Australia take control as Watson nears first century

Shane Watson moved within sight of his maiden Test century and, in doing so, threatened to become the first Australian batsman since the Ashes finale in August to reach triple-figures. His unbroken opening stand of 177 with Simon Katich (77) served as the ultimate punishment for the Pakistanis, who squandered opportunities to dismiss both batsmen in the opening session.

Watson flirted unsuccessfully with centuries in Adelaide and Perth this summer, but showed few overt signs of nerves as he took his total to 90 at the tea break - the sixth time he has posted a half-century in 11 innings as opener. He began his innings with a series of imperious straight- and cover-drives off the bowling of Mohammad Aamer, then switched to square-of-the-wicket scoring channels in the afternoon session.

Watson was seldom troubled against Pakistan's faster bowlers, but encountered more difficulty reading and repelling the doosra of Saeed Ajmal. One such delivery 20 minutes before lunch brushed his outside edge, only for Misbah-ul-Haq to turf the chance at first slip. It was, to that point, Pakistan's third missed chance of a morning in which they all but handed Australia the ascendancy.

The other reprieves went the way of Katich, whose battles with timing and fluency in the first session gave way to more assured strokeplay after lunch. Katich's first life came when Mohammad Yousuf missed a run-out chance; an error compounded when Umar Akmal dropped him shortly after to a chest-high gully chance off the bowling of Aamer.

Katich found his groove in the second session and, along with Watson, commenced the task of setting a massive total for the Pakistanis to chase. Watson raised the duo's third century stand of the summer with a powerful cut to the boundary, and Katich continued the attack with a succession of drives to the boundary off Mohammad Asif. They plundered a combined 104 runs in the second session.

Asif's speeds hovered around the 130kph mark, and with little lateral movement to be found in the air or from the surface, he threatened the Australian batsmen infrequently. The same description applied for Abdur Rauf, making all the more mystifying the decision to omit the more seasoned and versatile Umar Gul on form grounds. Ajmal, Aamer and Imran Farhat, the occasional legspinner, proved the most penetrative of Pakistan's bowlers on a batting-friendly MCG surface.

Watson and Katich set strong platform

Cricinfo staff

flat batting surface and poor Pakistani fielding allowed Australia to survive the first session of the Boxing Day Test unscathed as they reached 0 for 73. Shane Watson (45) and Simon Katich (24) further entrenched themselves as Australia's long-term opening combination on the first morning, the sixth time in 11 innings the duo have notched a partnership in excess of 50, although both were the beneficiaries of fundamental fielding errors.

As was the case in Perth, Watson proved the chief aggressor. He punished a series of over-pitched offerings from Mohammad Aamer inside the first hour of play with classical and powerful driving, and later proved adept off his pads and square of the wicket through the off-side. Katich, on the other hand, seldom looked comfortable, and owed much of his survival to the missed opportunities of the Pakistani fieldsmen.

Mohammad Yousuf had the first chance to dismiss the obstinate Australian opener via a run-out, only for his throw from the covers to pass comfortably wide of the stumps. Worse was to follow for the tourists when Umar Akmal spilled Katich to a regulation, chest-high gully chance off the bowling of Aamer. Both opportunities fell before the first drinks break, denying Pakistan the positive start to the tour they had so craved.

The final indignity of the opening session was suffered when Watson stabbed at a Saeed Ajmal doosra in the lead-up to the break. The ball deflected subtly off the glove of Kamran Akmal and was turfed by a lurching Misbah-ul-Haq at first slip, drawing a look of frustration from Ajmal, who had so brilliantly deceived the batsman to that point.

Pakistan's woes detracted from an otherwise disciplined bowling display on an MCG wicket described by Ricky Ponting before play as "tacky", but which proved true in bounce and carry. Mohammad Asif's steady six-over opening spell yielded just ten runs, while Aamer's extra pace, varying angles and hint of swing tested the Australian batsmen.

Earlier, Ponting won the toss and elected to bat on a morning in which medical staff cleared him to play after a week-long battle with an elbow injury. Nathan Hauritz and Peter Siddle were also deemed fit, while Pakistan omitted Danish Kaneria and Umar Gul. Ajmal and Abdur Rauf were called into the tourists' starting XI.

Sohail Tanvir opts out of Victoria contract

Cricinfo staff

Pakistan allrounder Sohail Tanvir has pulled out of a contract with Australian domestic side Victoria after doctors advised him to rest an injured knee. Tanvir, 25, was due to play in the Twenty20 Big Bash, but made himself unavailable with the healing process requiring two to three weeks.

"Tanvir had to pull out of his contract with Cricket Victoria, as he has been further advised by doctors to make sure his knee injury is properly healed," a statement from his agents said.

