Pressure will be on Twenty-20 world champions India: Ponting

Australian Skipper Ricky Ponting told newsmen here today that after the World Cup triumph pressure would be more on India to perform in front of the home crowd. The return of three ‘big guns’ Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid and Saurav Ganguly would not affect the visitors much, he added.

Ponting said ”this is a new series and we have left the Twenty-20 debacle behind. We always start a new series on an aggressive note and want to win all the matches we play. We will come back strongly and hopefully win the series,” he said.

He said the pressure would fall back on India as they had just returned triumphant from the Inaugural Twenty-20 World Cup. “There will be lot of expectation pounding on the Indian players at the moment. Coming back as World Champions and playing in India no doubt they will be under pressure,” he felt.

Ponting was confident that Aussies could face the three master batsmen better as they had seen their game for a long time.

“We have played a lot against Sachin, Saurav and Rahul and know their strengths and weakness. This might prove a little bit easy (than facing unknown quantity) to face them, I feel,” he said.

Past performance also favoured Austrlaia in the forthcoming series, Ponting adding that his country maintained a good record on Indian soil, especially in the one day version. “We always go into a series with a proper gameplan in place and we would like to take control from the first match on Saturday. Twenty-20 World Cup debacle is behind us and we want to bounce back and take control. It was unfortunate that we fell a little bit short in South Africa,” he said.

Echoing his captain’s views, Vice captain Adam Gilchrist said it will be a ‘new experience’ for India as they were now the Number one team in 20-20 cricket. “They are now in a new zone and expectations will come with it,” he said.

Asked about the momentum being with India after their win in South Africa, he agreed that such an advantage will be difficult to stop. “This is a different series and a different format of the game. Our plan is to win the first game and wrest the momentum for ourselves,” he added.

Cricket-Shahid Afridi pulls out of South Africa Test series

KARACHI, Sept 27 (Reuters) – Pakistan’s Shahid Afridi has pulled out of the upcoming Test series against South Africa, the country’s selectors said on Thursday.

Chief selector, Salahuddin Ahmed said Afridi has asked to be released for the two Tests, the first of which begins in Karachi on Monday, and his request had been accepted.

“He will not be considered for the Tests,” said Ahmed. “But he is available for the five One-day internationals that follow.”

Afridi did not want to be involved in the Tests because of the holy month of Ramadhan, during which he wanted to fast.

“I am looking forward to the one-day series that starts after Ramadhan,” he said.

“But right now I need a rest, especially after the disappointment of losing the final of the Twenty20 World Cup to India.”

Afridi retired from Test cricket last year, saying he wanted to concentrate on the one-day game, but he was coaxed back to join the Test side.

“I am sorry that we couldn’t win the Twenty20 World Cup. I feel if I had scored a few runs we could have crossed that line,” said Afridi, who has played in 26 tests and 240 one-dayers.

Pakistan lost to India by five runs in Johannesburg on Monday in a thrilling climax to the inaugural Twenty20 World Cup.

Hail the other Pathan, too

September 27, 2007 16:55 IST
Irfan Pathan may have been declared the Man of the Match for his outstanding bowling in the Twenty20 World Cup final that India won against Pakistan in Johannesburg in South Africa on Monday, but his brother Yusuf Khan Pathan was also not less impressive in terms of all-round performance befitting the very nature of the latest version of the game.

Yusuf scored a whirlwind 15 (8 balls, 1 x 4, 1 x 6), took the crucial wicket of the Pakistan captain Shoaib Malik  and caught dangerman Younis Khan off Joginder Sharma. Not bad for a debutant, and that also in the final of a world championship. Indeed, the elder Pathan must consider himself very fortunate that Team India won the inaugural Twenty20 World Cup on his maiden appearance for the country.

Contrary to common perception, the hard-hitting batsman, useful off-spinner and brilliant fielder (particularly in the slips) made it to the Indian team more on the strength of his aggressive approach to the game and impressive showing in the inter-state Twenty20 cricket tournament earlier this year than his performance in the last first-class season.

Though the 24-year-old Yusuf did not disappoint and performed creditably, there were others who outshone him with bat as well as ball. But few could match him when it came to striking the ball savagely. Hence, his selection for the South African safari ahead of several others with better track record, all things considered.

Yusuf’s impressive performance in the grand finale of the Twenty20 World Cup in Johannesburg ought to do him a world of good and enable him emerge from the enormous shadow Irfan has cast over him for obvious reasons.

“Yusuf’s skills with bat and ball aren’t ordinary. It’s just that he got the exposure a bit late compared to Irfan. I think they should have played him in the West Zone much earlier. You can’t separate Yusuf from Irfan in terms of talent. They have plenty of them in the two major departments of the game. They’re sincere, committed and dedicated cricketers. Yusuf is a bit flamboyant with the bat because he tends to be attacking at the crease and loves to play his shots all the time.

