Pakistan Super League 2022

2022 Pakistan Super League is the seventh season of the Pakistan Super League, a franchise Twenty20 cricket league which was established by the Pakistan Cricket Board in 2015. The league began on 27 January 2022, with the final scheduled to take place on 27 February.

ICC Announced Schedule of 2022 ICC T20 World Cup 2022.

The International Cricket Council has announced the schedule for the 2022 ICC T20 World Cup 2022. Accordingly, the mini-World Cup to be held in Australia will take place on October 16

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26 March 2014

Smith, Badree send Bangladesh crashing


Krishmar Santoki's slower ball accounted for Shakib Al Hasan

West Indies had batted poorly against India in a seven-wicket defeat on Sunday. Their batsmen didn't look entirely convincing against Bangladesh either, but they scored 171, thanks to Dwayne Smith's 43-ball 72 and some amateurish work in the field.
The target proved well beyond the reach of the hosts, who were bowled out for 98. Dew, which had been a big factor in Mushfiqur Rahim sending West Indies in at the toss, barely played a role as Samuel Badree, Sunil Narine and Krishmar Santokie - a left-arm seamer by definition but a quickish left-arm spinner in reality - had no difficulty in gripping the ball in achieving figures of 12-0-49-8 between them.
Badree and Santokie sent back three of Bangladesh's most dangerous batsmen within first four overs. Tamim Iqbal went first, driving Badree uppishly to a diving Dwayne Bravo at mid-off. Bravo would later throw an even harsher light on the gulf between the two fielding sides by hurling himself to his right at point to grab a low one-handed catch and dismiss Mushfiqur.
Before that, though, Santokie struck twice in two balls with his slower offcutters. First, he spun it past the groping outside edge of the right-handed Anamul Haque for Denesh Ramdin to effect a brilliant stumping, then spun his next ball through the gate of the left-handed Shakib Al Hasan. Bangladesh were 16 for 3 in 3.2 overs and the match, as a contest, was over.

Smart Stats

  • Bangladesh's 73-run defeat was their second worst by margin of runs in T20Is. They had lost to Pakistan by 103 in a one-off T20I in Karachi in 2008.
  • Dwayne Smith's 72 is his highest T20 international score, beating the 70 he scored against England at Trent Bridge in 2012.
  • Chris Gayle's run-a-ball 48 was his slowest T20I inningsin which he has scored 30 or more runs. It was slower than his 33-ball 34 against India in the previous match.
  • Lendl Simmons was stumped for a duck off a wide ball - the first one he faced - from Shakib Al Hasan. He is thethird batsman in T20 internationals to be stumped for a 'diamond' duck. The other two were also from West Indies - Kieron Pollard and Narsingh Deonarine.
  • Al-Amin Hossain's figures of 3 for 21 were the best in T20 internationals and the best by a Bangladesh fast bowler in World T20s. He has taken eight wickets at 14.12 in five T20Is and has an economy of 6.27.
  • Samuel Badree's figures of 4 for 15 are his best in T20 internationals and also West Indies' best in the World T20.
Mominul Haque and Mushfiqur fought on for the next six overs, but the required rate was always running away from Bangladesh. Once the two were dismissed, Badree - who finished with four wickets - and the rest of West Indies' attack had no trouble running through the rest. In the end, the margin of victory reflected Bangladesh's inadequacies rather than anything spectacular from West Indies.
Having been sent in, West Indies, for most part, had struggled to put Bangladesh's bowlers away on a slow pitch. Smith, who had scratched his way to 11 off 29 balls against India, was in much better touch though, and provided West Indies impetus that they never lost despite their two best batsmen - Gayle and Marlon Samuels - facing 70 balls between them for 66.
Smith profited from some poor bowling, particularly from Sohag Gazi. Smith greeted the offspinner by sweeping him for two fours off his first two balls, both of which were directed towards leg stump, a dodgy idea with fine leg in the circle.
In the 10th over, Smith struck him for four successive fours. He manufactured the first - a reverse-sweep off a decent ball, but the next three came from ordinary deliveries that would have disappeared in any format of the game. The last of these, a flat-batted sweep, took Smith to 50. The landmark had come up in 34 balls.
Despite this, West Indies' run rate, at the end of the 10th over, was still under eight an over. At the other end, Gayle was playing a bizarre innings. It wasn't a surprise that he was slow off the blocks - he usually is before picking up the rate later. That simply didn't happen today. Part of this had to do with Gayle struggling to time the ball on a slow pitch, and part of it had to do with intent - unless the ball was in his hitting zone, he simply didn't go after it. He was slow between the wickets too, and appeared in some discomfort, suggesting he might not have been fully fit.
After Smith's dismissal in the 12th over, Mushfiqur brought on Shakib Al Hasan for the first time, and the left-arm spinner struck first ball getting Lendl Simmons stumped down the leg side as he went off on a strange wander out of the crease.
In came Samuels, who added 53 in 37 balls with Gayle even though neither batsman looked particularly threatening, as Bangladesh's fielding disintegrated despite two blinders from Tamim. Gayle went from 26 from 38 - at that point the second-slowest score of 25 or more in the history of international T20 - to 30 from 39 - the 14th slowest - courtesy Anamul's slippery fingers at long-on. In the next over, the 17th, Mushfiqur let successive deliveries from Shakib scoot between his legs for four byes. In the last two overs, Bangladesh also dropped three catches - Mahmudullah's two missed chances at long-off adding eight runs to Darren Sammy's score.
Al-Amin Hossain bowled a tight last over, picking up three wickets, but would have wished the spell had been part of a better team performance.
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25 March 2014

