World Of Cricket

The most favourite team of the tournament Lahore Lions were knocked out today in a thrilling match by Misbah-ul-Haq’s team Faisalabad Wolves. Faislabad  have now reached final.

Ehsan Adil recieves the Man of the Match award © PCB

Star studded team of Lahore Lions are out from the Faysal Bank Super-8 T20 tournament. The home side was favourite to win the tournament but they won’t be taking any further part in this event as they are knocked out.

Earliar Faisalabad won the toss in first semi final and decided to bat first, their batting never really got going as they kept losing wickets at regular intervals. Misbah-ul-Haq who is the leading run scorer of the event also could not make such a big impact with the bat today as he was caught after scoring 19.

Khurram Shahzad was their highest run scorer who scored 27 while Imran Khalid remained not out on 20 to push Faislabad’s score to 125. From Lahore Lions Mohammad Hafeez picked up 3 wickets whereas Adnan Rasool bagged 2.

Lahore Lions went in the second innings as favourite to win the game and they  were on their way to victory as Mohammad Hafeez and Nasir Jamshed of Lions smashed Wolves bowlers to all parts of the ground. They were 70 for 1 at one stage and victory was assured but from nowhere Faislabad crawled back into the game. Ehsan Adil bowled the crucial last over where only 9 runs were required and the young bowler bowled a spirited last over to give side victory just by 2 runs.

Faislabad snatched victory from the jaws of defeat and now they will face Rawalpindi or Sialkot in the finals, and they will be aiming to lift the trophy. The final will be played on 31st march at Gaddafi Stadium.

Rawalpindi Rams won against Faisalabad wolves in a thrilling match, the match went to super over and it was decided of the  last ball of super over.

Hammad Azam scored 66 of just 35 balls © AFP

The Group B toppers Faisalabad Wolves and Rawalpindi Rams met in Lahore today to stretch their winning streak, Sohail Tanvir of Rawalpindi won the toss and decided to bat first.

Rawalpindi went in with many international players including Sohail Tanvir, Hammad Azam, Awais Zia, Umar Amin and Yasir Arafat. Rawalpindi started their innings in worst possible manner as they lost their top 5 for ust 72 on the board but Hammad Azam from the other end  counter attacked Faisalabad bowlers to help Rawalpindi reach a respectable total of 143 which looked out of their grasp throughout the innings.

Only Hammad Azam could make over 50 runs for Rawalpindi , he made 66 runs. From Faisalabad Samiullah Khan picked up 3 wickets and Ehsan Adil picked up 2. Khurram Shehzad also bowled a tight spell he picked up 1 wicket by giving away only 13 runs in his 4 overs.

Faisalabad had a modest total to chase, and they had the perfect start to openors made 47 runs and gave them the ideal start, but equation changed when they were reduced to 61 for 3 from 47 for 0. Now Misbah again had a rebuilding job at his hands he guided Faisalabad’s chase and scored a crucial  42, but 42 runs were not enough as match was tied of the last ball as Misbah was trying to steal second run to get his team over the line but in process ran himself out.

The match was then decided by the super over , Faisalabad batted first in the super over Misbah and Asad Ali were the selected openors from their side. Faisalabad made 9 runs in their super over.

Rawalpindi then started their super over in best possible way as Hammad Azam smashed the first ball out of the playing field, but the match was not over as Samiullah Khan came back strongly, Rawalpindi then required 1 from the last ball and they took that single of a bye.

Rawalpindi now with this win are leading Group B, Hammad Azam for his fine performance with the bat was awarded Man of the match award.

Faisalabad Wolves captain Misbah-ul-Haq scored an unbeaten 85 runs to lead his side to a comfortable win against Karachi Dolphins in Group B game.

Misbah-ul-Haq scored an unbeaten 85 to guide his side to victory © Associated Press

Faisalabad Wolves won their second consecutive game and this time against Karachi Dolphins who were captained by Mohammad Sami. Earliar Mohammad Sami of Karachi Dolphins won the toss and elected to bat first.

They lost their openor early but Shahzaib Hasan and Khurram Manzoor led the fight back, they scored 51 and 41 respectively. After them little cameos from Asad Shafiq and Mohammad Sami pushed Karachi Dolphin’s score to a modest 157.

From Faisalabad side Khurram Shahazad and Ehsan Adil picked up 3 wickets whereas Asad Ali and Samiullah Khan bagged one each. Faisalabad Wolves started their batting in a awful way and lost their first 2 wickets for just 21 runs.

But from their on Misbah joined Ali Waqas and they both led the chase, Misbah lost his partner at the score of 88, from their on he was joined by Imran Khalid, Misbah-ul-Haq guided Faisalabad’s chase and played a captains innings, he scored 85 not out of just 47 balls with 5 mighty sixes.

In the end Faisalabad Wolves got over the line comfortably. Misbah-ul-Haq was awarded Man of the match award for his captain’s knock. With this win Faisalabad Wolves now jumps towards top position for Group B whereas Karachi Dolphins falls to 3rd place.