“On the other hand, Irfan is more disciplined than Yusuf, although he too can be aggressive when the situation demands. I am delighted Yusuf justified his selection and performed brilliantly in the final. Of course, I am equally delighted for Irfan, too, who was chosen as the Man of the Final,” well-known coach Mehendi Sheikh, who has coached the Pathans and many other Ranji Trophy players, told rediff.com.

“While Irfan is a natural medium-pacer, Yusuf has developed into a good off-spinner. And this is obviously a noticeable difference between the two. Considering the basic aggressive streak in them, Twenty20 cricket comes as naturally to them as one-day cricket.

With a bit of adjustment and improvement in his bowling, Yusuf will emerge as a very good all-rounder. What he needs is constant encouragement. I’m sure there will be plenty of it for him now that he has proved his ability on the big stage.” Nayan Mongia is one of those who has seen the steady rise of the Pathans.

“Yusuf is the kind of player who can lift the morale of the whole team with his on-field aggression. He is capable of scoring some very quick runs in double-quick time and that is what Twenty20 cricket is all about,” the former Baroda and Indian wicketkeeper-batsman said.

“But cricket isn’t all about Twenty20 only. It’s much more than that and Yusuf has to work on his defensive technique also. International cricket is a different ball game altogether. He has also to work a lot on his bowling to call himself an allrounder. But he is a hard-working chap and I’m sure he’ll be a much better cricketer with more and more exposure,” added Mongia.

“Yusuf has long emerged from Irfan’s shadow. He has got the break at a time when India badly needs some really good allrounders. Besides his aggressive batting, the fact that he is a handy all-rounder had paved the way for his entry into the national Twenty20 side for the World Cup. As expected, he justified his selection and didn’t disappoint any,” said former Ranji Trophy player Rakesh Parikh, who is now the joint secretary of Baroda Cricket Association.

Like his younger sibling, Yusuf was also a star performer in the various junior tournaments conducted by the Board of Control for Cricket in India. He made his first-class debut against Saurashtra in 2001-02, and since then he is quite consistent regardless of a few ups and downs here and there in between.

The Baroda all-rounder may not have set the Vishwamitri on fire, but he has proved his value to his team more often than not. With Irfan remaining away on national duty most of the time, the focus has invariably been on Yusuf in the Baroda team. And he seldom or never let Baroda down. He relishes a challenge and it reflects in his more impressive performance in limited-overs cricket.

Yusuf is a kind of a player that India is just looking for when it comes to one-day cricket. He has proved his capability in Twenty20. And it will not be too long before he becomes a regular member of India’s one-day team. It would be an apt reward for Yusuf, who, along with his brother, has been showered with cash awards from the BCCI, the BCA, the Gujarat government and other organisations.

Dhoni’s team won because it did not fear defeat

The ticker tape welcome was reminiscent of 1971. The generous showering of money and gifts is a throwback to 1983. To the two great years that are written in red letters in the history of Indian cricket is added another year – 2007 that is now to be bestowed equal status.

Team India deserve every encomium, gift, money, land, spiffy sports car and everything else comes their way. They were also quite prepared for the unique Indian welcome, with that touch of chaos to the motorcade in Mumbai. Of course, the boundless enthusiasm of an emotional people represents a greater order in momentous times.

Team India exploded a few myths on their way to a triumphant march in the T-20 world championship that was fashioned primarily by the ability to put away fear of defeat. They then took on each game situation to the best of their ability.

The euphoria should not hide the basic weaknesses of Indian cricket and Team India. But addressing those issues can wait while the nation savours one of those rare moments in which a title is won, that too at the expense of Pakistan, traditional arch rivals whose very presence adds unique frisson to the contest.

Putting it across our friends from across the border in a thrilling finale of a world event probably beats even the distinct flavour of the four wins in World Cups, although one suspects the win in Bangalore in a quarter-final was equally momentous when it happened in 1996.

The similarities to 1983 are stunning. There too we had a reluctant Indian team traveling to a World Cup with little hope of winning it. A leading member of the team had even planned an itinerary for some hit and giggle exhibition cricket in the USA, confident that India would be knocked out in the preliminary league.