West indies vs Bangladesh



Two teams who aren't at the top of their game come together in Tuesday's clash. Bangladesh, the hosts, have had a forgettable 2014 so far, with lacklustre showings in the home series against Sri Lanka and the Asia Cup which were capped by a defeat to Hong Kong in the first phase of the World T20. West Indies, the defending champions, have lost seven of their previous ten T20s, including their opening game in the World T20, where they went down meekly to India.
After the lukewarm start in the loss against India, talk about West Indies' ability to take singles again got plenty of airtime ahead of the Bangladesh game. Whether it is through singles and twos or through big hits, West Indies need a victory over Bangladesh, as their remaining games in a tough group are against Australia, who are rated among the tournament favourites, and a formidable Pakistan outfit. Defeat to Bangladesh won't eliminate West Indies, but it is likely to mean that their chances of making the semi-finals are not in their hands, leaving them needing to win their remaining matches besides hoping other results go their way.
Bangladesh, despite their defeat to Hong Kong, have achieved their first goal: of reaching the Super 10s and thus avoiding the ignominy of having to watch a party in their backyard from the sidelines. They are positioning themselves as spoilers in a group of heavyweights, and can be tricky opponents, especially at home if the track suits their array of spinners.
Form guide
(last five matches, most recent first)

 Bangladesh: LWWLL
West Indies: LLWWW
In the spotlight
As someone who strikes at around 130 in T20s, Dwayne Smith will want to make amends for his torturous 29-ball 11 against India that robbed West Indies of any momentum at the start of the innings. With Chris Gayle expected to stick to his method of biding his time early on, Smith is entrusted with the task of providing the opening fireworks. Bangladesh's new-ball bowlers have a challenge on their hands.
Chris Gayle had recently jokingly remarked that he had made Sohag Gazi famous by hitting him for six off the first ball of a Test. That was when West Indies last toured Bangladesh in 2012, but even on that tour Gayle didn't exactly dominate - Gazi dismissed him three times in Tests and ODIs. The rivalry is set to resume on Tuesday, when Gazi is expected to be picked as a replacement for Farhad Reza
Teams news
West Indies coach Ottis Gibson has said they have to still take a decision on their quick bowling line-up: whether to bring in either the experienced Ravi Rampaul or the pacy Sheldon Cottrell in place of Krishmar Santokie. He wanted to take a close look at the conditions in Mirpur before taking a call.
West Indies (probable): 1 Chris Gayle, 2 Dwayne Smith, 3 Marlon Samuels, 4 Lendl Simmons, 5 Dwayne Bravo, 6 Darren Sammy (capt), 7 Andre Russell, 8 Denesh Ramdin (wk), 9 Sunil Narine, 10 Ravi Rampaul/Krishmar Santokie, 11 Samuel Badree 
Bangladesh are expected to make several changes to the side that went down to Hong Kong. With Rubel Hossain injured, Ziaur Rahman is likely to get a game while offspinner Sohag Gazi is set to replace the expensive Farhad Reza. They could also bring in Shamsur Rahman for Sabbir Rahman.
Bangladesh (probable): 1 Tamim Iqbal, 2 Anamul Haque, 3 Shamsur Rahman, 4 Shakib Al Hasan, 5 Mushfiqur Rahim (capt & wk), 6 Nasir Hossain, 7 Mahmudullah, 8 Ziaur Rahman, 9 Sohag Gazi, 10 Abdur Razzak, 11 Al-Amin Hossain
Stats and trivia