Lahore: ICC umpire Aleem Dar appreciated former Pakistani captain Imran Khan for giving an idea of bringing neutral umpires.

Aleem Dar - Umpire from ICC Elite Panel

Winner of three consecutive ICC Umpire of the Year awards in 2009, 2010 and 2011, Pakistani umpire Aleem Dar has rejected the suggestion that with the introduction of Decision Review System (Decision Review System), neutral umpires in cricket matches should be done away with.

In an exclusive interview with PakPassion.net, Dar said he doesn’t think the concept of neutral umpires in international cricket should be negated, and also appreciated former Pakistan captain Imran Khan’s idea of bringing neutral umpires to international cricket.

When asked whether he thinks with the introduction of DRS and other technology in international cricket, neutral umpires should be done away with, Dar replied: “No I disagree. I must appreciate Imran Khan’s idea of bringing neutral umpires to international cricket.”

“I’m very grateful that I’ve been the top ranking umpire for the last 3 years but the opportunity to umpire in the Ashes is just something special and I would not have had that opportunity if it had not been for the introduction of neutral umpires,” he added.

Dar also revealed he feels more stress while umpiring in a match involving Pakistan than any others, including the extremely demanding Ashes series.

“Umpiring in the Ashes series is very tough due to the intensity, but I feel more pressure umpiring a match involving Pakistan than I do in any other match,” he said.

Karachi: Sialkot Stallions became the twenty20 champions for the sixth time when they defeated Rawalpindi Rams by ten runs after an interesting contest.

Sialkot Stallions - Champions of 'Faysal Bank T20 Cup 2011'

In a final that was tight until the last two overs, Sialkot’s 180 proved a little too much for Rawalpindi to chase at the National Stadium in Karachi, and Sialkot won the Faysal Bank T20 Cup for the sixth time.

Almost all Sialkot’s top-order batsmen contributed to their imposing total. The decisive over was the 19th in Rawalpindi’s chase, in which Raza Hasan conceded just four runs and took two wickets, to swing the match Sialkot’s way.

Sialkot chose to bat on a pitch that produced high scores through the tournament and made a quick start. Imran Nazir and Shakeel Ansar looted 13 runs off Soahil Tanvir’s first over, and after Nazir departed Ansar and Qaiser Abbas put together 85 for the second wicket.

Rawalpindi’s bowlers bowled full lengths, and Qaiser timed his drives sweetly. The pair took the score to 100 for 1 in the 12th over, but both batsmen fell in the space of five balls, to Awais Zia’s part-time offspin. Both went attempting big shots: Qaiser was stumped after charging down the track and Ansar chipped in the air to deep midwicket.

That brought Shoaib Malik and Shahid Yousuf together, fresh from a 127-run stand in the semi-finals against Lahore. Yousuf hit the first three balls of Zia’s next over into the off side for fours, and Malik continued the form he was in during his 88 not out against Lahore. Rawalpindi did well to concede just 10 runs off the last two overs, but 180 was a tough total to chase.

The chase got off to an explosive start, with Zia smacking five fours in the first over, and two sixes in the second. Zia’s innings was cut short on 32 off 13 balls, when he swept Hasan to deep square leg. While other bowlers struggled to concede fewer than seven runs an over, Hasan had figures of 4-0-11-2. He choked the runs by varying the flight and lengths of his deliveries while maintaining a tight line.

The rest of Sialkot’s bowlers weren’t as accurate and Rawalpindi’s opener Naved Malik picked his moments to attack. Rawalpindi managed to stay abreast of the required-rate for most of the chase but lost wickets regularly. When Naved was caught at deep midwicket for 67, Rawalpindi needed 36 off 23 balls with five wickets in hand.

In the 17th over, Hammad Azam smashed a six over long-on and lofted over extra-cover for four off consecutive balls. Nineteen were required off the last two overs, but it was Hasan that had had the final say, bowling a tight over to ensure a Sialkot win.

Winner: Sialkot won by 10 runs.

Man Of The Match: Raza Hasan (Sialkot Stallions)

Lahore: Pakistani cricket umpire Aleem Dar has urged the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) to provide central contract to top umpires of the country to produce successful umpires like him.

Aleem Dar was voted best umpire for the third year in a row at ICC Awards in London on September 12, 2011

“Umpiring is never easy amongst technology paraphernalia and PCB should give attention to this field as well by giving central contracts to the top umpires of the country so that Pakistani umpires continue winning laurels for the country,” the Nation quoted Dar, as saying.

Dar, a member of the International Cricket Council (ICC) Elite umpire panel, made the comment after he won his third consecutive ICC Umpire of the Year award.

The 43-year-old further said that he would try to maintain his performance to win more awards in the future.

“I try to carry out my job with utmost honesty and it is the only secret behind my success,” he said.

Dar and Simon Taufel are the only umpires to have received the award since its inception. Dar was also nominated in 2005 and 2006.