The 'care factor' will be key for Pune - Donald

Despite being around for two years in the Indian Premier League, Pune Warriors - the most expensive franchise in the event - seem to be struggling to find their feet. In both the editions they have featured in, they have finished near or at the bottom.

No wonder then that their third successive season will see a new captain and coach going into the tournament. While both their previous coaches - Geoff Marsh in 2011 and Sourav Ganguly as captain-cum-mentor last year, when they participated without a head coach - were diplomatic ahead of they stints, Allan Donald, who has been elevated from bowling coach to head coach this year, spelled out his expectations from the players in no uncertain terms.

Referring to his new role as "intimidating" in a tournament that moves "at a million miles per hour", Donald, the former South Africa pace spearhead, urged the players to "care" for one another.

"I am going to have a meeting with our overseas players on their own to explain their commitment to our cause for the next two months. Every one of those players wants to play. I would be disappointed if I wasn't picked. But what is important for Pune Warriors is for everyone to be swimming up one stream, [and] not every way and direction like it went last year," Donald said, referring to a disgruntled unit in the latter half of last year's IPL.

"And negativity spreads cancer. It does because it gets people talking, players talk among each other. And my message to the team is [to] be up front and honest. [This] is going to be the key. I am not here to make anyone promises.

"That's what this format requires. You just can't be pleasing cricketers for the sake of it. I just want guys to be part of the team and helping each other out. The care factor for me is huge. I want guys to look after each other. That creates that relaxed environment that I talk about. That's pretty much what I look for. How we gel as a team, how we grow as a team and how we care as a team is going to be the key for us."

In a season in which Pune Warriors tried out 23 players during the season, not many players were given a long rope. It led to team harmony going for a toss as the tournament progressed, and affected the team both on and off the field. Donald seems to have learned the lessons from the disappointing previous outing: "[I] don't think last year was a great example for me. That was my first year, and I felt that at times, we were a bit gung-ho with our selection.

"At times, [we tried] quick fixes, which didn't work. I see that the teams that have been successful in the IPL have stuck with a certain group of players for a long period of time. And that's what I intend to do.

"Why fix [something] if it's not broken? All coaches and teams are looking for early momentum and confidence, and we have to earn the right to do that first of all. The hard part about this competition is to get your nose in front. I am not looking far ahead. I am not looking at the semi-finals or anything like that. I just want to concentrate on every game, and on what we do in every game. If it doesn't work and we go down fighting, so be it. To try and stick to certain processes is the key."

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'Excited to be back for IPL' - Ponting

Mumbai Indians captain Ricky Ponting has said he is excited to be back for the IPL after a gap of five years. His retirement from international cricket, he said, has allowed him to focus on domestic leagues such as the IPL and the ones that follow.

"I am very excited to be back in IPL," Ponting said. "The way things have worked out - with my retirement from international cricket and finishing off the domestic season for Tasmania and playing well - they have given me the opportunity to be back here.

"The reason I did not come back for IPL 2 and 3 was because I had too much international cricket on at that time. And now that I don't have international cricket, the opportunities for me to play in these domestic tournaments are really opening up."

After the IPL ends in May, Ponting will head to England for two months to play for Surrey and then to the West Indies for nearly five weeks to play in the Caribbean Premier League which begins on July 29.

Ponting said his experience of leading Australia will play a crucial role in captaining Mumbai that already has some big names, such as Sachin Tendulkar and Harbhajan Singh, with whom he has had "great battles" over the years.

"I have got a really good idea of what makes good teams successful," Ponting said. "And they are all the things I will be bringing to the table in Mumbai. To think that I will be playing alongside Sachin Tendulkar and Harbhajan Singh, some of the guys I have had great battles over the years, and some of the young local Indian talent I have come across in the last couple of days is great.

"With Mumbai now, we have John Wright, a successful ex-India coach, and Anil Kumble, a successful Indian captain and a very very good Indian player and leader. Obviously me coming into the set-up, we have put together a really strong leadership group."

Mumbai finished third in the points table last season and lost to Chennai Super Kings in the elimination final by 38 runs. The closest they came to winning the title was in 2010 when they lost to Super Kings again in the final.