  • West Indies are the only top-eight team that Bangladesh have beaten in Twenty20s.
  • Andre Russell's economy-rate of 9.60 is the second worst among all those who have bowled more than 30 overs in T20Is. Only New Zealand's Doug Bracewell (9.61) has a worse economy rate.
  • With 42 wickets, Shakib Al Hasan is the joint highest wicket-taker, along with Abdur Razzak, in T20Is for Bangladesh. He is also 12 runs short of surpassing Tamim Iqbal as the highest run-getter in T20Is for Bangladesh
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Yuvraj Singh's search for form

Yuvraj Singh checks his helmet during a training session, Dhaka, March 20, 2014
Yuvraj Singh is making his third comeback since recovering from cancer, but with the breakneck and pressure-filled T20 being the only format he has to make a case for a permanent place, he has looked woefully short of confidence

As Suresh Raina hit the winning run off Marlon Samuels, the Indian dug-out hugged and high-fived their successive win in the World T20.There was celebratory joy, but there was also a hint of relief, for India had taken a simple chase to the final over. As MS Dhoni and Virat Kohli clasped hands,Yuvraj Singh walked out. He had just taken off his gear but still wore a part disenchanted, part blank look; his eyes distant, and in sharp contrast to the jubilation around him.Yuvraj had walked in with 23 needed off 32, consumed 19 of those for his 10 runs and had fallen dabbing a turner straight to slip. One ball later Raina ended the match.
Against Pakistan, he missed a full delivery and was bowled second ball. In both matches, he put down what could have been costly misses - Chris Gayle and Mohammad Hafeez - but India created and converted more chances soon after. His solitary over in the tournament so far went for 13.
Cricket is a game that lends itself easily to analysis, and unfortunately, to over-analysis as well. India are only two games into their campaign in a format where often, any analysis can be over-analysis. It is readily possible to argue in Yuvraj's favour: Anyone can miss a full and straight one early in his innings, especially in the T20 format which requires heavy hitting.
Yuvraj might only have wanted some time in the middle, knowing that India had plenty of deliveries left to put West Indies away, and aware that such an opportunity rarely comes in T20s. Already, many other players have spilled high catches in Mirpur, and there could be a larger reason for it. The height and positioning of the floodlights is being talked about as a possible factor. And for all his deeds with the ball in the past, Yuvraj is and has always been a part-time bowler, and it was only one over anyway.
It is the sum of all these instances, though, that invites concern. This is already Yuvraj's third comeback (of sorts) since recovering from cancer. The first time he was rushed into the 2012 World T20 having played very little competitive cricket and seemed lacking in match fitness. The second comeback also started in the shortest format, with a much leaner Yuvraj carving a match-winning, unbeaten 77 off 35 against Australia in Rajkot in October last year, before struggling in the one-dayers. The third comeback is not strict in definition, for India didn't played any T20s between the Rajkot one and the World T20.
In both the previous phases, Yuvraj has lost his place in one format each. He hasn't played a Test since December 2012, and an ODI since December 2013, missing the tour of New Zealand and the Asia Cup.
 
