All posts by h716a5.icu

Both Cape Cobras and Hobart Hurricanes have begun their campaigns with a defeat, and with only two more group games each to go after their Sunday afternoon clash, they will want a quick turnaround

The Preview by Abhishek Purohit20-Sep-20142:08

Blizzard looks to bounce back from opening loss

Match factsSunday, September 21, 2014
Start time 1600 local (1030 GMT)Big pictureBoth Cape Cobras and Hobart Hurricanes have begun their campaigns with defeat, and with only two more group games each to go after their Sunday afternoon clash, they will want a quick turnaround.A depleted Cobras attack ran into a red-hot Kane Williamson on Friday night, and the New Zealander’s century meant Cobras had a stiff 207 to chase. A new-ball combination of Trent Boult and Tim Southee only made things harder, and Cobras were facing an asking-rate of nearly 13 when the rain came down in the eighth over. Back from retirement, Charl Langeveldt was spot-on, but the rest of the Cobras attack could not stop Williamson. They have several international bowlers in the line-up, and will want them to step up against Hurricanes.The Australian side had Kings XI Punjab in trouble at 51 for 4 and 77 for 5 chasing 145, but Thisara Perera and George Bailey took it away from them. Before that, many Hurricanes batsmen had squandered starts and the side ended with a middling total. Four of the top six fell in their twenties. Hurricanes never looked in charge through their innings, something they will have to avoid against Cobras.Form guideCape Cobras LLWWL (most recent first, completed matches only)
Hobart Hurricanes LLWWLWatch out forRobin Peterson conceded 32 runs in three overs against Northern Districts. Peterson is an extremely experienced left-arm spinner and has taken nearly 100 wickets in this format alone. He has also played international and franchise cricket in India, and Cobras will want their lead spinner to put that knowledge to good use.Shoaib Malik was the second-highest run-getter in the recent Caribbean Premier League with 406 runs in ten innings at a strike-rate of 130. He didn’t fire closer home to Pakistan against Kings XI in Mohali, but Hyderabad is the hometown of his wife, tennis player Sania Mirza, and the son-in-law could well have some crowd support when he walks out to bat.Stats and trivia Cape Cobras’ highest total in the Champions League, 193 for 4, came at Hyderabad against Otago in 2009 Hyderabad has hosted the most Champions League games – 19Quotes”We did not put up a performance like we know we can. We just have to make sure we bounce back. It is a quick turnaround time.”

Praveen Kumar, the India seamer, has expressed regret and guilt over the episode that resulted in him being suspended by the BCCI for all matches run by the board

ESPNcricinfo staff18-Mar-2013Praveen Kumar, the India seamer, has expressed regret and guilt over the episode that resulted in him being suspended by the BCCI for all matches run by the board. That suspension was revoked by the BCCI earlier this month after Praveen was given a stern warning.”It was wrong on my part,” Praveen told . “The episode should not have happened. I regret it now.”Praveen had breached the the players’ code of conduct in a Corporate Trophy match on February 4. Representing ONGC, Praveen had hurled abuses an opposition batsman, Ajitesh Argal, from Income Tax, which was followed by a suspension on February 10, a show cause-notice issued by the board, and a 100% penalty of his match fees.”I have learnt how to control my anger,” he said. “I need to be cautious while expressing my emotions on the field. It happens sometimes when things do not go your way. I have moved on from that incident as it’s history for me now. It won’t happen again.”Praveen said some of his Uttar Pradesh team-mates help him out from time to time. “I have with me four-five Uttar Pradesh team-mates who always advise me on what is right or wrong for me,” he said. “Sudeep Tyagi, Tanmay Srivastava and Suresh Raina create a homely environment for me and their advice has always helped me a lot.”After the suspension was revoked, Praveen represented Central Zone in the Deodhar Trophy semi-final in which he took 2 for 28 in seven overs, but in a losing cause. He is currently playing the domestic T20 tournament – the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy – for Uttar Pradesh and picked up 3 for 22 against Railways on Sunday.

