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The round 4 of Pentangular cup has started, in this round two matches are being played , Punjab V Baluchistan and Sind V Federal Areas. Sind is at the top of Points table with 12 points,and Federal Area’s team is 2nd on the points table with 9 points. Sind in both the matches, lost in the first innings and fought their way back to victory in the second innings, both matches were low scoring and Sind won them because of their bowling, their batting has not fired so far in the tournament, none of their batsmen is averaging in 40′s after 5 innings only one century was scored by any of their batsmen however Sohail Khan, Anwar Ali, and Danish Kaneria are sharing 39 wickets amongst each other after 5 innings. Skipper Afridi fired for the first time in the tournament and played a trademark innings of 70 from 49 balls the innings was played when his team was struggling and their backs were against the wall his bowling performance so far in the tournament has been low by his standards. Interestingly Fawad Alam was dropped in this match he was only given one over in the two matches he played and he scored 80 runs in 4 innings @ 26.6. It seems Sind will make it to the finals, in the current match against Federal areas they were trailing by 73 runs after the first innings but at the close of second days play they were 128 for 1, openers Kurram Manzoor and Khalid Latif gave them a stand of 119 runs Khurram fell after an aggressive 73 while Latif remained undefeated on 47.

Federal Areas team recieved a set back when Shoaib Akhter their captain was axed from the tournament after the first match, but Sohail Tanvir and Yasir Arafat held the Federal Areas bowling together Tanvir has taken the 18 wickets in the tournament, and Arafat 7. The real strength and the surprise punch of Federal Areas team came from their batting line up which consists of mostly un known names with the exception of test discard Bazid khan. Their batting has scored 7 100′s and 12 50′s in the tournament so far, 7 batsmen are averaging above 40 with Bazid Khan leading the pack with a whoping 477 runs from six innings @ an average of 79 with three big 100′s, he is followed by Naved Ashraf who has scored 350 from 5 innings @ an average of 70 with one 100 and two fifties. Due to some stellar batting performances Federal Areas team managed to draw against Punjab and NWFP.

A tenth-wicket stand of 13 between Usman Saeed and Shehzad Azam guided Federal Areas to a tense victory over Sind on the final day at the Diamond Club Ground in Islamabad.

Set a target of 322, Federal Areas were boosted by opener Umair Khan’s 106 before Shahid Afridi tilted the scales with his legspinners. Federal Areas were well placed at 262 for 5 before losing two wickets in quick succession without any addition to the score. Afridi later pegged away with quick lower-order wickets to give Sind a very realistic chance of winning, but the last-wicket pair hung on. Azam, the No.11, hastened his side’s victory with a quick 12 which came off five deliveries, including two fours. Afridi finished with figures of 5 for 55 off 21 overs.

Earlier, Faisal Iqbal carried on from his overnight score of 77 to score a century. He remained unbeaten on 105, off 160 balls, before the captain Afridi made a sporting declaration. Faisal’s overnight partner, Rizwan Ahmed, managed to add just one run to his score of 70 before he was dismissed by Sohail Tanvir.

Federal Areas 295 (Majif 72, Zaidi 87, Khan 5-56) and 322 for 9 (Umair 106, Afridi 5-55) beat Sind 222 (Afridi 70, Tanvir 5-58) and 394 for 4 decl (Latif 74, Iqbal 105*, Rizwan 71) by one wicket
Scorecard

Punjab 723 for 4 dec (Misbah 208*, Mahmood 94, Malik 60) beat Baluchistan 375 (Alam 84, Sadaf 55) and 220 (Alam 48, Aslam 51, Ahmed 47*) by an innings and 128 runs
Scorecard

Punjab has struggled with its bowling so far in the tournament, Junaid Zia, Wahab Riaz and Aizaz cheema , Abdur Rehman , Shoaib Malik and Hafeez have failed to impress any one, Punjab must be missing the services of Mohammed Asif who was supposed to join the team after the first match, also the fact that two of their fast bowlers were sent to Baluchistan didn’t help them much, they will have to win this match against Baluchistan if they have to fancy any hopes of playing the finals. Punjab’s batting line up is star studded and looks like Pakistan’s national team’s line up minus Younis Khan. Salman butt is leading the charts with 630 runs @ an average of 159 followed by Nasir Jamshed’s 323 runs @ an average 107, the third batsman who is averaging above 100 is Misbah ul Haq, Mohammed Yousuf played only one match and has not played since.

