Thursday, October 1, 2015

Pakistan's second-best and all ten to spinners

 6/26 Yasir Shah's bowling figures today - the second-best by a Pakistan spinner in ODIs behind Shahid Afridi's 7 for 13 against West Indies in 2013. Yasir, however, did better Ajantha Mendis' 6 for 29 in 2008 to record the best haul for a spinner in Zimbabwe.

10 Wickets to Pakistan's spinners in this game. Besides Yasir, Shoaib Malik chipped in with three and Imad Wasim took one, making it only the sixth time in ODI history that spinners had taken all the 10 wickets in a match. The last instance was also by Pakistan, in 2011, when Mohammad Hafeez, Abdur Rehman, Saeed Ajmal and Shoaib Malik combined to topple Bangladesh in Chittagong.

124 Runs added by the sixth-wicket pair of Mohammad Rizwan and Wasim, making it Pakistan's highest against Zimbabwe in ODIs. It was also their second century stand against Zimbabwe for that wicket, after the 116-run stand between Misbah-ul-Haq and Shahid Afridi in Multan in 2008.

8 Times that Pakistan's sixth wicket has added 100 or more runs after having lost their first five for less than 150 in an ODI. Today, Pakistan had 128 on the board when they fifth batsman fell. The partnership between Rizwan and Wasim is also Pakistan's third-highest for the sixth wicket when they have lost their first five for less than 150.

131 Margin by which Zimbabwe lost this match, their third-worst defeat against Pakistan when fielding first and the worst against them at home. The last time Zimbabwe lost by a bigger margin to Pakistan was in 2004 when they were beaten by 144 runs in Multan.

2005 The last time Pakistan's Nos. 4 to 7 each scored 30 or more runs in an ODI. Including today's instance, this has happened only three times for Pakistan. It was also the ninth time both Pakistan's No. 6 and No. 7 had made fifties in an ODI.

75 Runs scored by Rizwan in this match - his highest ODI score and his third fifty-plus score in eight innings. He has made 295 runs at an average of 59.00.

3.12 Chamu Chibhabha's economy rate in this match - his second-best in an ODI. Chibhabha bowled eight overs including a maiden and gave away 25 runs. Mohammad Irfan's economy rate of 1.75 was also his second-best in an ODI. Irfan bowled just four overs including two maidens and conceded just seven runs.

Tuesday, April 1, 2014

Pakistan consumed by waves of panic



Denesh Ramdin stumps Shoaib Malik, Pakistan v West Indies, World T20, Group 2, Mirpur, April 1, 2014
Shoaib Malik was one of four players stumped as Pakistan were consumed by panic © AFP 
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Pakistan never fail to surprise us, do they? If you had come expecting a thriller between two similar, explosive T20 sides, what you got instead was Pakistan showing us multiple, and all equally self-destructive, states of panic.
Two of their best bowlers, Saeed Ajmal and Umar Gul, cracked under pressure and gave away a combined 59 runs in three overs at the death. The top order went down heaving, and the middle order shut shop in response.
It was one of those nights from Pakistan. As was the night when they had sparked that incredible Australian collapse earlier in the tournament. We know both happened, separated by a matter of a few days. We also know Pakistan are capable of both kinds of displays within such a short span. We can try to delve into what happened and how it happened. Exactly why it happened, we will never really know.
Each wave of panic against West Indies only brought about another, albeit different one, from the following cast. When the opposition is 84 for 5 after 15 overs, and you have overs left from two of the most experienced and best T20 bowlers in the world, the last thing you are expecting is for both of them to lose it suddenly. And Gul lost it so much in the 18th over that as many as three fielders ran up to him at various points in the over with words of advice, or encouragement, or whatever it was that they felt could work at that moment.

