stand. However, the wickets fell in a heap again after the pair were separated, and Lahore were bowled out for 207. The NBP openers, Salman Butt and Nasir Jamshed, piled on 159 quick runs to set the side up for victory with more than 20 overs to spare. Jamshed was dismissed for a 50-ball 65 but Butt remained unbeaten on 113 off 94 deliveries to guide NBP to victory.Khan Research Laboratories kept pace with NBP at the top of the group with a comfortable 68-run win over Sui Southern Gas Corporation in a rain-hit game in Rawalpindi. A century from opener Azhar Ali and a quick 94 from Bazid Khan carried KRL to a strong 291 after they were put in. Rain changed SSGC’s target to 236 from 42 overs. The chase never got off the ground, though, with the KRL bowlers scything through the top order to reduce SSGC to 85 for 6. Ashraf Ali then made a patient 54 and Adnan Malik scored a career-best 41 but could only reduce the margin of defeat as SSGC ended well short.

Group C

Sialkot Stallions‘ seam attack helped them maintain their supremacy in the tournament with a seven-wicket win against Abbottabad Rhinos at the Jinnah Stadium. The fast bowling trio of Mohammad Ali, Prince Abbas and Bilawal Bhatti shared nine wickets among them to clean up Abbottabad for 92 in 29.2 overs. Five ducks among the top six batsmen made for a dismal scorecard – at one point Sialkot were 6 for 5. Sialkot hardly broke a sweat to overhaul the target by the 28th over, thanks to Mohammad Ayub’s 41.Faisalabad Wolves took up second spot in the points table after opener Mohammad Shahid’s composed 92 helped them overcome Islamabad Leopards by five wickets at the Iqbal Stadium. Faizan Riaz’s 50 was the highlight of Islamabad’s innings after they chose to bat, but a disciplined bowling effort from the hosts kept them to 219. Shahid and fellow opener Farrukh Shehzad gave Faisalabad a solid start with 79 during the chase. Even as wickets fell at crucial intervals, they got home with nine balls to spare.A first win continued to elude Lahore Lions as they succumbed to Rawalapindi Rams by four wickets at the Lahore City Cricket Association Ground. Opener Ali Zahid (72) had given Lahore a steady start after being put in, and Rana Adnan contributed 61 lower down. Left-arm spinner Yasim Murtaza managed a five-for as Lahore ended on 252. Babar Naeem’s 72 went a long way to anchor the chase, and Hammad Azam’s unbeaten 60 off 100 balls sealed victory in the 47th over.

Group D

Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited won their second match in a row by crushing Zarai Taraqiati Bank Limited by 207 runs at the Bahawal Stadium. Each of their top five batsmen made substantial scores to help SNGPL amass 335. Misbah-ul-Haq top scored with 79, opener Ali Waqas made 60 and Khurram Shehzad provided the late burst with a 38-ball 57. In contrast, the ZTBL top order flopped, none of the top six crossing 25. The tall target was never really in ZTBL’s sights, and left-arm spinner Imran Khalid polished off the tail to bowl them out for 128.It was another one-side game at the Multan Cricket Stadium where Pakistan International Airlines thrashed Pakistan Customs by eight wickets with more than 24 overs remaining. Customs’ openers were dismissed cheaply, but the side recovered to reach 95 for 3 through Rameez Raja’s half-century. However, the wickets started to tumble after that and with the last five wickets going down for 45 runs, they folded for 196. That proved much too small a target to defend, especially with PIA opener Khurram Manzoor in a murderous mood. He bludgeoned 22 fours on his way to an unbeaten 80-ball 125 to blast PIA to victory in the 26th over.