 
The confidence does not seem to be there. It shows in the way he has looked forlorn on the boundary after those drops instead of showing some anger or disappointment.
 
At the moment, T20 is the only format he has to make his case and it can be misleading for watchers to take cues from. It can also be ruthless on the player, with everything happening so fast, leaving little time to gather your thoughts. Even more so, considering it is a world event.
With bat, ball, on the field, even in the nets, Yuvraj has just not looked comfortable. The confidence does not seem to be there. It shows in the way he has looked forlorn on the boundary after those drops instead of showing some anger or disappointment. He knows, and the world knows, there is so much riding for him on this World T20. Maybe it is the pressure of that knowledge, that this is all he has left for now, at the international stage at least, that is shackling him down.
As any captain would, MS Dhoni backed his senior player after the West Indies match. "Yuvraj is the best player in T20s. Right now he is not in that good a rhythm you can say. It is a bit tough, he has been dropped from ODIs and is coming back in T20s, there is a bit of pressure on the individual. You can say it is a short format and you can go in and express yourself, but when an individual comes into the team, there is some pressure on him.
"It takes one-two matches but we are only hoping if he gets a good flow, a good game, we all know the kind of match-winner he is and he can really turn the game around on his own," Dhoni said. "I am glad he got a bit of time because it will only settle his nerves. We all know how dangerous he can be once he gets going, he will give many more victories. If Yuvi comes back, if he bats really well, he is a good asset to have a No 4."
India can arguably afford to give Yuvraj one more match in the tournament. It should ideally help that their next one is against Bangladesh and not Australia. They will be relieved if Yuvraj comes good in that. If not, they will be in a quandary against Australia. They look good to make the semi-final, and would not want to go in with a short-on-confidence Yuvraj or a short-on-match-practice Ajinkya Rahane.


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Sri Lanka consign Netherlands to record low


Ahsan Malik walks back as the scoreboard confirms Netherlands' plight, Netherlands v Sri Lanka, World T20, Group 1, March 24, 2014

Perhaps no team in world cricket puts weaker sides away so emphatically as Sri Lanka. Since becoming full-fledged graduates from the easy-beats category in the mid-90s, they have spared no thought to their former peers, and on Monday they added two more world records to the small pile they have accumulated against easy-beats over the past 20 years. Netherlands' 39 all out is the lowest ever Twenty20 score. Sri Lanka chased the target in a record five overs.
Their domination of Netherlands was, strangely, almost as casual as it was unyielding. Nuwan Kulasekara's opening over was full of the kind of swing away from left-handers he generates almost every time he has early use of the white ball. Yet, this time, it would set in motion the most dramatic collapse the format has seen, as Stephan Myburgh outside-edged him to third man. Next over, Angelo Mathews delivered two unremarkable half-trackers back-to-back, and found himself on-a-hat-trick, as Michael Swart and Wesley Barresi fell attempting to attack. The floodlight malfunction that caused a nine-minute break in play seemed a greater obstacle to a Sri Lanka victory than their opponents did, with the bat. The number of runs did not exceed the number of wickets until the 20th ball of the innings.
Mathews would trap Peter Borren in front with an indipper in his next over - bringing about one of four ducks in Netherlands' innings - and that was all before Dinesh Chandimal sent his heavy cavalry in. Lasith Malinga struck the base of the middle stump twice, both times with the slower yorker. Ajantha Mendis had an expensive first over, but the Netherlands lower order played exactly like batsmen who have never faced his brand of mystery spin before. The googly accounted for two of his three wickets. Netherlands were all out in the 11th over.
Sri Lanka were given a harder time with the bat, as Kusal Perera was rapped painfully on the thumb by Timm van der Gugten before he fell for 14, but the chase was always going to be a formality. Tillakaratne Dilshan would have hoped to bat himself into form against a weaker attack but he only faced 11 balls. Sri Lanka will take the two points and the massive boost in net run rate, but even they may be disappointed at how quickly it all ended.
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South Africa back in the competition...


Dale Steyn goes berserk after a sensational victory
So this is how South Africa want their T20 line-up to work. Start slowly, build calmly and then have a full go at the end, like they did today against New Zealand.

