Teams start even in new format

Match Facts

March 1, 2013
Start time 1800 local (1600GMT)

Big Picture

South Africa's summer of Test cricket is over but the sunshine and good times are not. Another three weeks of activity awaits and it is up to the limited-overs formats to turn what has been a one-sided series into a competitive, two-way street.

The balance has definitely tipped. It is no longer a No.1 ranked team in conditions that suit them up against a side determined to prove something. Both South Africa and Pakistan hover in the middle of the Twenty20 rankings at the moment. While South Africa have never tasted the success of a major trophy, Pakistan have and were responsible for dumping South Africa out of the 2009 World Twenty20 - which they went on to win - and beating them in both other meetings at a major tournament.

That fact sums up the difference between the two teams' approaches to limited-overs cricket. Pakistan have won when it matters, South Africa have when it doesn't. Add that to the hosts' current state of transition and Pakistan will see an opportunity to strike. They have with them a wealth of experience headed by Shahid Afridi while South Africa's young squad includes only four Test regulars.

In essence, this is a clash between a team still experimenting with the format and one that has never had the same urgency to master it because they thrive in unpredictability. Pakistan can be expected to bring every element of themselves that has made the world fall in love with cricket over and over again: the late batting-order revival, the surprise wickets, the picture-perfect catch. If all those elements combine perfectly, it will make for good viewing.

South Africa have promised to be more clinical, a suggestion that hints at no more floating batting line-up and miscalculations over who will bowl at the death. Given their haphazard approach to the shortest format, that shows they are taking it more seriously. The key will be not to be too rigid.

It's set up to be a contest of Pakistan's ability to light flames versus South Africa's new cool and supposedly inflammable nature. What a thrill it would be if the series sets on fire.

Form guide

(Most recent first)
South Africa: WLWLL
Pakistan: LWLWL

In the Spotlight:

Although Faf du Plessis led the team with aplomb in their three-match series against New Zealand late last year, he was merely a stand-in then. Now, he is officially the permanent captain of the team and that will bring different pressure. Du Plessis has already shown he has the maturity to deal with being one of the senior-most batsmen in the XI and leading it and with a young squad under his command, the need for him to continue in that vein will be even more pressing.

His opposite number Mohammed Hafeez will also be under the microscope but for individual reasons. Hafeez was dismal with bat in hand in the Test series but now returns to the format where he has enjoyed much success. He does not have a red ball or Dale Steyn to worry about and Pakistan will be looking to him to kickstart some success for them on a tour that has so far brought only struggle.

Team news:

In yet another shift in roles for AB de Villiers, the former captain will now open the batting and keep wickets. That probably means no space for young Quinton de Kock who had gloves in hand for the matches against New Zealand and batted at No.3. New leader du Plessis will bat out of his preferred position (the top two), but will most likely come in at No.3. Chris Morris will likely slot in the lower middle-order, which will leave Rory Kleinveldt, Kyle Abbott and Ryan McLaren to fight for two spots if Lonwabo Tsotsobe plays. Aaron Phangiso may miss out to Robin Peterson in the spinner's role.

South Africa: (probable) 1 AB de Villiers (wk), 2 Henry Davids, 3 Faf du Plessis (capt), 4 Justin Ontong, 5 David Miller, 6 Farhaan Behardien, 7 Chris Morris, 8 Robin Peterson, 9 and 10 Rory Kleinveldt/Kyle Abbott/Ryan McLaren, 11 Lonwabo Tsotsobe

Pakistan welcome back a galaxy of stars, with their brightest being Afridi. If the mercurial all-rounder brings his best side, it will be an immediate boost to them. The Akmal brothers, with Kamran likely to keep, are also back. Junaid Khan has recovered from the thigh wound which kept him out of the last two Tests, and is available for selection.