James Taylor missed the chance to further bolster his impressive England Lions record when he fell cheaply on a rain-ruined day

Andrew McGlashan at Grace Road11-May-2013
Live scorecardJames Taylor missed the chance to further bolster his impressive England Lions record when he fell cheaply on a rain-ruined day but Joe Root continued to add to his early season tally to start building a lead, while New Zealand picked up an injury worry over Tim Southee.Taylor, who came in after the nightwatchman Chris Wright had edged to slip, pushed at a delivery quite wide of off stump and feathered to the wicketkeeper to give Trent Boult his second scalp of the morning during the 22 overs of play that were possible before frequent heavy showers wiped out the rest of the dayBoult had problems with his front foot on the second day, sending down eight no-balls, but was in far better rhythm this morning after shaking off the early tour rust. He shaped the ball in nicely to the right handers, then it was the straighter deliveries that found the edges of both Wright and Taylor.His opening bowling partner, Southee, bowled five overs in the morning before being sent to see a specialist about a problem with his left foot and would not have bowled again had rain allowed further playRoot continued to look at ease, and even when he was almost beaten in the flight by a delivery from Bruce Martin he was confident enough to go through with his shot and found the deep midwicket boundary. Root now has 610 first-class runs this season at 203.33.Jonny Bairstow, who was earlier confirmed in England’s Test squad alongside Root, made a brisk start to his innings as he tried to follow his Yorkshire team-mate’s route (the pair’s careers have evolved together since they earned scholarships aged 13 and 14) and score some early points against the New Zealand bowlers before Lord’s.”I’ve got a few runs under my belt at Headingley and still not out in this game, which is pleasing,” he said. “There have been a lot of players scoring runs this season and I’m lucky enough to be picked. Hopefully I’ll do myself justice.”Martin bore the brunt of Bairstow’s attacking display but the suggestion remains that New Zealand favour a balanced attack for the Test rather than playing four quicks. Doug Bracewell has been steady here, and was denied Root’s wicket yesterday when he was dropped at slip, but has not completely convinced that he would be a better option to Neil Wagner – although if Southee’s problem is serious there could be room for both.

Neil Wagner’s impressive display in the nets will have aided his chances of a recall to the Test side