That is the reason they insist on keeping Hashim Amla, who is too often labeled 'not a T20 player,' at the top of the order, and why they do not want to promote AB de Villiers into it. They see Amla as having the right measure of conservatism and class to kick things off and de Villiers, along with David Miler and Albie Morkel, as having the creativity to close things off.
When it works, even when not exactly according to plan, it results in totals like today which South Africa will back themselves to defend. Despite the squeaky-bum ending, the score would have left most teams comfortable and was a nod to what South Africa are aiming for with the combinations they have in operation now.
South Africa have divided the innings up into segments, starting with the powerplay. Faf Du Plessis said in Chittagong they've decided "45 seems to be the par score so I wanted to get close to that and not more than two wickets down." South Africa were 42 for 3 in the first six overs, a little short and an extra man down but they were there and thereabouts, especially because the man they want to survive the opening exchanges, Amla, was still there.
"Hashim's role is to bat with someone. If someone else on the other side keeps scoring boundaries, Hashim can be the structure and the solidness through the batting line-up," du Plessis explained. "If we look at our top five, it's made up of guys who, apart from Hashim, naturally play aggressively so he fits into that game plan. It's his role to manoeuvre the rest of the innings."
Amla is not required to go at a strike rate of much more than 100, which is where he hovered throughout his innings today. He is not required to take risks either which is what has earned him so much criticism from those feel he is not fit for this format. It's worth remembering Amla occupied the top spot on the ODI batting rankings not long ago and du Plessis is confident Amla can change tack if he needs to. "If there is a day where those guys don't score runs then Hashim knows that he has to play a little bit quicker."
Today was not that day because JP Duminy was on the other end, timing the ball and finding the boundary. All Amla had to do was "stay with JP for a period of time to make sure that our hitters at the back didn't come in when there were too many balls left." In other words, Amla has to keep things going for as long as possible in the second-third of the innings because only after that, should the rest be needed.
South Africa do not subscribe to the theory that the most destructive hitters need to face the most balls. They don't want de Villiers, Miller and Morkel batting when the majority of overs are still to be bowled. Perhaps that is because, as Miller and Morkel showed, they are only up for a quick boom-boom before the bust. Perhaps they only do that because they don't have any time to settle but the chicken-egg debate is not one South Africa are aiming to solve.
They've decided what comes first and it's not the men they have labeled finishers. "We need to make sure we have Miller and Morkel coming in towards the end of the innings not when they have to still worry about rotating the strike but where they can just play their natural game," du Plessis said.
The big-hitters don't always come off but they have the best chance to if Amla and then Duminy allow them the freedom to, as they did today "JP controlled the innings beautifully. He took risks when it was needed and made sure the strike was rotated," du Plessis said. "As a blueprint of a T20 innings, that's one of the better ones you will see."
It was textbook because Duminy was circumspect to start and upped his tempo later without getting carried away. "In a perfect world, you always want that freedom to express yourself but with freedom comes a little bit of responsibility," Duminy said. "We are finding the right mix. If we can perfect that, we stand a good chance of producing results in these kinds of tournaments."
Duminy has found the balance and it resulted in two top-scores for the team in two matches. More importantly for him, it gave South Africa's bowlers something to work with, which is what the batsmen are there for, after all. "I'm glad that it gave us a chance to defend because at one stage we didn't think we'd get to 170," Duminy said. "I'm pretty happy with the innings but if Dale and the rest of the bowlers didn't produce something it wouldn't have meant anything." That it did will give South Africa confidence what they are doing with their batting line-up could work
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24 March 2014


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Pakistan take high-voltage game vs Australia


Umar Akmal slammed a 54-ball 94 to help set up Pakistan's 16-run win over Australia in Mirpur