Hafeez apologises for Pakistan performance



Denesh Ramdin stumps Umar Akmal, Pakistan v West Indies, World T20, Group 2, Mirpur, April 1, 2014
It was a pretty poor performance from Pakistan with the bat © AFP 
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Mohammad Hafeez was asked pretty direct questions after Pakistan failed to make the World T20 semi-finals with a heavy defeat to West Indies.
He was asked if he was considering resigning as T20 captain and if he was the No. 3 batsman the side needed. He was asked why Kamran Akmal and Shoaib Malik were persevered with. He was asked if the Pakistan team management was good enough. In reply, Hafeez apologized to the people of Pakistan for his team's unsuccessful campaign and said that the entire team was collectively responsible.
"After a loss, such things come up," Hafeez said. "But you have to keep in mind that no team wins because of any one individual or loses because of any one individual. It was a good display overall, but in this match, we didn't play well. We take collective responsibility. It's not one person's responsibility. The entire management, all the players, are equally responsible.
"The management has worked hard with the players. All the plans, they were able to reach the players, gave us all the practice. At the end of the day, the players have to deliver, they have to execute the plans. In this tournament, especially in this match, if the execution wasn't good, then the responsibility lies with the players, not the management. But as a team, we didn't do well. All of us have to accept it.

West Indies bring back their fear factor

West Indies may have a formula for T20, or they may just let it flow through them. Modern players often talk about going out on the field and expressing themselves but it appears to be only the West Indies team that truly do so, at least in this format of the game.
Whether dancing to calypso, Korean pop or some local folk number, West Indies' style has proved just as catchy as it was two years ago. The energy levels as they celebrated a sensational torpedoing of Pakistan were a little down on the party-hard reaction to beating Australia a few days ago, with just a few perfunctory giddy-ups for the cameras, but West Indies emanate conviction that their method is as sound as their arms are strong. With or without all the carry on, they are the World T20 entertainers.
Darren Sammy has become as powerful a symbol of this as Chris Gayle and Marlon Samuels, stars of their triumphant 2012 World T20. Tony Cozier has written about his resurgence in the finisher's role - innings in Auckland and Antigua, Barbados and Mirpur over the last few months underscore the point with all the emphasis of one of Sammy's flat sixes - and here the captain gave another tingling display of his dead-eye death batting.
As Saeed Ajmal, the premier spinner in this format, was crunched back down the ground in the 19th over, Sammy celebrated banishing the ball from his presence by pumping his fist back and forth, as if ramming home the metaphorical advantage. Ajmal had already gone the distance twice before, at the hands of Dwayne Bravo, who also belaboured Umar Gul - the second-most successful T20 bowler around - for consecutive sixes. Bravo was run out at the start of the final over but Sammy drove remorselessly on, thumping and jiving.

Darren Sammy finished the innings with an electric 42 off 20 balls, Pakistan v West Indies, World T20, Group 2, Mirpur, April 1, 2014
Darren Sammy has proved to be a brutal force © Getty Images 
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Asked previously about West Indies preference for dots over dash, sixes over singles, Sammy said it was just a natural inclination as to how to play the game. Suresh Raina belittled the approach, to which Sammy responded: "If he thinks we are only six-hitters, then stop us from hitting sixes." India managed it, convincingly; Pakistan did not. Of West Indies' 166 for 6, 51 came in singles, twos and a three; 106 flowed in boundaries.
"In those situations, the best of them all go for runs," Bravo said of the disdain with which Ajmal and Gul were treated. "We had nothing to lose, we were under pressure. So I said to Sammy, as long as we stay still, don't worry about picking Ajmal or trying to rotate, just stay still, keep our eyes on the ball, we're powerful enough if we get close to the ball to hit it over the ropes. Our aim was to get at least 135 to 140 with the start we got but the self-belief we have, the form and the power we have, the momentum went with us, we finished positive and got to 160."
The power of West Indies' T20 batting - missing Kieron Pollard, too - has replaced the fear factor of their fast bowling in Tests 30 years ago. They use it to bludgeon opponents, intimidate them, shrugging off the chance to run ones and twos in favour of full-frontal assault. As with Samuels' tinderbox innings in the final of the last World T20, this match reinforced the sense that they are rarely ever out of a game.