It took just 15 deliveries for Punjab on the final day to complete the formalities and seal a comprehensive innings and 128-run victory against Baluchistan in Sialkot. Baluchistan were on the brink of defeat overnight on 207 for 8 and the overnight pair of Imranullah Aslam and Tanvir Ahmed managed to add 13 more before Junaid Zia sealed the deal. Aslam fell shortly after reaching his half-century before Zia struck again the next ball to send back Azharullah, the No.11.

Pentangular cup batting averages

Pentangular cup bowling averages

Punjab 184 (Raza 45, Sohail 4-57) and 202 all out (Misbah ul Haq 51 ,Ammar mahmood 40, Anwar Ali 4-45, Sohail Khan 2-41) v Sind 417 for 7 dec (Sarfraz Ahmed 82,Rizwan Ahmed 79, Faisal Iqbal 65, Wahab Riaz 4-99)

Pentangular cup batting averages

Pentangular cup bowling averages

Scorecard

UPDATE

Sind wrapped up an innings-and-31-run win over Punjab thanks to some smart lower-order batting and a tidy bowling display on day three at the National Stadium in Karachi.

An unbeaten 82 from Sarfraz Ahmed, the wicketkeeper with international experience, in a 79-run eight-wicket stand with Anwar Ali, the former Under-19 star, extended Sind’s total to 417 before the declaration. Then it was over to the bowlers, lead by Ali and Shahid Afridi. Afridi dealt three blows to account for Punjab’s top order and Ali, bowling his sharp swingers, ran through the lower order.

Punjab could only manage 202 in 55 overs, with captain Misbah-ul-Haq’s 72-ball 51 being the best of the innings. Ali picked up 4 for 45 to cap his unbeaten 33 from 59 balls.

Baluchistan 308 and 243 for 4 (Bin Nasir 118*, Maqsood 70) trail NWFP 664 for 6 (Hameed 300, Yasir Shah 51*) by 113 runs
Scorecard

Riding on a mountain of runs, NWFP finished day three of their match against Baluchistan in a comfortable position. Thanks to a career-best 300 from Yasir Hameed, who earlier added 431 with Asad Shafiq, NWFP rattled up 664 for 6 and then reduced Baluchistan to 243 for 4. Still behind by 113 runs, Baluchistan’s hopes were pinned on Saeed Bin Nasir, unbeaten on 118 as stumps were drawn in Peshawar.

Hameed resumed the third day on 265, and duly reached his maiden first-class triple. His brisk innings required just 367 deliveries and included 49 fours. He fell just after reaching the landmark but Younis Khan, with a run-a-ball 44 not out, and Yasir Shah, unbeaten on 51, maintained NWFP’s dominance.

Baluchistan’s second innings started poorly. Opening bowler Waqar Ahmed grabbed two to reduce them to 14 for 2, which became 53 for 3 when Yasir removed Gulraiz Sadaf, the wicketkeeper-batsman. It took a 121-run stand between Bin Nasir and Sohaib Maqsood to stem the rot. Maqsood was next out at 173 after hitting 70 from 69 balls but Bin Nasir went on to notch up his 13th first-class hundred. He was unbeaten at the close, adding a further 69 with Nasim Khan, his captain, but Baluchistan have plenty to do stave off defeat on the fourth day.