If ever proof was needed that Pakistan are world cricket's most mercurial side, take this match as exhibit A. Bilawal Bhatti's first over cost 30 runs, Pakistan dropped two catches in three balls, they conceded an 18-ball half-century to Glenn Maxwell and in their own innings stumbled to 25 for 2 in their fifth over. Oh, and they won. Comfortably, in the end. So relaxed was Mohammad Hafeez by the end that he trusted Bhatti with the final over, with Australia needing 23. They managed six.
This really was a split personality of a game. The fielding from both sides was poor, as was some of the bowling. But the striking from Umar Akmal and Maxwell was breathtaking, and a couple of wonderful overs from two of Pakistan's spinners, Zulfiqar Babar and Saeed Ajmal, meant more than Bhatti's dirty 30-run over. Perhaps the most important feature of the match was the lopsided nature of Australia's scorecard; nobody but Maxwell and Aaron Finch reached double figures.
And yet while they were at the crease together, Australia rocketed into favouritism. Chasing 192, they had come together at 8 for 2 at the end of the first over, after Babar's quicker ball rattled David Warner's stumps and his turner caught the edge of Shane Watson's bat on the way through to Kamran Akmal. But from there, Maxwell and Finch lifted Australia to 126 for 2 in the 12th over, a position from which they could have and should have won.
Had Maxwell stayed there they would have. As he struck six after six with conventional strokeplay, it was hard to work out why he had tried to reverse-sweep Hafeez from the first ball of his innings. Nerves, perhaps. But when he stood still and played the ball on its merits, he was almost impossible to stop. He clubbed Hafeez over midwicket and square leg for two sixes in an over and struck another as Shahid Afridi leaked 15 in his first over.
Afridi seemed Scrooge-like compared to Bhatti, who was thumped for two consecutive sixes that brought Maxwell his half-century, the equal fastest in a T20 international by an Australia player. The record was set by David Warner, who struck an 18-ball fifty against West Indies in 2009-10 at the SCG, where the Arizona Diamondbacks and the LA Dodgers are playing Major League Baseball this week. Some of Maxwell's strikes belonged there.
He was put down on 70 by Ajmal in the deep - two balls earlier Kamran had failed to glove Finch's edge behind off Ajmal's doosra - but on 74 Maxwell fell when he picked out deep midwicket off the bowling of Afridi. And magically, the runs dried up. The rest of the Australians struggled to force the pace against Pakistan's spin; George Bailey was bowled by Afridi for 4 off nine balls and after Brad Hodge was well caught in the deep by Ajmal off Umar Gul, Ajmal got rid of the other main danger, Finch.
Australia needed 31 off the final three overs when Ajmal was given his last over, and it was a brilliant one. Finch, settled but still a little scratchy, was bowled by an Ajmal straight ball for 65 off 54 balls, and the over brought one run and one wicket. And, more or less, one Pakistan victory. Because 30 off two overs was too much for Australia's lower order; Gul and Bhatti picked up wickets and there was a run out, and Australia were bowled out from the last ball for 175.
It meant that Umar Akmal's batting had not been in vain. That Pakistan reached 191 for 5 was a remarkable effort given that they were struggling at 25 for 2 in the fifth over. But the Akmal brothers combined to give Bailey a headache for the next three quarters of an hour.
They scored at 11.29 during their 96-run partnership and although Kamran has an excellent record against Australia it was Umar who really did the damage this time. Powerful through and over midwicket, especially during an 18-run over from part-time spinner Finch, who was twice dispatched dismissively over deep midwicket, Umar was also able to rocket the ball down the ground straight back past the bowler Nathan Coulter-Nile.
Kamran struck four fours during his run-a-ball 31 but the partnership ended when he tried to lift a cut over deep point off Coulter-Nile but was well taken by Warner running around on the boundary. Coulter-Nile picked up a second wicket when he yorked Sohaib Maqsood for 5, but Umar remained at the crease and seemed destined to become the first Pakistan batsman to reach a century in a Twenty20 international.
That was not to be. In the final over of the innings, on 94 from 53 balls, he tried to clear the long-on boundary off Mitchell Starc and was caught in the deep by Maxwell. A quick unbeaten 20 from Afridi helped Pakistan to 191 for 5, but the Australians were left wondering what could have been had they been a little less sloppy in the field.
Umar had been dropped on 22 when he lifted Coulter-Nile to deep square leg and Brad Hogg put down a catch that was coming to him at pace, but should have been taken comfortably. Afridi was also put down by Hodge at point and Kamran was grassed by Doug Bollinger at short fine leg, although the umpire called a no-ball against the bowler Shane Watson in any case.
Bollinger's first international for two and a half years had started more promisingly - he struck in the second over of the match when Ahmed Shehzad top-edged a pull and was caught by Bollinger himself. When Hafeez played on off Watson in the fifth over, Australia could dream of a small chase. In their dreams
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21 March 2014