"Mumbai Indians have a pretty proud tradition in IPL of finishing up the top and being in the semi-finals," Ponting said. "We obviously haven't won the tournament yet but hopefully this year is our year."

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Younis Khan left out of Champions Trophy squad

The limited-overs career of Younis Khan, the senior Pakistan batsman, hangs in the balance after he was left out of a 30-man squad for the Champions Trophy to be held in June. The Pakistan board announced the pool of players unexpectedly early, and there had been speculation over Younis' future after a poor one-day series in South Africa earlier this month.

Younis, 35, was among several Pakistan batsmen who floundered in the series which South Africa won 3-2. Younis collected 116 ODIs runs at 23.20 as Pakistan's fragile batting struggled through much of the tour. He has had a difficult ODI run in recent years - his last century came as long back in 2008, and in three of the previous four years he has averaged less than 25.

The other major exclusion from the squad was of 20-year-old left-arm spinner Raza Hasan, who is looking to make his comeback after suffering a spine injury last December. Hasan had made an impact during the World Twenty20 last year, playing in four matches in that campaign.

The experienced allrounder Abdul Razzaq, who hasn't played an ODI since November 2011 continued to be ignored by the national selectors.

The Champions Trophy features the top eight ODI sides in the world, and is scheduled to be held in England in June. Pakistan are in Group B along with India, South Africa and West Indies. All teams have to announce their preliminary squad for the tournament before April 6.

Squad: Nasir Jamshed, Mohammad Hafeez, Imran Farhat, Ahmed Shehzad, Misbah-ul-Haq, Haris Sohail, Asad Shafiq, Umar Akmal, Shoaib Malik, Umer Amin, Sohail Tanvir, Hammad Azam, Azhar Ali, Shahid Afridi, Asad Ali, Anwar Ali, Junaid Khan, Mohammad Irfan, Wahab Riaz, Umar Gul, Rahat Ali, Ehsan Adil, Imran Khan, Aizaz Cheema, Yasir Arafat, Saeed Ajmal, Abdul Rehman, Zulfiqar Babar, Kamran Akmal, Mohammad Rizwan

More to follow

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Kusal Perera sets up Sri Lanka's win

Sri Lanka 198 for 5 (Kusal Perera 64, Mendis 37) beat Bangladesh 181 for 7 (Ashraful 43, Mushfiqur 39, Thisara Perera 2-25) by 17 runs
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details

A marauding Kusal Perera set the platform for Sri Lanka's 198 for 5, which proved 17 runs too many for the valiant Bangladesh batsmen, in the one-off Twenty20 in Pallekele. His 64 from 44 balls saw Sri Lanka travel at nearly 11-an over during the Powerplay, before their middle-order allrounders exploited generous bowling to close the innings at a gallop. Though three Bangladesh batsmen threatened to rally a forceful response, Mohammad Ashraful, Mushfiqur Rahim and Mahmudullah all fell before their side could mount a serious challenge.




Kusal's onslaught began from the second delivery which he whipped aerially off his pads behind square, before he picked up the fifth ball and deposited it in the stands and then blasted the next behind point for four. Like a young Sanath Jayasuriya with a ballet coach, Kusal flitted about the crease - venturing swiftly out of it on occasion - before sending the ball hurtling, with a rapid swing of the blade.

At 25 for no loss at the end of the second over, Mushfiqur introduced Sohag Gazi to change the pace of the game, but Kusal welcomed him into the attack with a mighty slog-swept six over cow corner. When Abdur Razzak came on to bowl, he was spared first ball, but slammed into the grass bank behind deep midwicket next delivery.

The fours flowed too: over cover, through point, behind square on the leg side - five in total, to go with four sixes. Kusal reined in the big shots when the field spread, rotating the strike first with Dinesh Chandimal, then Lahiru Thirimanne, and the first shot he mishit in the game was the one that brought his demise. He top-edged a cut shot off Mahmudullah, three balls after having sent him high over deep midwicket. When he departed at 100 for 4 after 12 overs, only a middle-order collapse would have restricted Sri Lanka to an average total, and the Bangladesh bowlers' generosity ensured that would not eventuate.