Pakistan: (probable) 1 Nasir Jamshed, 2 Ahmed Shehzad, 3 Mohammed Hafeez (capt), 4 Umar Akmal, 5 Shoaib Malik, 6 Kamran Akmal (wk), 7 Shahid Afridi, 8, Wahab Riaz/Juniad Khan 9 Umar Gul, 10 Saeed Ajmal, 11 Mohammed Irfan

Stats and Trivia:

• Only one point separates these two teams on the rankings. South Africa are at No.5 and Pakistan No.6
• The longest winning streak enjoyed by both South Africa and Pakistan is seven matches. South Africa's was between March and June 2009 and Pakistan's in the same year between June and November.
• The teams have played each other six times in T20s, with each side winning three. Their last encounter was at the World Twenty20 in September last year, which Pakistan won.

Quotes:

"We are practising skills now that we want to be better at in six to ten games time. It's not going to happen now because we don't have a lot of time together as a T20 squad."
South Africa's new captain Faf du Plessis is looking to the future as he takes charge of the national side

"We are really missing crowd support because we don't play cricket at home. If we can get some support, it will be good."
Mohammed Hafeez hopes to tap into the sub-continental heritage of Durban and swing the fans his team's way

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We played like a family - Manzoor

The Quaid-e-Azam Trophy is back in Karachi after two seasons, as Karachi Blues outclassed Sialkot in a one-sided contest to win Pakistan's premium first-class tournament. Blues captain Khurram Manzoor credited the all-round effort of his side, which wasn't too formidable on paper, for the winning the title.

Although there were no fireworks or cheers in the deserted stands of Gaddafi Stadium, there was jubilant celebration by the players. When Manzoor lofted the ball to the midwicket boundary to score the winning runs, the Blues players, who were waiting at the boundary rope, erupted screaming onto the field to embrace their captain. They had another reason for joy: the team had remained unbeaten over the course of ten matches and two months.

"It was the moment we have been waiting for," Manzoor said while standing in front of a sombre Sialkot dressing room. "This is a result of the hard work put in by all of our players and the coaching staff. I am very happy as a player and as a captain - this is a significant achievement for me. They are all happy and want people to know that. I can't explain in words how happy I am and that's why we are screaming loud. This is all about the victory.

"We didn't have big names on paper but we played like a family. Sometime there were heated arguments, differences, we quarrelled on various occasions, but it was merely on how to attain the best result on the field. It was all teamwork. In the end, it is the result that matters, and so it's a moment of joy. I love to be a part of such a talented side.

"The key was the planning of our short-term goals instead of setting a big goal. We had a plan for each hour, each session to keep the players on their toes and didn't burden them to achieve bigger goal. The motto is to win every day to keep the momentum on, and this helped us against complacency. We knew if the plan worked the title wouldn't be far from us. If we have strong belief, we can win."

One of the key men who contributed to the win was Akbar-ur-Rehman, who topped the run-charts with 986 runs in ten games, with three fifties and three centuries, one of which was a double. He scored a century in the final, too; his 178 in the first innings helped his side gain a decisive 199-run lead.

"I simply call him a one-man army and I am proud of him," Manzoor said. "He played his role and his presence in the middle was a relief for me. He was the backbone of our batting and performed well when it matters and I wish him very best of luck for his future."

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BCB gets land for stadium in Cox's Bazar

The organisation of the upcoming World Twenty20, scheduled for March next year, received a major logistical boost after the Bangladesh government granted land for an international stadium in the town of Cox's Bazar.

During an inter-ministerial meeting for the global event on Thursday, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina directed the civil aviation authority to hand over the coastal town's golf course to the Bangladesh Cricket Board. Many BCB presidents have sought land in the country's most popular tourist destination.

"The decision to build a stadium in Cox's Bazar was among the primary decisions taken during the meeting," sports secretary Noor Mohammad said. "The land belongs to the civil aviation authority, so the BCB will sit with them to build the ground. They will understand the technical issues better. The sports ministry will also assist in whichever way necessary."

The BCB will be looking to host the women's section of the World Twenty20 in Cox's Bazar, particularly because of the number of hotels already existing in the town that is famous for having the longest sea beach in the world.