India Beat Pakistan by 7 wickets


Amit Mishra is the center of attention after getting Ahmed Shehzad stumped, India v Pakistan, Group 2, Mirpur, March 21, 2014

You don't often know what to expect in big India-Pakistan matches, but Pakistan are on to a disturbing trend of predictability of late. They work themselves up into a frenzy, try too many things, make too many mistakes, and India coolly stand in a corner doing little things right and stroll their way to a win. In the previous World T20 match between these two sides, Pakistan batted in a similarly nervous manner, got bowled out for 128, and lost despite a valiant attempt with the ball. Here they managed two runs more, succumbing to their own poor running and some clever spin bowling by India - in their 12 overs, the three specialists went for 63 and took three wickets - before putting up a fight with the ball, which was too little and too short.
Even in the lead-up, MS Dhoni spoke about how he was pleased a lot of acrimony had gone out of India-Pakistan matches, Mohammad Hafeez on the other hand sounded combative when asked about the lack of wins against India in World Cups. India were clear in their heads: they played three spinners, and didn't want to take a chance with the dew, so they put Pakistan in. Pakistan were a bundle of nerves.
Ahmed Shehzad ran out Kamran Akmal, who looked in good touch with his two early boundaries, before almost running himself out. With no loose balls on offer, Hafeez and Shehzad got more and more anxious before throwing their wickets away to Ravindra Jadeja and Amit Mishra in the eighth and the ninth overs. It is a minor surprise that Mishra was only in his second Twenty20 international, but he bowled like a grizzled veteran for the most part. The delivery to get Shehzad was a beauty: for the batsman on the edge, he slowed a legbreak down, got some drift and dip, and drew as comprehensive a stumping as any you will see.
From 47 for 3 in the ninth over, Umar Akmal and Shoaib Malik - the latter has feasted on Indian bowling in the past - tried a revival with a 50-run stand in seven overs, but the knowledge that a strong India batting lineup would need a total in excess of 150 to be challenged meant the percentages were always low. India again offered nothing loose, and Malik fell when trying to go inside-out off Mishra's bowling. He was beaten in the flight, the ball turned, and took a thick outside edge for long-off to catch.
What would have please India was that even in the last three overs - with the spinners' quotas exhausted - India conceded just 28 runs. The pitch was not the easiest to bat on, with good bounce and turn on offer, which would have actually left Pakistan a little more annoyed with their effort. About 15 more runs and their bowlers would have put India under serious pressure, especially with Shikhar Dhawan struggling at the top. Somehow, though, Dhawan scored 30 of possibly his most ungainly runs before falling. Rohit Sharma, who looked much better than Dhawan, managed 24 at a marginally better strike rate. Be that as it may, the two had given India a start, and despite a wobble in the middle Virat Kohli - in the company of Suresh Raina - did what he can do even in his sleep.
The only disturbing aspect of India's evening came through in this wobble: Yuvraj Singh had dropped a catch, conceded 13 in one over, and capped it off with a poor shot to be bowled for 1. That left India needing 66 in the remaining 9.5 overs, a situation that needs some panic from batsmen for some interest to be manufactured. No panic was forthcoming from Kohli, and once Shahid Afridi dropped Suresh Raina on 7 it was a cruise for India.
The key aspect of the finish provided by Kohli and Raina was how coolly they played Saeed Ajmal. Ajmal's analysis is worth a look: he was hit for three fours that Dhawan was not in control of, but still went for 18 runs and took one wicket in his four overs. However, the two India batsmen didn't show any desperation against him, and reached home with nine balls to go
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