Team India went without the triumvirate. For close to 20 years, Sachin has battled in India colours without so much as tasting triumph on the world stage. His great chance came at the Wanderers in 2003 when he hit a tame return catch in the first McGrath over. Skipper Ganguly and keeper-batsman Dravid were also fellow combatants that night at the Wanderers when India were overwhelmed by the blitzkrieg of Adam Gilchrist, Ricky Ponting and Damien Martyn.The triumvirate might not have too many chances left at limited-overs glory on the world stage. They had, however, done much in setting India up with a platform of 220 for three by the 42 nd over in the ICC Knockout final in Nairobi in 2000 only to see a limping Chris Cairns guide New Zealand to victory in the final over. Anyway, it was gracious of them then to have stepped aside ahead of the young man’s T-20.

There is no disputing Sachin would still have made an impact with his hitting ability that he can step up several notches when he wishes. Even so, the three had to take a bow on a matter of principle so that the youth brigade may go to the T-20 without any of the emotional baggage of champion cricketers who never saw the ultimate glory that comes from winning a world championship, be it in any format.

Gawky youth who may not even know how many zeroes there are in a million, be it in rupees or dollars, unless they are told by their agents will now be reaping the rewards. There is a touch of the leveler to all this since the so far little rewarded performers of domestic cricket are getting to enjoy the fruits of the triumph they created in a more egalitarian Team India.

The spirit of the cricketers who got this shot at glory was best represented in the little hand that Yusuf Pathan (Irfan’s half brother) played, striking 15 runs off six balls on appearing straightaway in a final. Let’s face it, those who went to the T-20 either went without fear of failure, or learnt at the hands of their feet-firmly-on-the-ground captain not to fear it.

Yuvraj Singh’s success in that turbo-charged blast of 36 in an over could have been anticipated. He had the exposure and the experience to explode as he did. Most other successes of the team were players with less than three years in international cricket.

Maybe, it was their battle freshness that enabled them to play without fear. They won without too much of a contribution from the bats of Yuvraj and Dhoni in the final. Battle-scarred veterans have failed in such situations. Fear of failure is a very strange sporting phenomenon.

Delays hit rebel league in India

A rebel Indian Twenty20 league due to start next month has been delayed until November because of teething problems. The Indian Cricket League (ICL) has attracted players like Brian Lara, Inzamam-ul Haq and Mohammad Yousuf.

But it is coming under pressure after the Board of Control for Cricket in India refused to approve it, and then launched its own Twenty20 league.

ICL supremo Kapil Dev said: “November is the right time. At that time, even international players are free.”

The ICL was launched in April by India’s Essel Group, which owns the country’s biggest listed media firm Zee Telefilms Limited.

Seven international stars and 44 Indian first-class cricketers have been signed up for the event which is now scheduled to begin on 17 November.

Though Pakistan stars such as Inzamam, Yousuf and Abdul Razzaq have signed contracts, they would have to effectively wave goodbye to successful Test careers to take part.

Lara and Glenn McGrath have already retired and, in theory, could pull in big crowds.

A number of Indian domestic players have also joined the league despite BCCI threats to ban them.

Mohammad Yousuf shuns rebel Indian league

LAHORE, September 27: Record-breaking Pakistan batsman Mohammad Yousuf said on Thursday he has ditched a contract with the breakaway Indian Cricket League and will play for his national side.

Yousuf, 33, signed with the multi-million dollar ICL last month after he was not selected for the Twenty20 World Championship in South Africa, in which Pakistan reached the final.

But after a lengthy meeting with Pakistan Cricket Board chairman Nasim Ashraf in the eastern city of Lahore, Yousuf said that he had been convinced to sign a central contract.

“I have always wanted to play for my country and I can sacrifice my life for my country,” Yousuf said.

“I did not know about the clause in the Indian league contract that if both the league and Pakistan team matches are held at the same time I had to give preference to the league. I cannot agree to that,” he added.

The development means Yousuf will be available to play for Pakistan in the first Test against South Africa starting from Monday.

Yousuf scored a world record of 1,788 runs in a calendar year in 2006 and was declared the best Test player of the year, but was not picked for the Twenty20 tournament.

Former Pakistan captain Inzamam-ul-Haq, opener Imran Farhat and all-rounder Abdul Razzaq also signed up for the rebel league, bankrolled by country’s biggest media group which owns the Zee television.

The PCB had warned that players signing for the Indian league would not be considered for selection in the Pakistan team.

“I had a fruitful meeting with Yousuf and he has signed the central contract with the PCB after agreeing not to play in the Indian league. He is available to play for Pakistan,” Ashraf said.

Ashraf said Yousuf has been a star for Pakistan team. “Yousuf has been the backbone of Pakistan team’s batting and we are happy that he is back and will bolster the team against South Africa,” said Ashraf.

Yousuf has played 75 Tests, scoring 6,553 runs. He also has 8,081 runs in 242 One-Day Internationals.

Pakistan are due to announce their squad for the first Test on Friday.