The BCB has recently had to deal with hotel shortage in Khulna where three international matches and some BPL games were held since November last year. Bangladesh have traditionally used two cities during an international series at home, but with plans to develop the new stadium in Cox's Bazar as a major venue, it could only help in the country's cricket depicting a more exotic picture.

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Bengal crush Karnataka, Assam stun Mumbai

Assam 178 (Roy 69, Gokul 51, Salvi 3-25) beat Mumbai 151 (Shaikh 42, Nechim 3-31) by 27 runs
Scorecard

Assam reached the semi-finals of the Vijay Hazare Trophy for the first time by beating previous season's finalists Mumbai by 27 runs. It was double delight for Assam, as they had never defeated the 40-time Ranji Trophy champions Mumbai before in any format, an outcome that delighted their captain and fast bowler Abu Nechim.

"It is a huge achievement to beat a side like Mumbai," Nechim, who also plays for Mumbai Indians, told ESPNcricinfo. "I have been playing for Assam for so many years and we have not had a result like this for a long time. The entire team is very happy and this win is for all the people of Assam.

"A win like this can take you places. Who knows, it might even open up a chance for some of the young players in the team to play for India or in the IPL."

The result was even more pleasing for Nechim as his side bounced back after having been bowled out for an underwhelming 178. Nechim told his players not to lose heart during the innings break. "I told them we still had a chance with the ball and should go out and give it our best shot. That was the only option we had really."

Assam came out with purpose. Mumbai were reduced to 6 for 3, and 39 for 4, chasing a modest target and could never get going. Wasim Jaffer was bowled in the first over for 5 by Nechim and Rohit Sharma was bowled in the second over for a duck by Arup Das. Shoaib Shaikh (42) and Ankeet Chavan (36) took Mumbai past 100 but following the former's dismissal by Gokul Sharma, Mumbai lost regular wickets to be dismissed for 151. Nechim himself led the way with a haul of 3 for 31 while Pritam Das accounted for the counter-attacking Siddhesh Lad and Chavan.

Aavishkar Salvi's opening burst had Assam tottering at 30 for 3 after Mumbai chose to field but a 92-run fifth-wicket stand between Sibsankar Roy and Gokul revived the innings. Assam were in a decent position at 147 for 4 in the 40th over but the lower order fell apart as the innings folded for 178, which proved enough in the end.

Despite what the win meant for them, Nechim and his side had a semi-final against Kerala to concentrate on and could not afford to spend time in too many celebrations. "We have another big match coming up. What we did was all of us got together in my room after the game. All the players and the coach, we spoke about what had happened today."

Bengal 128 for 0 (Goswami 70*, Saha 52*) beat Karnataka 127 (Shami 3-32, Veer Pratap 3-40) by ten wickets
Scorecard

Defending champions Bengal crushed Karnataka by ten wickets to set up a semi-final clash against Delhi. The seam trio of Shami Ahmed, Veer Pratap Singh and Laxmi Shukla ripped through the Karnataka line-up after Bengal chose to bowl. Karnataka were 57 for 6 at one stage with only Manish Pandey (28) among the top six getting into double figures. The lower order scraped Karnataka to 127 before they were dismissed in the 33rd over.

The Bengal openers Shreevats Goswami and Wriddhiman Saha saw off the new ball and proceeded to knock off the target in the 29th over, with Goswami finishing on a stroke-filled 70 off 79 deliveries.

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Dominant Delhi, Kerala make last four

Delhi 130 for 2 (Gambhir 44*) beat Gujarat 126 (Narwal 5-21) by eight wickets
Scorecard

Delhi crushed Gujarat in Visakhapatnam to enter the quarter-final of the Vijay Hazare Trophy, first rolling them for 126 and then knocking off the meagre target with over 21 overs to spare. Seamer Sumit Narwal triggered the Gujarat collapse, removing both openers after they had strung together a partnership of 40. Narwal went on to five wickets in an economical seven-over spell, and received support from new-ball bowler Parvinder Awana and Rajat Bhatia as Gujarat went on to score just 86 more runs in 25 overs after the opening stand was broken. Delhi lost opener Dhruv Shorey early in the chase, but the rest of the top order contributed cameos as they cruised home. Gautam Gambhir finished unbeaten on 44, the top-scorer in the game.

