Pakistan Self-Destruct Against Australia
Pakistan's Salman Butt at Lords.
This was the fear: that an eagerly anticipated series could be undermined by the brittleness of Pakistan’s batting.
And so it came to pass on Wednesday that they capitulated at their temporarily adopted home.
They were awful. If I tell you Shane Watson took five wickets, you will understand how truly awful they were. Watson is no mug, but he is no destroyer either. I once witnessed him bowling with real pace for Hampshire at Cheltenham, but that was many moons ago and a time before his body rebelled.
Now he is supposed to be used as a breather for the specialists. Should he take five England wickets this winter, questions will quite rightly have to be asked.
Pakistan underestimated him. To his first ball Umar Akmal danced down the pitch. Three balls later he was lbw, whipping horribly across the line. The procession had begun, hastened when his brother Kamran was bamboozled, looking initially to pad up to a straight ball that he must surely have seen as an away swinger.
It did not help Pakistan that their captain, Shahid Afridi, batted like a madman in slogging 31 from 15 balls. It was inappropriate and irresponsible. He did not look like the man who had not played Test cricket for four years, rather like a man who had never played Test cricket. Twenty20 must know its place.
It is cricket’s unique charm that its leader must, just like all his charges, go out and perform. It is not like football where the manager can play God and then retire to the safety of the dugout. A cricket captain must maintain his playing standards to retain respect. Just as importantly, he must play for the common cause. Afridi did not do that on Wednesday. He indulged in some frivolous nonsense. Quite how he can stand in front of his men after this and hope to hold any authority is a mystery.
It is a measure of Pakistan’s troubles that they sent in two debutants at three and four. That sort of thing should not happen these days. The last time it happened at Lord’s was in 1988 when England played Sri Lanka, but only because wicketkeeper Jack Russell went in at No 3 as nightwatchman (to be followed by Kim Barnett).
The result here was predictable. Azhar Ali and Umar Amin were lambs to Australian slaughter, as Ben Hilfenhaus, quickly swapped to the Nursery End to which his swingers are much better suited, confirmed the favourable impression made here in last year’s Ashes, and Mitchell Johnson bowled with genuine hostility. They were hugely impressive. Discipline was the Australian attack’s constant byword.
Amid this wreckage, Salman Butt stood elegantly and watched incredulously. The left-hander played with real polish. He enjoyed the scrap too. Two of his three Test centuries have come against the Australians, and it showed in his composure.
He was ninth man out, deceived by Watson’s inswinger for 63. He should really have carried his bat, but then that has always been a dubious achievement, valid only for those who glory in their colleagues’ failures.
Pakistan might well bat with considerably more gumption when their second innings arrives. But their chance has already gone. It came on Wednesday, and they blew it.
Courtesy of The Telegraph
Zimbabwe Shock Australia In T20
Tatenda Taibu looks on as David Warner plays a shot at the ICC T20 World Cup warm up match between Australia and Zimbabwe played in Saint Lucia.
Australia suffered a stunning one-run loss to outsiders Zimbabwe in their opening World Twenty20 warm-up match in St Lucia on Tuesday.
Zimbabwe made 173 for seven, featuring a dashing 76 from Elton Chigumbura, in their 20 overs before holding Australia to 172 for seven.
Opener David Warner top-scored for Australia with 72 and Twenty20 captain Michael Clarke made 49 but, even though left-arm quick Mitchell Johnson had earlier taken four wickets for 23 runs, Zimbabwe denied Australia victory.
Australia needed 13 off the final over but Clarke was dimissed off the penultimate delivery before Johnson, one of several Aussies to be run out, was exited off a wide.
Brett Lee’s leg-bye off the last ball was not enough for Australia.
Earlier, Chigumbura’s runs came from just 35 balls with six sixes and five fours in an innings where Australia all-rounder Shane Watson’s two overs went for an expensive 34 runs.
“Obviously we would have liked to have won,” Johnson said.
“It’s disappointing to lose in a practice match but we’ve just got to keep going forward, keep working hard in our training sessions and make sure we’re ready for the World Cup.” Clarke’s side were without the rested duo of fast bowler Shaun Tait and vice-captain Cameron White.
But the duo are set to return for Thursday’s second and final warm-up game against the Windward Islands.
Australia’s opening match of the tournament proper is against defending champions Pakistan in St Lucia on Sunday.
With thanks to timesonline.co.za
Styris, Johnson Fined For Mid-Pitch Clash
New Zealand’s Scott Styris was fined 15 percent of his match fee while Australia’s Mitchell Johnson was handed a more serious charge for breaching the International Cricket Council’s code of conduct.
Match referee Ranjan Madugalle summoned both players after their mid-pitch exchange late in New Zealand’s two-wicket win in the Chappell-Hadlee Trophy opener at McLean Park.
He wasn’t commenting until official confirmation from the ICC, but a New Zealand team spokesman confirmed Styris accepted the charge on the lowest end of the scale.
It is understood Johnson accepted a more serious level two charge. His penalty was yet to be revealed, but it could range from a heftier fine to a suspension.
The pair were reported by umpires Rudi Koertzen and Tony Hill.
Styris and left-armer Johnson (1-46) bumped shoulders then appeared to clash heads after 34-year-old Styris hit the Australian paceman for consecutive boundaries in the 46th over.
Said Styris: “There was nothing more than normal, the Australians play good competitive cricket and I’d like to think that we’ll match them in that competitiveness. There wasn’t anything untoward out there.
Asked if Johnson had butted heads with Styris, he said: “He might have come quite close, I don’t know, he may have done.”
Before the hearing, Australian captain Ricky Ponting said he was unsure what led to the Styris-Johnson clash.
“There was obviously something happened,” Ponting said.
“I rushed in as quickly as I could and separated them as quick as I could and we just tried to finish off the game well from there.”
Styris’ unbeaten 49 off 34 balls led New Zealand home by two wickets with four balls to spare as they chased down 276 in the five-match series opener.
“I’d have to say it rates pretty highly, because any time you can be the guy at the end and win a game you’ve obviously got to be happy,” he said.
“When you couple that with the fact that it’s Australia, the No 1 team in the world, it’s even better.
“Dan (Vettori) has said this series will define how New Zealand’s gone this summer, so to get the guys up and hopefully win this series is a great feeling.”
Styris, playing his 160th ODI after being unwanted for the Bangladesh series, was initially omitted and only found out he was in the playing 11 an hour before the start, when Vettori withdrew with a neck injury.
With thanks to Stuff.co.nz
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