Firdose Moonda07-Jan-2013When Neil Wagner was growing up, he looked forward to the day he would be able to rattle international batsmen. He may not have thought about which batsmen specifically but few schoolboys do.Yesterday, he was required to target the New Zealand line-up. Yes, New Zealand. His adopted country.In the hope of preparing Martin Guptill and co. for the hostile South Africans, New Zealand’s management asked their pack to bound in hard and show little mercy. Wagner did that best and his aggressive net performance could have a dual benefit. New Zealand’s batsmen were sufficiently stunned and Wagner may have taken a few steps forward as far as selection for the second Test goes.After New Zealand’s heavy loss in Cape Town, Brendon McCullum hinted they would shake things up. Although batting was their weakness, New Zealand don’t have many options and can only replace Guptill with BJ Watling at the top and bring Colin Munro into the middle order. McCullum said they are unlikely to do that though and if changes come, they will instead be in the bowling department.Jeetan Patel could make way for Bruce Martin as the spin option while swapping the pace men is not out of the question either. Although Chris Martin came back strongly in Cape Town and finished with three wickets, Wagner was bubbling under the surface and the possibility of a second left-armer combined with his practice session poison could see him make a Test return.Wagner has only played two matches for New Zealand, after being talked about as the next big thing. Shortly after he became eligible for the country in early 2012, he was included in the squad to tour West Indies. His first Test, in Antigua, was a tough outing that yielded only 1 for 144. He followed up with three in Kingston and felt a little more comfortable at the highest level.”Playing Test cricket was everything I’ve ever dreamed of, especially after the process of moving to Otago, qualifying for New Zealand and then getting picked. As soon as that happened, it was a mountain off the shoulders,” Wagner told ESPNcricinfo during the New Zealanders tour match in Paarl.”But it was also a learning curve because I’d never played in the West Indies before and conditions were way different to what I was used to. It was two pretty tough Test matches and we didn’t do as well as we wanted to.”New Zealand lost both matches and Wagner was one of the casualties of the aftermath. He was dropped from the starting XI for New Zealand’s India and Sri Lanka tours because he lost ground to Trent Boult, although he toured on both occasions. Now he is in contention again and senses that he is starting over, again. “It feels like the same road again and where another opportunity comes, I will have to grab it,” he said.Wagner knows what it’s like to let chances go begging. When he lived in South Africa he was given limited time with the Titans franchise and because he was competing with the likes of Dale Steyn, Morne Morkel and Andre Nel, when he didn’t set the world alight, he was discarded. “It was tough team to break into. I wouldn’t say I grabbed my chances at the Titans that well. You’ve got to grab every opportunity that comes your way.”If he plays at St George’s Park, Wagner will join the likes of Kevin Pietersen and Kruger van Wyk as players born and schooled in South Africa who go on to play international cricket elsewhere. For the South African side, it will be nothing new even though Wagner had AB de Villiers and Faf du Plessis as classmates at the Afrikaanse Hoër Seunskool (Affies).Wagner and du Plessis remained friends since and would catch up when they played club cricket in England. Now, they will meet on opposite sides having had contrasting fortunes in Test cricket. While Wagner’s career has stalled, du Plessis took off in Australia but Wagner holds no hard feelings. “It’s awesome for Faf to do that well and make that step. I know he has also had his trouble in the past with taking his opportunity,” Wagner said. “I’ve always enjoyed playing my cricket with him; it’s just going to be a different thing playing against him.”It will probably be different for Du Plessis as well as Wagner suspects he may know the extent of which Wagner has changed. He claims that he is no longer as hot-headed as was at Affies because New Zealand has turned him into a mellower and also more thinking cricketer. “At Affies, I found that they tried to grow people up real tough and to be hard. There’s no room to be soft.”The Kiwi lifestyle is a lot more relaxed and chilled; it’s less aggressive. Guys at Affies hate losing and when they lost they did not accept it at all. New Zealand is calmer. I learnt how to control my emotions more and accept that on the days when it didn’t go well there’s nothing you can do except learn from it and become better.”In keeping with that, Wagner will look to apply the lessons from his first Test stint if he gets a chance in South Africa. “It’s about being more aware, adapting to conditions earlier and knowing your role,” he said. “Luckily its conditions I am familiar with. There will be a touch more bounce and pace and it’s all about which bowlers will stay patient the longest.” Given the amount of waiting Wagner has had to do over his career, he hopes one of those bowlers will be him.

Owais Shah will not take any further part in this season’s Bangladesh Premier League due to personal reasons

Mohammad Isam08-Feb-2013Owais Shah will not take any further part in this season’s Bangladesh Premier League due to personal reasons.Shah, currently in the UK, was supposed to return to Dhaka sometime around February 9 but after a relative died, he decided not to come back.”I will not be able to fly back to Dhaka to take further part in the BPL due to a family emergency. I have to stay at home and support my family in this difficult time. I would like to wish the Dhaka gladiators all the best in the rest of the tournament,” Shah communicated in a statement.He has played seven matches for the Dhaka Gladiators but left the country on February 3. He will miss the Gladiators’ last four games.”He [Owais Shah] was due to return to Dhaka around the 9th but due to a death in the family, this will no longer be possible,” the statement said.”The death in Owais’ family was unrelated to the reasons why he was returning home initially.”Shah was embroiled in a pay dispute with the Bangladesh Cricket Board days before he left. After it transpired that there was an error in the bank details he had provided to the BCB, which caused the delay in payment, Shah had admitted his mistake. But it was made clear in the statement that his pull-out was due to other reasons.”Owais would like to make clear that the reasons for his return home were family related and had been accepted by Dhaka Gladiator’s team management around two weeks before he left.”