Tanvir, who last year turned out for South Australia in the event, taking only two wickets in 14 overs at an impressive 6.50, has recently recovered from back trouble and a knee injury which forced him out of the national team. His ambitions to play for Surrey in the county season also failed to materialise earlier this year over immigration issues.

"As much as I feel really good on my fitness, I have to listen to the advice of my doctors at the PCB," Tanvir was quoted in the statement. "This is a huge loss for me and my cricket, but it is important that I have the go ahead from my doctors who have been working on my knee injury for a few months, as I have been recovering.

"I would like to thank Cricket Victoria for giving me the opportunity, and wish them best of luck in the T20 competition."

He said he hoped to recover in time to regain his place in Pakistan's one-day squad for next month's five-match series against Australia. He has featured in two Tests, 31 one-dayers and 15 Twenty20 internationals for Pakistan since making his debut in 2007.

Tanvir, who was dropped for the series in Sri Lanka after a poor 2009 World Twenty20, also finished as the leading wicket-taker in the inaugural IPL with the champions Rajasthan Royals.

Shahid Afridi, flew to Australia early on Friday to play for South Australia in the Big Bash.

Kaneria injures finger in Melbourne

MELBOURNE: Pakistan leg-spinner Danish Kaneria sustained a finger injury on his right hand during a field session ahead of the Boxing Day Test against Pakistan here on Thursday.

Team manager Abdul Raqeeb however ruled out any uncertainty over Kaneria’s availability for the opening Test but added: ‘He [Danish] underwent medical tests and a report is expected tomorrow — on which we will decide whether he will able to play or not,’ said Raqeeb. Kaneria proved his worth in New Zealand series with 13 wickets in two Tests.—Agencies

Aussies keeping eye on Mohammad Aamir

MELBOURNE: Australia’s top-order batsmen on Thursday watched footage of 17-year-old Pakistan quick Mohammad Aamir to check his reverse-swing ability.

Aamir, who has modelled his action on that of left-arm great Wasim Akram, can bowl at speeds approaching 150km/h and says his favourite batsman is Australian captain Ricky Ponting.

At an age when many Aussie cricketers are still years off playing in the Sheffield Shield, Aamir has played six Tests.

His returns have not been astonishing — 13 wickets at 43 with best figures of 3-38 — but an Australian batsman said he had been told to beware the youngster’s sharp pace and reverse swing.

Australia believes Aamir may be able to reverse swing the old ball both ways and players will pore over footage of him in action in Pakistan’s recent three Test series in New Zealand.

Australian coach Tim Nielsen also has footage of Pakistan’s tour match against Tasmania.

Aamir himself does not lack confidence. ‘I want to be the go-to guy for the team, someone the captain and the nation relies on to lead them to glory,’ he said recently.

Aamir says former Pakistan batsman Mudassar Nazar has played a crucial role in his development.

Mudassar was the director of the National Cricket Academy in Lahore when two back stress fractures hobbled Aamir on a youth tour to England in 2007 and has been a father figure to him.

Then, just as Aamir had returned to the bowling crease, he feared his career was over for good when he was contracted dengue fever in Malaysia during the ICC Under-19 World Cup.

‘I had no energy. I spent one month in a hospital and one month at home. The world had turned upside down for me,’ he said.—Agencies

Shoaib Akhtar ignored for Pentangular Cup

The absence of Shoaib’s name from the final list of the players picked for the Rest of Pakistan side leaves a big question mark over the future of the pacer.

“The selectors are not going to consider him for the national team once again until he proves his form and fitness in domestic cricket. The question is whether will he get a chance to now play domestic cricket during the Australia series,” one former player said.

Shoaib also failed to find a place in the other teams of the Pentangular Cup tournament - Karachi, Sialkot, Habib bank or Sui Gas.

“The selectors have mainly concentrated on selecting those players who performed well in the just concluded Quaid-i-Azam Trophy and some promising Under-19 youngsters,” a selector said.

Shoaib has undergone a knee surgery this year in England and is also said to have liposuction to shed excess fat and weight but the fast bowler has denied having the cosmetic procedure and insisted he is fully fit and fighting.

The fast bowler is likely to suffer another setback next month when the PCB announces the new list of players who will get the central contracts. —Agencies

Yousuf: Pakistan can bowl Aussies out

Stand-in Pakistan captain Mohammad Yousuf has boldly predicted that his talented attack is capable of bowling out Australia twice ahead of their three-Test series opener in Melbourne on Boxing Day.

And Yousuf's optimism might be justified considering paceman Mohammad Asif and leg-spinner Danish Kaneria starred in the recently-drawn three-Test series against the Black Caps in New Zealand.

The pair claimed 32 wickets between them to be first (19) and third (13) respectively on the series' wicket-takers list.