Kerala 320 for 6 (Jagadeesh 119, Sachin Baby 104*) beat Punjab 274 (Gurkeerat 99, Mandeep 81) by 46 runs
Scorecard

Kerala put on a dominating show with the bat, to ease past Punjab by 46 runs, and secure their place in the final four. Punjab chose to bowl, and made a decent start, reducing Kerala to 51 for 2 in the tenth over. However, one of the openers, VA Jagadeesh, hung in there and went on to make a career-best 119, that set a firm platform. Sachin Baby, batting at No. 6, launched from that platform, scoring a maiden List A century. He finished unbeaten on 104 runs from 70 balls to take Kerala to 320. For Punjab, Gurkeerat almost played a similar role to that of Jagadeesh, but was run out on 99 to dent Punjab's chances. Their hopes took another big blow when Yuvraj Singh was out to Prasanth Parameswaran for a golden duck. Mandeep Singh kept them going with a steady 81, but they still fell well short, bowled out in the 48th over.

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Jahural Islam fined 50% of BCL-final match fee

Jahurul Islam has been fined 50% of his Bangladesh Cricket League (BCL) final match fee after he played in a university match without the Bangladesh Cricket Board's (BCB) permission. He was also warned that a similar incident in the future will result in an automatic two-match ban.

Ahead of the third day of the BCL final held at the Shere Bangla National Stadium, he played for Dhaka University in the nearby Suhrawardi Indoor Stadium, in an inter-university indoor cricket tournament. With the final being a day-night match, Jahurul returned to the ground two hours before play started, having played an eight-overs-a-side match. Later on the same day, he was named in the 15-man Test squad for the Sri Lanka tour, returning after almost three years.

A day after the final, which Jahurul almost won single-handedly for North Zone, he was summoned by the BCB's cricket operations committee because he is a contracted player under Grade C.

"The BCB disciplinary committee felt that as an experienced cricketer at domestic and international level, Islam should have been more aware of the terms of his engagement with the BCB," the board said in a statement. "As captain of a side playing in the final of a first-class event, he should have displayed a more responsible attitude, not only to his team-mates, but also to the outcome of the match.

"Finally, by playing in an unauthorised capacity, in an unfamiliar format, he had exposed himself unnecessarily to the risk of possible injury, thereby jeopardising the selection process of the Bangladesh Test squad for the tour of Sri Lanka."

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Sussex positive after 2012 loss

Sussex have reported a loss of £325,375 for 2012, with the club's success in reaching the semi-finals of both limited-overs competitions helping to offset the poor weather that hit county takings around the country.

Turnover remained the same, at £5.2m, but although operating profits were up, an increase in depreciation to £553,000, after the redevelopment of Sussex's Hove ground, saw losses jump by more than £200,000 on the previous year. The club suffered an almost-total washout to West Indies' tour match in Hove - with only 34 overs bowled over three days - but they did benefit from a one-off payment of £133,000 from a settled legal claim in 2012.

"Whilst a £227k operating surplus is a credible outcome, it was boosted by the one off receipt of £133k in respect of the settlement of a legal claim," Simon Crundwell, the Sussex treasurer, said.

"Alongside continuing challenging economic conditions, the unseasonal weather in 2012 contributed in part to our match income being 22% down on prior year. However, alongside the legal claim, income from our home Clydesdale Bank 40 semi-final and home Friends Life t20 quarter-final was vital. Encouragingly, our non-match day revenue continues to grow, 28% ahead on the prior year, which is an important cornerstone of our medium-term business plan.

"The deficit of £325k recorded is after charging increased depreciation of £553k, reflecting the completion of our ground redevelopment. Importantly however, the club remains cash positive at an operating level with £95k generated from continuing operations after interest and before non-repeat income and depreciation."