But despite the tall Sri Lanka total, Bangladesh batted so well, they might justly feel aggrieved at the officiating. The match was marred by contentious decisions - at least two of which had the potential to change the game's narrative dramatically. The clearest of these was Ashraful's lbw, which came off a thigh-high Thisara Perera full toss. Ashraful had struck two sixes and a four off the three previous deliveries, signalling an imminent sustained barrage, but it was cut short when the umpire ruled him out despite the ball having struck his thigh pad outside the line of the stumps.

Earlier, debutant Shamsur Rahman had been given out to his first ball in international cricket, after being struck above the knee roll, some way outside the popping crease. The first ball of the match, however, had been a close call for Kusal, and two more marginal decisions in Sri Lanka's innings went the hosts' way.




Bangladesh began their innings more slowly than Sri Lanka, hitting only 45 from their Powerplay overs, for the loss of Shamsur and Jahurul Islam. When Ashraful fell in the seventh over, Mushfiqur assumed the aggressor's role, but soon after, Mahmudullah also began scoring quickly. Mushfiqur first struck two fours in three balls off Sachithra Senanayake, before lifting a low full toss from Shaminda Eranga over the long-on fence two overs later. Angelo Perera had not had a chance to bat on debut, but his part-time left-arm spin disappeared for 17 off Mushfiqur's blade in the 13th over, to complete a six-over stretch that saw Bangladesh maul 72.



But in two balls in the fifteenth over, Bangladesh lost both set batsman, and with them, their hopes of a triumphant end to the tour. Mushfiqur top edged a gentle full toss from Senanayake to deep square leg, and next ball, a mix-up while attempting a third ended with both batsmen stranded mid-pitch, and Mahmudullah eventually given out, having not crossed his partner. With six wickets down, Mominul Haque then faced a required run-rate of 12 with five wickets to go and the tail for company. He finished unbeaten on 26 from 16, having hit three boundaries that made the end result perhaps seem closer than it was.

During Sri Lanka's innings, Bangladesh's spinners combined through the middle overs to force several setbacks, but a dropped catch off Angelo Mathews in the deep, borne from miscommunication between long-on and midwicket, cost the visitors a chance to keep Sri Lanka to a manageable score. Next over, with six wickets remaining and only four overs to go, Jeevan Mendis felt it appropriate to throw his bat early in the over, sweeping Razzak over midwicket, then blasting him over cover, to herald Sri Lanka's final charge.

The fast bowlers' indiscipline hurt Bangladesh further, as they continued pitching too short throughout the final overs, with several wayward deliveries served up as well. Mendis pulled Rubel Hossain high into the stands early in the 17th over, before murdering a short wide one through point next ball. When he got out, Thisara completed a sorry night for Shahadat Hossain, when he launched his over of criminally poor bowling into the night for 24, to leave the bowler with no wicket for 54 from four overs. Mathews, who had held the innings together after Kusal fell, finished on 30 from 27 deliveries.

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Pressure on SL to end on high - Chandimal

Sri Lanka's new Twenty20 captain Dinesh Chandimal has admitted there is significant pressure on the hosts to finish the home series against Bangladesh on a high note, ahead of the one-off Twenty20 in Pallekele on Sunday. The hosts had been expected to win each series comprehensively, but could only draw the ODI series 1-1, and allowed Bangladesh to draw a Test against Sri Lanka, for the first time.

Chandimal is now set to lead a young, inexperienced side, which will feature at least one debutant, as six uncapped Twenty20 players have been named in the 16-man squad. They will likely play four top-order batsmen with less than 15 matches' experience, and two specialist bowlers who have each played less than five Twenty20s.

"Bangladesh won the last match and will be in a good mental state. But our players have got a big chance here and they will hopefully take that opportunity," Chandimal said. "It's a lot of pressure, but I like to play with that pressure. As a cricketer, there has to be pressure when we play, because that's when we can truly overcome challenges. We never underestimated Bangladesh, because they are an improving side in world cricket.

"I have to be content with this team, because as youngsters, this is the kind of tour that they should be given opportunities in. When you are playing your first or second match, it's better if you play teams like Bangladesh and Zimbabwe and then get the confidence to play big matches against Australia and England. It's good if they can learn from their time with the seniors and take their cricket forward."