After having recovered from a “frustrating” two-month injury layoff, Rohit Sharma is “excited” to be able to return to competitive cricket

Amol Karhadkar29-Oct-2014After having recovered from a “frustrating” two-month injury layoff, Rohit Sharma is “excited” to be able to return to competitive cricket. Rohit will mark his comeback to top-flight cricket for India A against the visiting Sri Lankans in the tour game at the Brabourne Stadium in Mumbai on Thursday. He said that he has started understanding his game better during the break.”Mentally it’s very frustrating. What can you do. When you play well and get injured for the rest of the series and miss so many games, is quite frustrating,” Rohit told ESPNcricinfo after having a long stint in the nets on Wednesday. “I am excited to be back and I will be playing tomorrow.”When Rohit was sidelined with a finger injury while fielding in the first ODI in England, he was expected to be fit in four weeks. He was also diagnosed with a shoulder strain, from which he has recovered pretty quickly. But the fractured finger took longer than expected to heal, which meant Rohit missed the ODIs against West Indies and West Zone’s Duleep Trophy campaign as well.Injured Bumrah set to miss warm-up

A knee injury is set to sideline Jasprit Bumrah from India A’s match against the touring Sri Lankans, to be played at the Brabourne Stadium in Mumbai on Thursday.
According to India A coach Sanjay Bangar, the fast bowler felt the discomfort in his left knee during West Zone’s Duleep Trophy quarter-final against East Zone last week. After being examined with the physio, Bumrah was asked to get an MRI scan done. Thought the results of the tests are awaited, Bumrah is unlikely to be considered for the tour game.
Bumrah bowled a brief spell with a shorter run-up during India A’s training on Wednesday morning. It remains to be seen if the Gujarat bowler recovers in time for the West Zone one-dayers, which start on November 8.

“Doctors had told me it will take four to six weeks. It’s not their fault. They tried everything they could but my body’s healing process is not that great, so what can I do. Everyone’s body type is different. I am just excited to be back on the field.”Rohit’s injured finger is still strapped and India A coach Sanjay Bangar said his fielding “will have to be monitored” over the next week. Rohit said he started feeling better with every hit in the nets he had since resuming batting “ten days ago”. While he wasn’t satisfied with his batting initially, Rohit said a three-hour session at the Mumbai Cricket Association’s facility at Bandra-Kurla Complex on Tuesday helped him find his touch.”For the past few days I wasn’t feeling comfortable about my batting. There were a few things happening with my batting and wanted to get that feeling back of how I used to bat before the injury. It is not the same when you comeback after an injury. I am more or less very comfortable now after a real long session at BKC yesterday. When I play tomorrow, I will be able to analyse it properly.”Rohit admitted that the last year, with three overseas tours and very little cricket in India, hadn’t been great for him as well as for the Indian team. “We did not do that well outside India. But see, as a unit – it’s a young unit – I think a little more time is required for the team. I am not talking about any individual. I am talking about the whole team. When you consider the whole team’s performance, it’s important to give a little more time, a little more exposure,” Rohit said.”I understand whenever we go out and play [badly], people start talking about [poor record on] abroad tours, how we’re going to play. I understand that it’s your point of view but it was important for us to go and learn how to play outside India and the kind of mindset you need. It was a good learning experience for all of us. A couple of times we came quite close to winning a Test match. In England, we won a Test match [at Lord’s] but then lost our way.”This was Rohit’s third major injury layoff in less than five years. He was exasperated with the flurry of freak injuries. “I won’t say I am trapped, but I am very unfortunate that I have got injured at crucial period of my career. I have missed out on a lot of games after getting injured,” Rohit said.”South Africa Test match in India (in 2010), I got injured on the morning of the match and then I had to wait for four years to make my Test debut. Again in England in 2011, my finger got injured in the first one-day and missed nine one-days thereafter. Now also, it is almost nine ODIs now – three in England, three against West Indies and three against Sri Lanka now. It’s very frustrating when you have a season like that and then you miss games due to injuries.”Rohit had missed out on the 2011 World Cup by a whisker, with the selectors preferring to go for an additional bowler in the squad instead of a batsman. And the batsman said the thought of missing out on another World Cup crossed his mind when his recovery period was extended.”When I got injured, I didn’t know how long it’s going to take,” he said. “When injuries happen, you don’t know how long it is going to take. With the World Cup being so far away I wasn’t thinking about the World Cup then. But that thing of missing the World Cup will always be there because I missed the 2011 World Cup and I don’t want to miss out on this World Cup anyhow.”