Jim May, Sussex's chairman, added: "The county club business model is marginal and without our success in one-day competitions, Sussex would have made an operating loss. However, it is pleasing that, whilst the playing side remains strong, we are making progress year-on-year on the business front."

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Bangladesh medical staff unhappy with BPL-related injuries

The injury management of Bangladesh cricketers has come under sharp focus after two players who were injured during the BPL had to withdraw from the touring party to Sri Lanka.

Chief selector Akram Khan has called for better monitoring of injuries, along with greater communication between the clubs and franchises, and the national board. "In the national team, we can think of a replacement as soon as someone is injured," Akram said. "It is the opposite in the BPL or for Dhaka club cricket, [because] nobody will listen to the player if he says 'I am injured'. They will always tell him to play. Everyone has to be accountable, but there are gaps in the system which should be plugged."

Akram also held the players responsible for not giving their injuries enough attention. It is perceived that the local players' desire to play all BPL matches stems from the pay disputes from the tournament's first season; none of the local players are willing to take a chance, lest the injuries are used as reasons not to pay, although Mushfiqur Rahim said on Wednesday that BPL franchises are liable to play the players regardless of injuries.

"I have not been in such a position as a selector in the last five years, where so many players [have] turned up injured from a domestic tournament." Akram said. "The physical pain will not go away if you continue to play, [it only] gets worse. Those who had minor injuries have now broken down. There is a proper medical structure in Bangladesh cricket, so the players should take advantage of it."

One of the two players who got injured was Naeem Islam, who hurt his quadriceps while playing for Chittagong Kings just two weeks before the Bangladesh team was scheduled to leave for Sri Lanka. He accidentally stepped on the ball while attempting to stop it, and ended up being stretchered off as a result of the mishap. Chittagong physio Bayezid Ahmed said he did not clear Naeem, but Naeem ended up playing in the second semi-final four days later.

"The decision to play with injury was Naeem's," Bayezid said. "He said he felt better but I never cleared him as fit. I informed the Bangladesh team physio [Vibhav Singh] of his condition, but four days later he decided to play. After February 20, he was no longer in my hands."

Shakib Al Hasan continued to play in the BPL despite minor injuries, and later had to be sent to Australia in order to reduce pressure on his right shin bone, an injury he has had since November last year. Ziaur Rahman also suffered a shoulder injury during the BPL. Only Tamim Iqbal pulled out of Duronto Rajshahi's BPL campaign towards the end, after injuring his left wrist.

Enamul Haque jr was also ruled out of the Test series in Sri Lanka with a hamstring injury he suffered during the BPL final, but neither Enamul nor Naeem informed Vibhav Singh of their injuries after the BPL.

During the domestic Twenty20 competition, the national-team physio asked the franchises to give him player fitness updates, but only a few replied. It left him and the rest of the team management in the dark about the pile-up that landed at their feet just a few days before they were to pick the 15-man Test squad.

"Had we known of them [the injuries] before, it would have been different," Vibhav said. "In the next BPL, the franchises and the medical team need to work together with the national medical staff.

"I did send the franchises an email requesting feedback from their medical staff, but I did not get anything. So it made it a bit difficult for us to gauge where players were because we had no control over their medical concerns. We can make recommendations but at the end of the day it's a separate tournament, so we can just advice."

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Glamorgan finances improve despite loss

Glamorgan have become the latest county to announce a loss for 2012, although the club have significantly improved their fortunes after recording a deficit of £2m last year.

After the wettest summer in 100 years - and one which saw the ODI between England and South Africa at Cardiff abandoned after 5.3 overs - Glamorgan's accounts were £315,793 in the red. A turnover of £6.5m was equivalent to the previous year but the club have taken steps to reduce outgoings. Glamorgan also improved their net cash balance to £481,027, representing a year-on-year increase of more than £1.3m.

The Glamorgan chief executive, Alan Hamer, said: "Whilst it is disappointing to report an operating loss, our trading performance during the past year is much improved. The game of cricket is currently facing many financial challenges and we have made many changes to the business over the last 12 months as part of a programme to improve the profitability of the club.