West Indies' best win, worst scores in the Powerplays



Denesh Ramdin stumps Shoaib Malik, Pakistan v West Indies, World T20, Group 2, Mirpur, April 1, 2014
Denesh Ramdin equalled the record for the most stumpings by a wicketkeeper in a T20 international. © AFP 
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Related Links
Report : West Indies dish out thashing to enter semis
Players/Officials: Saeed Ajmal | Darren Sammy
Series/Tournaments: World T20
Teams: Pakistan | West Indies
  • This was West Indies' biggest win by margin of runs in T20 internationals. Their 74-run win against Australia in the semi-finals of the last World T20 was their previous biggest.
  • This 84-run loss was Pakistan's second-worstdefeat in a T20I by margin of runs. Their worst defeat in T20Is came against Australia in Dubai in 2012, when they lost by 94 runs.
  • West Indies' batsmen hit 82 runs from the last-five overs off Pakistan's bowlers, including 59 runs off the last three. This is the most any Full Member has conceded in the last five overs in a T20I. The previous highest scored in the last five overs was 81, by Sri Lanka against Australia in a T20I in Pallekele. Incidentally, Pakistan were bowled out for 82: exactly the same number of runs that they conceded in the last-five overs.
  • Pakistan started disastrously, scoring just 13 runs off the Powerplay overs and losing four wickets in the process. This equalled the worst Powerplay score by a Full Member team in T20Is. The other such instance also came against West Indies was when Zimbabwe stumbled to 13 for 4 at the end of the Powerplays when batting first against West Indies in a T20I in Port-of-Spain. On that occasion though, West Indies ended up on the losing side.

The Afridi-Gul synchronised double slide



Darren Sammy hugs Krishmar Santokie, who had Ahmed Shehzad lbw first ball, Pakistan v West Indies, World T20, Group 2, Mirpur, April 1, 2014
Krishmar Santokie wasn't willing to give Ahmed Shehzad a sighter, trapping him lbw with a lovely inswinger © Getty Images 
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Related Links
Series/Tournaments: World T20
Teams: Pakistan | West Indies
The dismissal
Mohammad Hafeez had bowled five deliveries to Chris Gayle and dismissed him twice before in T20 internationals. The first ball of his second over was the first time he bowled to Gayle in this match. It was tossed up, and drew Gayle out of his crease. Even as the batsman lunged clumsily in an attempt to play it, it spun past him and Kamran Akmal did the rest. Six balls to Gayle from Hafeez, and three dismissals.
The double slide
We often see the joint chase nowadays where two fielders run after a ball, one of them slides and instantly lobs it to the other who gets the throw in quicker. This was synchronization of a different kind. Soon after Gayle departed, Lendl Simmons punched Hafeez square on the off side. Umar Gul and Shahid Afridi raced after it. Afridi put in a slide and stopped the ball. But he had no one to lob it to, as Gul had gone down on the ground at exactly the same time next to Afridi, in the same manner. The legspinner stood up and himself threw the ball to the keeper.
The advisors
Dwayne Bravo went after Gul in the 18th over, hitting the first two balls of the over for sixes. The captain Hafeez ran up to his bowler to have a few words. Gul sprayed the next ball wide outside off. This time, it was Afridi who had something to tell Gul. Following a yorker, Gul bowled it wide again, and was hit for four over point. Now Sohail Tanvir decided his fellow quick bowler needed him, and trotted across to have his say.
The deceptive blow
West Indies' onslaught was in full flow when Darren Sammy heaved at Tanvir in the last over. It was a flattish hit, but the way it hung in the air, the fielder at long-on thought he had a chance. It seemed to have slowed down further, and he even took a few steps forward to make sure it would not fall short. It was deceptive, though. In the end, it cleared the fielder quite comfortably.