With the likes of Umar Gul and Mohammad Aamer supporting Asif in the pace department as well as Saeed Ajmal on call with his off-spin, Yousuf is confident of producing positive results against the Aussies too.

"Yes, we have a very good bowling side we can take 20 wickets in a Test," Yousuf said before Pakistan's training session at the MCG on Christmas Day.

"We have to play good cricket for five days. This is not Twenty20 cricket, it is five-day cricket, at least 30 hours playing good cricket against any team."

However, the Pakistani captain knows his batsmen will also have to carry their weight.

Yousuf scored 111 when he last played at the MCG and he hopes to at least match that effort this time around.

"I will try for the same performance. I will try ... I will try for 300," he quipped.

Pakistan's selectors are yet to finalise the team that will tackle Australia in the Boxing Day Test but if it were up to Yousuf, who confirmed Gul was fit to play after a knee scare, not much tinkering would occur.

"So far I'm very happy with the team from the past three Test matches, we played good cricket (in New Zealand) and I am pleased with the way we played," he said.

That's not to say that Yousuf wouldn't prefer former skipper Younus Khan in the team.

Yousuf admitted the absence of Younus will hurt the team's chances of a successful Australian tour.

Younus took a break from international cricket last month after a match-fixing inquiry tarnished his captaincy.

Although he was cleared of any wrongdoing, the 32-year-old claimed to be 'disgusted' by the allegations before pulling out of the country's tour of New Zealand.

The former skipper, who averages over 50 in Tests, has since returned to the domestic scene in Pakistan but failed to gain selection for the Australian summer.

According to Yousuf, the sooner his predecessor returns to the national team, the better.

"We will miss him," Yousuf said.

"He's a very experienced player and a very good team player as well and has performed all over the world."

Meanwhile, Yousuf isn't concerned by the status of Ricky Ponting and Nathan Hauritz who remain under injury clouds on the eve of the first Test.

"I don't mind if they play or not play," Yousuf said. "We have to take 20 wickets and we need to do better batting or bowling."

As for West Indies captain Chris Gayle's claim that the Windies discovered a weakness in Ponting's batting this summer, Yousuf replied: "He has made 25,000 runs in both (ODI and Test) cricket ... he's the best player."

If Hauritz fails to take his spot in the team, raw New South Welshman Steven Smith will make his Test debut - if that occurs Yousuf could be forgiven for thinking Smith was a pitch invader.

"Who? Steven Smith?," Yousuf said when asked if he knew who Smith was
http://sportal.com.au/cricket-news-display/yousuf-backs-bowlers-83317

Yousuf: Pakistan can bowl Aussies out

Stand-in Pakistan captain Mohammad Yousuf has boldly predicted that his talented attack is capable of bowling out Australia twice ahead of their three-Test series opener in Melbourne on Boxing Day.

And Yousuf's optimism might be justified considering paceman Mohammad Asif and leg-spinner Danish Kaneria starred in the recently-drawn three-Test series against the Black Caps in New Zealand.

The pair claimed 32 wickets between them to be first (19) and third (13) respectively on the series' wicket-takers list.

With the likes of Umar Gul and Mohammad Aamer supporting Asif in the pace department as well as Saeed Ajmal on call with his off-spin, Yousuf is confident of producing positive results against the Aussies too.

"Yes, we have a very good bowling side we can take 20 wickets in a Test," Yousuf said before Pakistan's training session at the MCG on Christmas Day.

"We have to play good cricket for five days. This is not Twenty20 cricket, it is five-day cricket, at least 30 hours playing good cricket against any team."

However, the Pakistani captain knows his batsmen will also have to carry their weight.

Yousuf scored 111 when he last played at the MCG and he hopes to at least match that effort this time around.

"I will try for the same performance. I will try ... I will try for 300," he quipped.

Pakistan's selectors are yet to finalise the team that will tackle Australia in the Boxing Day Test but if it were up to Yousuf, who confirmed Gul was fit to play after a knee scare, not much tinkering would occur.

"So far I'm very happy with the team from the past three Test matches, we played good cricket (in New Zealand) and I am pleased with the way we played," he said.

That's not to say that Yousuf wouldn't prefer former skipper Younus Khan in the team.

Yousuf admitted the absence of Younus will hurt the team's chances of a successful Australian tour.

Younus took a break from international cricket last month after a match-fixing inquiry tarnished his captaincy.

Although he was cleared of any wrongdoing, the 32-year-old claimed to be 'disgusted' by the allegations before pulling out of the country's tour of New Zealand.

The former skipper, who averages over 50 in Tests, has since returned to the domestic scene in Pakistan but failed to gain selection for the Australian summer.

According to Yousuf, the sooner his predecessor returns to the national team, the better.

"We will miss him," Yousuf said.