Shahid Afridi won the toss and decided to field first, the pitch had some grass on it and was reported to assist the fast bowlers on the first day. Shoaib Malik and Mohammed Yousuf were missing from the Punjab line up, Yousuf is reported to be disgruntled with PCB and has not played any match after the first one in this tournament, he is accusing PCB of mishandling his ICL case as a result of which no team has bid for him in IPL, although he will not play in Ipl but he will still get his base pay. Shoaib Malik who didn’t play the first match chose to skip the most important match of the tournament rumors are that he got some flak from the PCB management and selectors for ordering to shave off the pitch in the match against Baluchistan which his team won comfortably and came back in the tournament, now the news are that his mother is sick because of which he was unable to play this most important match.

I think PCB should take a serious note of Malik’s deliberate absence, if he cannot lead from the front in domestic competitions and show some courage then we can’t expect much from him against International teams, it should be noted here that the match is being played on a lively pitch and so far in the tournament Sind’s pace bowlers have created havoc in almost all the matches they have played so far, Sohail Khan is in good form and is bowling at a good pace he has taken 89 wickets so far this season which is a record, IMO he is the fastest bowler after Shoaib Akhter in the country right now, the only thing which is lacking in his bowling is movement at times he appears too flat but he has improved considerably since his ODI debut.

Coming back to Malik, PCB should take a serious note of his behavior pattern, this is not the first time he has skipped a match to hide his form, Pakistan’s cricket has already hit its lowest ebb and if the leader of the team will hide behind excuses then we might never recover from this crisis. So far all the matches that Punjab has played in the tournament were played on docile pitches and its batsmen never faced a real test, this is the first match which is being played on a green top pitch and after the first day Punjab’s star studded batting line up has already been exposed, and were bundled out for 184 Sohail Khan took 4-57, Misbah who scored a double century in the last match could only manage 4 in the first innings and Salman Butt who has scored more than 600 runs in the tournament could only manage 20 in the first innings of this match.

I am sure if Punjab had played all the matches on lively tracks like the one in National stadium they would have been out of the tournament by now, Sind played all the matches on lively tracks although their batting failed in most of the matches but their bowlers saved them so far in the tournament in almost all the matches except the current one they conceded first innings lead and fought back in the second innings, Shahid Afridi so far in the tournament failed with the bat with the exception of one innings but he led his team aggressively although his team lost a match against Federal areas by one wicket and some may question his declaration at 394 but IMO Sind would have won this match also if their fielders had not spilled four crucial catches.

The selectors and PCB management devised a policy for this tournament, it was mandatory for all the players to participate in all the matches, the Pitches were supposed to assist bowlers. Their vision was excellent but the management faltered on its implementation and “a vision without action is just a dream.” Shoaib Akhter, Mohammad Yousuf, Shoaib Malik failed to play all the matches, Mohammad Asif , Umar Gul and Rao Iftikhar were supposed to play from the second round they also never played, Hassan Reza, Sami, and Naved Latif were lost to ICL. If we take a closer look almost all the frontline Pakistani pacemen failed to showcase in the tournament, All the pitches were supposed to assist bowlers in order to assess the true form of the batsmen, but except for a few matches most of them were played on flat tracks and in some cases the pitches were shaved off a night before the match at the behest of some senior players. Strict actions should be taken against the players who have tried to defy the policies of the management and the selectors if an action is not taken this whole exercise of rebuilding will be derailed.

The national cricket selectors have decided to include the pace trio of Shoaib Akhtar, Mohammad Asif and Umar Gul in the list of probables for September’s ICC Champions Trophy.

“Giving utmost respect to the decision of the Lahore High Court, we have included Shoaib Akhtar’s name in the list of 30 probables for the ICC Champions Trophy along with Mohammad Asif and Umar Gul,” chief selector Salahuddin Ahmed told Dawn on Wednesday.

“But while Shoaib and Umar have to prove their fitness, Asif’s selection will largely depend on the report of PCB’s fact-finding committee,” said the chief selector. The PCB committee, formed to probe the lanky pacer’s detention saga in the UAE last month for carrying a banned substance, is yet commence their inquiry.