Mohammad Yousuf, Younis Khan, Shoaib Malik or Naved-ul-Hasan were not awarded central contracts, but their fates shielded a number of very bizarre decisions taken by the board and selection committee in its picks

Osman Samiuddin20-Mar-2010
A Quaid-e-Azam Trophy triumph and a heartening return surely merited some kind of reward for Mohammad Sami?•Getty Images

Why not Mohammad Sami?
Mohammad Sami hasn’t covered himself in any kind of glory over the length of his career and his sudden call-up to the Australia tour was as unexpected as it could’ve been unpleasant. It wasn’t, as an apparently refreshed Sami rattled Australia on the very first morning of the Sydney Test in a frighteningly quick first spell that all but fetched him a hat-trick. And it have set up a rare Test win for Pakistan.Additionally, as captain, he led Karachi to triumph in the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy, rattling a strong Habib Bank side in the final, just as he left for Australia. Thirty-eight wickets in the QEA are not earth-shattering, but a trophy triumph and such a heartening return surely merited some kind of reward? Not a top contract, admittedly, but to not even consider him for a stipend, especially when you consider below.Why Wahab Riaz?
The last time Wahab Riaz played for Pakistan was nearly two years ago. This season he took 14 wickets at over 40 in the QEA. He was nowhere in RBS ODI cup or the Pentangular. He took a few wickets for Pakistan A on their UAE tour in games against the England Lions.In plain words, how on earth does he qualify for a category C contract, over men such as Sami? Or how about Mohammad Irfan, the left-arm fast bowler who at near seven feet tall at least provides a different threat altogether, and was in many ways the story of this domestic season? Or even below.Why not Rao Iftikhar Anjum?Probably because you will not hear him make a noise about it, or hear him canvassing for selection, nobody will be much fussed about the exclusion of Rao Iftikhar Anjum. Honest workhorses are rarely celebrated or rewarded in Pakistan.But Rao’s performance for Pakistan over the last three, pretty terrible years – mostly as a thankless, white-ball first change – have warranted more than this sacking: with over 53 ODI wickets in 34 ODIs he is among the country’s leading wicket-takers in that period. He has been an effective and uncomplaining foil to bigger fast bowling names, with added nous than when he first came in.Maybe he doesn’t warrant a starting place in an ODI line-up if Mohammad Asif, Mohammad Aamer and Umar Gul are in (and Gul’s form is currently poor enough to require cover) but central contracts are not about the first XI only: they are about building a pool and rewarding consistent performers, reliable and committed players and Rao is nothing if not that.Abdul Razzaq in category A?Abdul Razzaq has been a fine player for Pakistan over the years. He could and should have been the latest in a line of supremely accomplished allrounders this country has produced but that he didn’t fulfill that is for another day. To find him in category A in this year’s list is to suspect the PCB and selectors still believe the hype and potential of the late 90s, when he first made his name.Razzaq is no longer a candidate in Tests and he seems to have ruled himself out of that format. In ODIs he has been fitful since his return from the ICL and he has batted as if he left behind his skills in the ICL. In the shortest format of the game, of course, he has been vital and was one of the main men behind Pakistan’s world triumph last year.To find Abdul Razzaq in category A in this year’s list is to suspect the PCB and selectors still believe the hype and potential of the late 90s•AFP

Unquestionably he should be in the pool, but category A? In any case that category seems to say more perhaps about who is not there than who is.The curious category CThe two men who have long been touted – and selected – as solutions to Pakistan’s most vexing problem over the years find themselves on monthly stipends. Khalid Latif has not set the world alight admittedly, but has not disgraced himself in the 50-over game. And he is in Pakistan’s squad for the World Twenty20.Khurram Manzoor, meanwhile, for all his technical quirks has toughed it out for three fifties against solid opposition (two away from home). His last international innings, against Australia in Hobart, yielded a disciplined, brave 77 from one-down.Why they find themselves below Abdul Rehman and Mohammad Hafeez who are both in category C only those who selected the pool know. Rehman has had a spectacular domestic season and Hafeez a solid one, but the former hasn’t played for Pakistan – or been in serious contention after the arrival of Saeed Ajmal – since December 2007. Hafeez last turned out in a Pakistan shirt in October 2007 and is only now a member of the World Twenty20 squad.Yet the pair are in the same category as Fawad Alam, who is pushing for a starting spot in all three formats, and who, in the shadow of Umar Akmal and Mohammad Aamer, had a quiet breakout year last year of his own.And finally…A point to ponder: the expected annual salary that Shahid Afridi, Kamran Akmal and Umar Akmal will earn from their annual contracts – Rs 30 lakh for Afridi and Kamran and Rs 21 lakh for Umar – work out almost exactly to the fines levied on them by the board last week. In effect, the trio will play for Pakistan for no money over the next year.