Rain returned to haunt this Test series on day two in Pallekele, after the first day’s promise of an exciting game

ESPNcricinfo staff09-Jul-2012
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
A familiar sight on Pakistan’s tour of Sri Lanka•AFPRain returned to haunt this Test series after the promise of an exciting game in Pallekele on the first day, when the bowlers dominated and the teams finished even. But the threat of poor weather would always remain at the venue. It had rained before the Test and early on the second day as well. A short sunny spell an hour before the start gave hope that was crushed when the showers returned, grew heavy and ensured a washout.The rain took a break off and on, but each downpour did significant damage. The umpires had a look at the conditions at 2pm, and then again, following some more rain, at 3.05pm. After a discussion with the curators, the day’s play was abandoned five minutes later.The events gave respite to Sri Lanka, with the momentum being against them after they were reduced to 44 for 3 by a menacing spell of fast bowling led by Junaid Khan. Pakistan were bowled out for 226, but their bowlers had fought back and, in conditions favouring swing and movement, would have backed themselves to do more damage on the second day. With rain also forecast for the coming days, Pakistan’s chances of levelling the series only become more difficult.The third day’s play has been scheduled for a 9.45am start, 15 minutes earlier than usual.

Graeme Swann’s performances in the one-day series are putting significant pressure on Xavier Doherty and he is feeling the strain

Daniel Brettig at Edgbaston03-Jul-2012Watching Shane Warne’s 1993 Ashes demolition of England from the dressing room, Phil Tufnell is said to have remarked the legspinner’s performances were “ruining my career” by extracting far superior results from the same surfaces. After two matches in which his unfussy left-arm spin has been milked for runs, Xavier Doherty is under a similar level of pressure from his opposite number, Graeme Swann.Both bowlers have one wicket from two matches, but there the parallels end. Swann tied Australia’s middle order in knots at The Oval, and should have taken more than the wicket of Shane Watson, while bowling eight overs for 27 runs. He was principally responsible for the mid-innings torpor the tourists fell into, resulting in a final total England chased with ease.In marked contrast, England have not allowed Doherty to settle into a rhythm, the use of the reverse sweep by Jonathan Trott and Ian Bell encapsulating the comfort with which the hosts have played him. George Bailey, Doherty’s state captain with Tasmania, admitted that Australia’s slow bowler on tour was being set a difficult task, both by the batsmen he opposes and the spinner he is invariably compared to.”They’re not letting him settle, and that’s something we’re talking about with him,” Bailey said ahead of the third ODI at Edgbaston. “The opposite of the way we’ve played Graeme Swann, they’re really challenging Dohey from the moment he comes on, not giving him the chance to get into his rhythm and set the fields he wants.”The way they’re manipulating the field is making it difficult for him to settle, along with probably some pressure of knowing the opposition does have a spinner of the calibre of Swann. He’s probably feeling that pressure a little bit, the comparisons will be there between the two spinners in the game. That’s a challenge for him, but I’ve seen a lot of him, and every time he has been challenged, he normally finds a way to respond.”Just as Doherty must find a way to set the agenda for England’s batsmen rather than reacting to theirs, so Australia’s batsmen need to find a better way around Swann. A greater use of the sweep has been advocated by some, and Bailey said there were plenty of ways to gain greater change from Swann’s bowling than he managed in a halting start to his innings at The Oval.”I was pretty happy with how I played him Lord’s, not so much the other day where I found it a little more difficult,” Bailey said. “I thought he bowled better. That balance of keeping wickets in hand for the final onslaught and to get that total up versus weighing up the risk and reward of putting a bit more pressure on him is something we’ll talk about.”The sweep’s a good shot … there are a myriad of options, changing where you bat, use your feet more, sweep more, you can hit shots you’re trying to hit better. They’re all options and I guess the way he’s trying to bowl is try to limit your opportunities to play those shots.”Bailey is in a curious position in Australian cricket, as captain of the Twenty20 team while still aspiring to a regular place in the 50-over side and a first baggy green cap in Test cricket. He will stay on in England after the conclusion of the ODI series for the Australia A tour, which he said would be as important if not more so than these matches in determining whether he might return for the 2013 Ashes series.”When Test spots have come up over the last few years it’s been a matter of being in the right place at the right time and I don’t think this would be any different,” Bailey said. “I pushed really hard to be on that A tour. There’s a lot of other cricket on around it and after it but it’s something I feel is really important. I just don’t feel this is a time to be missing any form of red-ball cricket.”Proving that you can handle the pressure of international cricket and handle different situations, there’s no doubt it’s transferable from ODI cricket to Tests. But I think to back that up you are going to have to be scoring some long-form runs as well.”