Umar, who had sustained a rib injury during the ninth Asia Cup at Karachi, is currently going through rehabilitation process.

The final list of 30 probables will be handed over to ICC on Thursday.

All three players will have to prove their fitness by playing domestic cricket, the only domestic tournament currently in progress is the Inter-district cricket the final of which will be held on July 21st, No other domestic competition has been finalised for the coming weeks and therefore, the players are unlikely to fulfil the requirement of proving their fitness for the Champions Trophy at least until August.

Although the selectors are saying that they will respect the courts decision to reinstate Shoaib Akhtar but I don’t think he will be selected keeping in view his tiff with the chairman.

I am against Asif’s inclusion in the team, the guy should be banned at least for two years, but the statements made by the chairman and other PCB officials are highly indicative of that he will be escape any disciplinary action. He is already working out in the academy to regain his fitness.

Given the fragility of his body, his recent form, and the scandals he has been involved in his inclusion in the team will draw huge criticism and will eventually have a negative affect on the team, my first choice will be Umar Gul if he is fit or else any other youngster.

Shoaib Akhtar if he passes the fitness test, it would be foolish to leave him behind he should not have been banned in the first place.

The usual suspect Asif again made the headlines by testing positive for drugs, its hardly a surprise for anyone, Asif is out of Champions trophy and perhaps International cricket, BCCI by failing to keep his test results secret may have provided Asif  a legal loophole, I think enough is enough PCB should learn from their past mistakes and  dump this druggie forever.

After I read the news about Asif last night, I was thinking that what actually did PCB gained by protecting Asif and Shoaib  and a story came to my mind which I would like to share with all my readers.

Once a thief got caught red handed he was brought before a judge who gave him an option to choose between two punishments, either eat 100 onions or receive 100 lashes, the thief chose the first punishment as it appeared less harsh,  after eating 70 onions he thought he made a mistake so he requested the judge can he get 100 lashes instead, the judge agreed and the thief ended up getting both the punishments.

The same is the case with PCB, its been more than two years since Asif and Shoaib tested positive for Nandrolone, and during this time Shoaib has only played 4 tests and 5 ODis and no T20′s for Pakistan and Asif has played 5 tests and 14 Odi’s and 9 T20′s for Pakistan. During this time Pakistan has played 8 tests, 39 ODI’s and 11 T20′s. Both the players missed most of the major tournaments and major series played during this time. So what did PCB gained by saving these two?  In my opinion PCB management has proved that they are no lessor morons than the thief who chose to eat 100 Onions over 100 lashes and ended up getting both the punishments. If PCB had banned these two players initially for a year or two they would have saved themselves from huge embarrassment and these players also would have redeemed themselves, by bailing these two out PCB became partners in their crime and tarnished the reputation of a national institution.

The only probable justifcation which comes to my mind is that all the drama which is created by bending and breaking rules is only done to extort money from the players.

The three men Inquiry committees and the all the tribunals and their sham proceedings have made Pakistan Cricket a laughing stock all over the world, PCB management always acts tough after every incident they even announce punishment but in reality all these steps are only taken to tighten the rope around the players neck to extort huge amount of bribe and as soon as the money is received all the previously taken disciplinary actions taken are reversed.

Another news which again didn’t surprised me at all was that Yousuf made himself unavailable for the Champion’s trophy, its a serious blow for Pakistan team, I was not surprised because it has become a pattern, its been almost 3 years when Pakistan fielded its full strength team in any major tournament or series, strange things happen midway during the series or just before it, either players are banned or they get injured and as a result Pakistan team fails to deliver the desired results, the inclusion of Shoaib Akhtar had to be compensated with the exclusion of another player of his caliber. I don’t think Ramadan had anything to do with it as Pakistani players are used to play in Ramadan.

As long as this current management is at the helm of PCB the same pattern will continue.