West Indies dish out thashing to enter semis

West Indies 166 for 6 (Bravo 46, Sammy 42*) beat Pakistan 82 (Badree 3-10, Narine 3-16) by 84 runs
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details

West Indies scored 84 runs in their first 15 overs. They nearly doubled their total after that, smashing 82 off the last 30 balls of the innings. No Full Member team had ever conceded so many in the last five overs of a Twenty20 game.
It remained to be seen which part of West Indies' innings, the first three-quarters or the final quarter, would make a bigger impact on the result as Pakistan began their chase, in a knockout game to determine who would take on Sri Lanka in the first semi-final on Thursday. In the end, West Indies could have declared after 15 overs and still won.
The timing of the assault by Dwayne Bravo and Darren Sammy - they put on 71 in 32 balls, having come together at 81 for 5 in the 14th over - was a knockout blow to Pakistan. You could tell by the way Sammy pumped his fists after pounding Saeed Ajmal for a straight six in the 19th over. It wasn't arrogance or bravado. It was adrenaline.

Big spin test for West Indies in must-win

This virtual quarter-final of the World T20 between Pakistan and West Indies has been expected for some time now. They are easily the two most exciting sides in this format. Their campaigns till now have panned out in similar fashion. Both went down to by the same margin of seven wickets to India in their opening games, both registered big wins over Bangladesh and finally, both narrowly overcame Australia in thrillers.
The Australia games provide pointers to how this contest could be determined. Glenn Maxwell seemed to have put Pakistan out of the game before they characteristically pounced on the opening his dismissal provided, their spinners kickstarting an Australian collapse from 126 for 2, and 146 for 3, to 175 all out. The West Indies batsmen came hard at Australia, then slowed down in the middle and seemed to have kept it for too late before their lower-middle order hitters swung them to a victory they celebrated wildly.
Australia stuck to a pace-heavy attack for most of the tournament, and it was one of the reasons they conceded big runs in almost every game. The last five overs of West Indies' chase were all bowled by quick bowlers, and the quickest of them, Mitchell Starc, was taken for 19 in the penultimate over by Darren Sammy.
It is no secret that West Indies' hitters like to have pace on the ball so that they can time those powerful swings. Pace will not come from Pakistan, except from Umar Gul, who himself is vastly experienced in this format and will not readily provide it at the wrong time. Barring Gul, there will be no pace at all. Instead, there will be Saeed Ajmal, Shahid Afridi, Mohammad Hafeez and Zulfiqar Babar. That means potentially 16 overs of spin in a 20-over innings.

Marlon Samuels is stumped by MS Dhoni, India v West Indies, World T20, Group 2, Mirpur, March 23, 2014
West Indies were stumped by India's spinners © Getty Images 
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In all their games so far, West Indies have not found it easy to take on spin. They did make 170-plus against Bangladesh, but that was helped by a shambolic fielding effort from the hosts. Young Australia legspinner James Muirhead removed Chris Gayle with the first ball of his second over. India just squeezed West Indies right from the start, and never allowed them to build any momentum. It can be argued that many sides have found it difficult against slow bowlers in these conditions, but West Indies' self-admitted reliance on the big shots puts them at greater risk.
Suresh Raina had said West Indies preferred to hit sixes and did not rotate strike much, something he said India would target, and did. While West Indies hit more sixes against India than they did against Bangladesh, the Indians were able to cut off the fours. West Indies managed nine against them, compared to 18 against Australia and 17 against the hosts.