While lifting India from 76 for 4 to 303 for 9, MS Dhoni had spoiled James Faulkner’s figures at the death. Faulkner took it out on Ishant Sharma at the death in Australia’s chase.

The Report by Abhishek Purohit19-Oct-2013Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsJames Faulkner smashed a 29-ball 64 to set up the win•BCCIWhile lifting India from 76 for 4 to 303 for 9, MS Dhoni had spoiled James Faulkner’s figures at the death. Faulkner took it out on Ishant Sharma at the death in Australia’s chase. Rarely, if ever, has a bowler lost it so completely while bowling to a fellow bowler. Australia needed 44 off 18 when Ishant was given the ball. Six balls and 30 runs later off Faulkner’s bat, the game was effectively over.Australia’s chase had started strongly, but had been suffocated mid-innings, chiefly by Ravindra Jadeja’s ten overs for 31 runs. George Bailey and Adam Voges had tried to keep pace, but the asking rate continued to climb. Voges had gamely hung on amid a clutch of middle-order wickets, including his own mix-up with Glenn Maxwell, when Faulkner joined him at 213 for 6. While their partnership lasted and grew, it seemed more a belated and inadequate attempt than a threatening one.Then Ishant was brought back for the 48th over. If you can apply brevity to carnage, here is what happened. Full and wide, four. Short, six. Length, six. Short, two. Short, six. Short, six. By the time he pulled that last six into a shocked Mohali crowd, Faulkner had blasted 54 off 24, and Australia needed 14 off 12.R Ashwin conceded only five in the 49th, but the damage was irreversible. Seeing his blinder of a century being nullified by his bowler’s meltdown, Dhoni refused to give in. Seeing Faulkner was basically swinging them into the leg side, he put all the four permissible deep fielders there, including two long-ons. He needn’t have bothered. With six needed off four, Vinay Kumar delivered a full toss, and Faulkner swung it over all those deep fielders.One wonders what Dhoni feels seeing his bowlers do what they usually do – lose limited-overs games for him. More than that, one wonders how he manages to keep what he feels to himself when one of his bowlers is going through his latest meltdown. It is hard being Dhoni.When India batted, he twisted his ankle in the 14th over while turning for a second run. He hadn’t even faced a ball. He took treatment, reached 50 off 77, and then accelerated to his ninth ODI hundred in the next 30. Dhoni’s favourite territory, the final stage of the innings, was yet to arrive. The Australia captain dropped him first ball of the penultimate over, off Shane Watson. Dhoni pulverized 34 off the final 12 deliveries to end unbeaten on 139, the third-highest score by a No 6 batsman, after Kapil Dev and Andrew Symonds. Even if it was normal service coming from Dhoni, that did not make the innings any less mind-boggling.The last time Dhoni made an ODI century, in December 2012, he took India from 29 for 5 against Pakistan to 227 for 6. Helping him that day was Ashwin, who was around today as well, showing superb calm in adding 76 for the seventh wicket with his captain. Before that, Virat Kohli had been an equal partner in a fifth-wicket stand of 72, but had fallen against the run of play for his third successive score of 50-plus this series.Admirable as these twin acts were, they were supporting ones. The stage belonged to Dhoni, who once again showed the entire range of his limited-overs batsmanship – from precisely-judged singles to hustling twos, from deftly placed boundaries to the late, towering sixes. And yes, he turned down three singles in the last two overs with Vinay at the other end.Dhoni hit one four in his first 67 deliveries. He ended with 12 fours and five sixes. Faulkner’s first eight overs went for 33, including just one run off the 46th. Dhoni hung back in the crease at the end, pulling out scythes, slices, slogs, helicopter-swings. Faulker’s last two overs went for 32. Between those two overs, the threat of Dhoni made even as experienced a man as Shane Watson bowl two wides.Before all this Dhoni frenzy, India’s specialist batsmen had been roughed up for the second time in three games by Australian pace and bounce, especially by Johnson. But after the Dhoni frenzy, for the second time in the match, Australia frittered away a strong position. A start of 68 for 0 in 12.1 overs became 88 for 3 in 19.1. India’s bowlers did well, bringing their side back with tight lines and lengths that squeezed the runs and built pressure.Voges ran hard and kept hitting the odd boundary, but the game was slipping away from Australia. Queerly, Dhoni handed the ball to Kohli in the 40th over, which went for 18, courtesy Brad Haddin. The wicketkeeper’s cameo ensured Australia were not completely out of it yet, despite the big overs Dhoni had managed late in India’s innings. As it turned out, while they had Dhoni, India also had Ishant, and Faulkner was ready.