"This year is our 125th anniversary and it promises to be an exciting season both on and off the field. Having received a £1m loan from the England and Wales Cricket Board, we have committed to making a whole host of improvements to spectator facilities including the installation of a permanent replay screen which will also act as a new scoreboard."

In 2012, Glamorgan's Sofia Gardens ground hosted Friends Life t20 Finals Day, while during the coming season, Cardiff will be the location for five Champions Trophy fixtures, including the opening match of the tournament, plus an England-Australia ODI in September. The ground has also been awarded an Ashes Test for 2015.

While several counties, including Warwickshire and Leicestershire, suffered heavy losses last year, an equal number have demonstrated their financial prudence in tough economic circumstances. Derbyshire, Worcestershire and in particular Somerset are among the clubs to enjoy surpluses from their 2012 trading.

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Lloyd fails in latest WICB presidency bid

Julian Hunte and Whycliffe Cameron of Jamaica will contest the WICB presidential elections after former West Indies captain Clive Lloyd failed in his nomination bid. To secure a nomination, a candidate needs the backing of two full members (regional boards) and Lloyd only had the approval his native Guyana Cricket Board (GCB) before the deadline for filing the application expired on February 22. The elections will be held as part of the WICB AGM, on March 27 in Barbados.

The presidential race is now a two-way fight between Hunte, who currently heads the WICB, and Cameron, who is vice-president. According to the amended rules of the WICB, none of the directors, who are part of the executive board, have voting powers from this year. That was one of the recommendations of the Wilkins Committee report, which was ratified by the board at its last meeting. Each of the six regional boards (Barbados, Guyana, Jamaica, Leeward Islands, Trinidad and Tobago, Windward Islands) have selected two representatives who are allowed to vote, with the new president to be elected via a secret ballot.

The Barbados Cricket Association (BCA) president, Joel Garner, who was an integral part of the dominating West Indies team of the 1970s and '80s that Lloyd led, has put his hat into the ring for the vice-president's role. Garner, who is one of the WICB directors, will face-off against Dominican Emmanuel Nanthan, president of the Windward Islands Cricket Association.

This was Lloyd's second failed attempt to get a nomination. In the past he was not allowed to enter the presidential race on the grounds that he did not satisfy the required residential conditions, as he was staying outside of the Caribbean at the time. This time Lloyd had fulfilled that obligation, having moved back to Guyana after been appointed by the government as chairman of the interim management committee formed in the aftermath of the disputed GCB elections in 2011.

Despite Lloyd calling the controversial GCB elections held on January 27 this year "illegal", a special executive board meeting held last Thursday nominated him as its delegate for the WICB presidential elections. But Lloyd needed the one of the other five regional boards to second his nomination.

In his attempt to garner more support Lloyd had even sent his manifesto to the T&T and Barbados cricket boards. Titled 'Clive Lloyd's manifesto - WICB presidency', the three-page document stressed that West Indies cricket desperately needed a "second growth curve"and argued he had the right expertise and international experience as a former professional cricketer and ICC administrator to lead the board.

"My vision for West Indies cricket is to take our cricket out of the doldrums and to put us back at the top. To use my expertise, knowledge of and passion for the game, my credibility, integrity and international professional standing and every moral fibre within to reverse the fortunes of our WI cricket," Lloyd wrote.

He signed off the document by quoting Winston Churchill, the former British prime minister: "'To each there comes in their lifetime a special moment when they are figuratively tapped on the shoulder and offered the chance to do a very special thing, unique to them and fitted to their talents.' Today I believe I have been 'figuratively tapped' and offered an opportunity to do a very special thing. Cricket is one of the great unifying forces in West Indian history and culture and I would like to offer my services to people of the West Indies as the next president of WICB."

However, the Trinidad and Tobago Cricket Board sidestepped the issue by deciding to act as a neutral observer instead of supporting any candidate, while the BCA's stance remained unclear.

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