32nd Match: Pakistan v West Indies - Scorecard

World T20 - 32nd match, Group 2
West Indies won by 84 runs
West Indies innings (20 overs maximum)RMB4s6sSR
View dismissalDR Smithc †Kamran Akmal b Sohail Tanvir817132061.53
View dismissalCH Gaylest †Kamran Akmal b Mohammad Hafeez510410125.00
View dismissalLMP Simmonsrun out (Umar Gul)31342922106.89
View dismissalMN Samuelsb Shahid Afridi20291811111.11
View dismissalDJ Bravorun out (†Kamran Akmal)46372624176.92
View dismissalD Ramdinc Umar Akmal b Zulfiqar Babar510100050.00
DJG Sammy*not out42282052210.00
AD Russellnot out04000-
Extras(lb 4, w 5)9
Total(6 wickets; 20 overs)166(8.30 runs per over)
Did not bat SP NarineS BadreeK Santokie
Fall of wickets 1-10 (Gayle, 2.1 ov)2-22 (Smith, 3.5 ov)3-61 (Simmons, 10.1 ov)4-67 (Samuels, 10.4 ov),5-81 (Ramdin, 13.5 ov)6-152 (Bravo, 19.1 ov)
BowlingOMRWEcon
View wicketMohammad Hafeez201517.50
View wicketSohail Tanvir402716.75(1w)
View wicketZulfiqar Babar402716.75(2w)
View wicketShahid Afridi402315.75
Umar Gul2029014.50(1w)
Saeed Ajmal4041010.25(1w)
Pakistan innings (target: 167 runs from 20 overs)RMB4s6sSR
View dismissalAhmed Shehzadlbw b Santokie011000.00
View dismissalKamran Akmalc Bravo b Badree083000.00
View dismissalMohammad Hafeez*c Gayle b Russell1944320059.37
View dismissalUmar Akmalst †Ramdin b Badree11150020.00
View dismissalShoaib Malikst †Ramdin b Badree2760033.33
View dismissalSohaib Maqsoodst †Ramdin b Narine1824221181.81
View dismissalShahid Afridist †Ramdin b Narine18211202150.00
View dismissalSohail Tanvirc Sammy b Narine14141211116.66
View dismissalUmar Gulc Simmons b Santokie41270057.14
View dismissalSaeed Ajmalb Russell1530033.33
Zulfiqar Babarnot out3540075.00
Extras(w 2)2
Total(all out; 17.5 overs)82(4.59 runs per over)
Fall of wickets 1-0 (Ahmed Shehzad, 0.1 ov)2-1 (Kamran Akmal, 1.3 ov)3-9 (Umar Akmal, 3.6 ov),4-13 (Shoaib Malik, 5.3 ov)5-37 (Mohammad Hafeez, 10.3 ov)6-42 (Sohaib Maqsood, 11.3 ov)7-74 (Sohail Tanvir, 15.2 ov),8-75 (Shahid Afridi, 15.5 ov)9-78 (Saeed Ajmal, 16.5 ov)10-82 (Umar Gul, 17.5 ov)
BowlingOMRWEcon
View wicketsK Santokie2.50923.17(2w)
View wicketsS Badree401032.50
MN Samuels302107.00
View wicketsAD Russell301525.00
View wicketsSP Narine401634.00
DR Smith1011011.00
Match details
Toss West Indies, who chose to bat
Points West Indies 2, Pakistan 0
Player of the match DJ Bravo (West Indies)
Umpires IJ Gould (England) and RA Kettleborough (England)
TV umpire M Erasmus (South Africa)
Match referee RS Madugalle (Sri Lanka)
Reserve umpire HDPK Dharmasena (Sri Lanka)
Match notes
  • West Indies innings
  • Powerplay: Overs 0.1 - 6.0 (Mandatory - 39 runs, 2 wickets)
  • West Indies: 50 runs in 7.5 overs (47 balls), Extras 2
  • West Indies: 100 runs in 16.3 overs (99 balls), Extras 8
  • 6th Wicket: 50 runs in 27 balls (DJ Bravo 32, DJG Sammy 18, Ex 4)
  • West Indies: 150 runs in 18.6 overs (114 balls), Extras 9
  • Innings Break: West Indies - 166/6 in 20.0 overs (DJG Sammy 42, AD Russell 0)
  • Pakistan innings
  • Powerplay: Overs 0.1 - 6.0 (Mandatory - 13 runs, 4 wickets)
  • Pakistan: 50 runs in 12.3 overs (75 balls), Extras 2