Shoaib Malik, the former Pakistan captain, has said that he is targeting a return to Test cricket

Umar Farooq02-Oct-2011Shoaib Malik, the former Pakistan captain, has said he is targeting a return to Test cricket, starting with the series against Sri Lanka in the UAE. Malik was speaking after his unbeaten 88 off 49 balls gave Sialkot a commanding victory over Lahore at the National Stadium in Karachi, and with it a place in the final of the Faysal Bank Twenty20 Cup.”I am targeting Test cricket. Once you hit [form] in the format you certainly [improve] your chances to be successful in other formats as well,” Malik told reporters. “Test cricket is the real form of cricket and I am more concerned about it.”Malik, who has played 32 Tests, has been at his best against Sri Lanka in the past. He averages 59.75 from nine Tests, far above his career average of 33.45, and both his Test centuries have come against them. He was recalled to the national team by the PCB during the recent tour of Zimbabwe after being cleared by the board’s integrity committee, more than a year following Pakistan’s controversy-filled tour of England.”I don’t know what selectors have decided for me but I am optimistic,” Malik said. “I was actually feeling rusty during the Zimbabwe tour but after playing the domestic Twenty20 I feel I’ve regained my touch.”While focusing on cementing his place in the national side in all forms of cricket, Malik said regaining the captaincy wasnt a priority. “I am focusing on my form and captaincy is secondary for me.”Malik expected a tough series against Sri Lanka, who are coming off a 0-1 loss in their three-Test series against Australia at home. “They are a tough side to play,” Malik said. “We need to chalk out special plans to take on Sri Lanka and must execute them accordingly. Otherwise you can’t expect positive results.”The Pakistan selectors are currently in Karachi to pick the side for the Sri Lanka series. Pakistan will play three back-to-back Tests against Sri Lanka in Abu Dhabi, Dubai and Sharjah in the UAE from October 18, and are scheduled to depart on October 15.