Pakistan’s World Twenty20 squad has been hit by a spate of injuries during the rigorous training camp leading up to the tournament, but captain Shahid Afridi assures that there is “nothing serious”

Cricinfo staff06-Apr-2010Pakistan’s World Twenty20 squad has been hit by a spate of injuries during the rigorous training camp leading up to the tournament, but captain Shahid Afridi assures that there is “nothing serious”.”There have been a few fitness problems but it’s natural because the camp has been tough so far. The boys are learning and I’m confident that our fielding will improve,” Afridi told the .The Pakistan team has been undergoing strenuous drills at the National Cricket Academy in Lahore, under new coach Waqar Younis, aimed at raising their fielding standards. Afridi hurt a finger last week, while Gul and Yasir Arafat sustained injuries to the shoulder and calf respectively. Fawad Alam also figures in the list of injured players.Afridi is confident that they will recover well in time for the tournament. “Gul has a shoulder problem but I hope he would be okay in a few days while the rest of the boys should also be fully fit soon,” Afridi said.Afridi believes that the drills will pay dividends during the tournament. “There have been a few fitness problems but it’s natural because the camp has been tough so far. The boys are learning and I’m confident that our fielding will improve.He said that the team management had plans to ease off the training closer to the tournament, that begins on April 30 in the West Indies. “We will switch to lighter training in the final phase of the camp so that the players are fresh when we leave home to play the Twenty20 World Cup.”Pakistan will begin their title defence with group matches against Bangladesh and Australia on the 1st and 2nd of May respectively.

Pakistan wicketkeeper Kamran Akmal has put an arm around Saeed Ajmal’s shoulder after Pakistan’s shock defeat against Australia in the ICC World Twenty20 semi-final in St Lucia

Cricinfo staff17-May-2010Pakistan wicketkeeper Kamran Akmal has defended Saeed Ajmal’s reputation after Pakistan’s shock defeat against Australia in the ICC World Twenty20 semi-final in St Lucia. Australia needed 18 off the final over, in which Michael Hussey bludgeoned the offspinner Ajmal for three sixes and a four to hand his team a miraculous win. Ajmal was crestfallen after Pakistan conceded a game which was only theirs to lose, but Akmal said he was still a match-winner.”Saeed is a magnificent competitor, a great bowler and someone who remains a match-winner,” Akmal told PakPassion.net. “He has led Pakistan to many victories and I’m sure in future he will help us to many more victories.”Pakistan were missing their death-overs specialist Umar Gul, who was injured before the tournament began, so Ajmal was handed the responsibility. He bowled a tight final over in their previous game against South Africa, conceding five runs. Akmal praised Ajmal’s efforts in that game and added that things didn’t go his way during the semis.”Just look at his over against South Africa right at the end of the match in the Super Eights. He was very upset after the defeat against Australia and we all consoled him, but he can’t be blamed for the defeat,” Akmal said. “It was an amazing innings from Hussey and one of those days where as a batsman things went for him.”As a bowler, especially in T20s, any bowler can be hit around the park. I have seen many of the world’s finest bowlers take a hammering in the shortest version of the game”.Akmal said the whole team felt the pain of defeat, and that nobody could be singled out for their exit. “We were in control for so much of the match and to lose the match in that way was very difficult to stomach. We went into the tournament as a unit and we were defeated as a unit and take responsibility as a unit. There is absolutely no question of individuals being held responsible for the defeat”.After a tumultuous and win-less tour of Australia, the PCB took drastic steps to punish those players it believed were responsible for the defeats. Mohammad Yousuf and Younis Khan were give indefinite life bans while other senior players like Akmal himself were fined. Waqar Younis and Ijaz Ahmed were given coaching roles and Akmal praised the support staff for improving the team’s fortunes in the West Indies.”If you look through our squad this time around, we were definitely not as strong as last year in England,” Akmal said. “We were missing some key players and whilst of course our aim was to win the tournament, I think we did very well to reach the semi-finals. Credit should especially be given to the coaches for their efforts. I have really enjoyed working with two former Pakistani greats in Waqar and Ijaz and look forward to working with them in future”.