"He's a very experienced player and a very good team player as well and has performed all over the world."

Meanwhile, Yousuf isn't concerned by the status of Ricky Ponting and Nathan Hauritz who remain under injury clouds on the eve of the first Test.

"I don't mind if they play or not play," Yousuf said. "We have to take 20 wickets and we need to do better batting or bowling."

As for West Indies captain Chris Gayle's claim that the Windies discovered a weakness in Ponting's batting this summer, Yousuf replied: "He has made 25,000 runs in both (ODI and Test) cricket ... he's the best player."

If Hauritz fails to take his spot in the team, raw New South Welshman Steven Smith will make his Test debut - if that occurs Yousuf could be forgiven for thinking Smith was a pitch invader.

"Who? Steven Smith?," Yousuf said when asked if he knew who Smith was
http://sportal.com.au/cricket-news-display/yousuf-backs-bowlers-83317

Rao Iftikhar - "Technology to help umpires is a welcome change"

by Saj Sadiq (PakPassion.net)
Speaking exclusively to PakPassion.net, Pakistan pace bowler Rao Iftikhar Anjum stated that the introduction of technology to help umpires is a welcome change.

"The introduction of technology is a good addition from the ICC, it's a welcome change. The most important thing is to ensure that at the end of the day the right decision is reached whether it be in favour of the batsman or the bowler" stated Rao.

Rao who has represented Pakistan in 60 one day internationals, a single test match and 2 Twenty/20 internationals further added "the technology needs to be powerful and consistent around the world. It would be good if features such as hot spot are available in all future international matches".

Rao recalled missing out on a 5for in Abu Dhabi last year against the West Indies, due to the technology not being available. "I had Chris Gayle caught behind when he was on 99, it was a clear edge and Gayle started to walk off the field. Me and my team mates celebrated the wicket and as the umpires got together, Gayle came back and stood his ground. The umpires were unsure and the technology wasn't available, so Gayle continued his innings".

Rao who in August of this year took an impressive 5 for 30 against Sri Lanka at the Premadasa is hopeful that he will get the call up for the one day squad in Australia. "Nothing is guaranteed, but I'm hopeful that I will be selected. I had a good couple of matches in Sri Lanka recently and the 5 for 30 was enjoyable".

Rao who has taken 26 wickets in his last 15 one day internationals feels that Pakistan's top order need to fire if Pakistan are to do well in Australia. "If our top order batsmen can support the Akmal brothers who have been batting well of late, then the series could be interesting. Pakistan's bowling attack is very impressive and Danish and the fast bowlers should do well in Australia. This Australia team is a good team but they aren't the same Australia of a few years ago" stated Rao.

29 year old Rao who has been representing ZTBL in this season's Quaid E Azam Trophy feels that a few tweaks within the setup can help improve domestic cricket in Pakistan. "The scheduling and planning of the fixtures at the start of the season would be beneficial. It would be good for all the players who are taking part in domestic cricket to know which tournaments are taking place and also the fixture schedule for the respective tournaments".

Rao continued "This season there has been a lot of low scores in the Quaid E Azam Trophy, I would say that is largely down to the quality of the batting skills and the wickets that were bowler friendly".

Rao responding to a question regarding pitches in Pakistan stated "What I would like to see is consistency in the preparation of wickets in Pakistan so that international pitches in Pakistan are similar to those in domestic cricket. At the moment the pitches are bowling friendly in domestic cricket and generally batting friendly in international matches".

Pakistan take on Australia in the Boxing Day test whilst the one day squads and Twenty/20 squads will be announced next month prior to the one day series which commences on 22nd January in Brisbane.

3 County Teams Chase Afridi for T20 Competition

by Saj Sadiq

3 English County teams are in the running to sign flamboyant Pakistan all rounder Shahid Afridi for next season's Friends Provident Twenty/20 competition.

A deal is expected to be finalised in the second week of January for the in demand Twenty/20 captain of Pakistan, who was one of Pakistan's key performers as they lifted the Twenty/20 World Cup earlier this year.

29 year old Afridi who was described by Geoff Boycott recently as the best one day all rounder in the world, is looking to take part in the whole of the Friends Provident Trophy which is due to be played in June and July of next year. However the Asia Cup schedule is yet to be finalised and this may mean that Afridi is only available for part of the Twenty/20 competition in England.

Afridi is fast becoming a popular choice when it comes to Twenty/20 cricket around the world, having already signed a deal to represent South Australia in the forthcoming Aussie Big Bash and he will also be representing Nashua Dolphins in South Africa's domestic Twenty/20 competition next year. Afridi previously played for Deccan Chargers in the inaugural Indian Premier League and is one of 12 Pakistani players who are expected to be listed in the auction for next year's IPL competition.