Chandimal has never captained a national team at age-group level, but he had had a superlative season as captain of Ananda College, in Colombo, where he led his side to an unprecedented 13 outright wins in 2008. He was one of several candidates for Test captaincy as well, despite his youth, but eventually Angelo Mathews was given the role, and Chandimal made vice-captain.

"I was captain in Under-19 and U-15 teams as well, in a few provincial matches. This is a great challenge, because captaining the national team is not something everyone can do. We need to talk to all our players, of every level of experience and figure out how we are going to improve and win more matches for our country.

"We don't have the experienced players like Kumar Sangakkara and Tillakaratne Dilshan, who played well in the last two series. But I think there are great young players like Dilshan Munaweera and Kusal Perera. This is a great opportunity for the young players." Chandimal singled out Nasir Hossain as a particular threat among the opposition batsmen, and said Sri Lanka had grown wary of his strengths during the tour. Nasir walloped 33 runs from 27 deliveries in the third ODI, to propel his side to victory, and had struck 73 not out from 59 deliveries to close out the innings in the first ODI as well, in addition to the Test ton he scored in Galle.

"Bangladesh's batsmen have improved a lot from how they were before. Nasir Hossain has been the batsman who has batted the best in the ODI series, and he's been consistent throughout the tour, so we've got a plan for him. We've got plans for all the others as well. We're hoping that tomorrow we can come through in those situations, and showcase our talent."

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Bangladesh fancy chances against experimental Sri Lanka

Match facts

March 31, 2013 Start time 1930 local (1400 GMT)

Big picture

Whatever happens on Sunday night, Sri Lanka will look back on this tour and feel it has not gone as they would have liked. Bangladesh had never taken a Test to the fifth day in Sri Lanka, but they bettered even that achievement by keeping the hosts to a draw. Sri Lanka were made to fight hard in the second Test, and though they triumphed handsomely there in the end, they were embarrassed in the ODI series, when Bangladesh stormed home in Pallekele. Sri Lanka may have been missing Mahela Jayawardene, who has made home series a specialty, but Bangladesh have been without their star player in Shakib Al Hasan throughout the tour, and lost Tamim Iqbal after the first ODI.

Twenty20 is supposedly Sri Lanka's strongest format, but they will put the top ranking they earned during their World Twenty20 campaign on the line, in the final match of the tour. If Sri Lanka lose to ninth-ranked Bangladesh, they drop five ratings points, and will slip behind West Indies.

Sri Lanka's selectors have approached this match as a development game, and as such, Sri Lanka's ranking seems especially insecure. Of the 16 players in the squad, six have never played an international Twenty20, and among the uncapped, only Kithuruwan Vithanage has played at the top level in any format.

They also have a young, new leader, who for all his talent, had been unable to establish a place in any of the three national teams four months ago. Throughout the Tests and ODIs, Dinesh Chandimal was often in Angelo Mathews' company during talks on strategy, but although he holds a coveted school cricket record as a captain, his leadership qualities are burgeoning, rather than refined. Bangladesh are soaring after their last win, and are now faced with a significantly weaker Sri Lanka team. If there was any match against Sri Lanka in which they began as favourites, it is this one.

Critical to their chances is their bowling, which, despite the team's results, has been unconvincing throughout the tour. The fast bowlers in particular have been wayward in their opening spells - though they will not have Tillakaratne Dilshan to contend with in this match - and too much has been required of Sohag Gazi, whose own career is still in its infancy. If Bangladesh's attack can prevent a quick start, and put pressure on Sri Lanka's inexperienced batsmen, they will go a long way towards securing a heartening victory to cap off a terrific tour.

Form guide

(completed matches only, most recent first)
Sri Lanka: WWLWW
Bangladesh: LLLLW

In the spotlight

Dilshan Munaweera arrived in the Twenty20 side after an impressive Sri Lanka Premier League tournament, but was unable to produce the sustained assaults at the top of the innings through which he established his reputation. He is coming off a first-class 104 from 87 deliveries however, and will be keen to translate that form into his first notable international innings.

The man who has suddenly become the centre of attention on this tour is Nasir Hossain. His unbeaten 33 has become the most valuable innings for Bangladesh in the ODI series as it helped them grab a win and draw the series. Even the Sri Lankans are talking about him, so he would be one to look out for.

Teams news

Angelo Perera is the likeliest young batsman to debut in the match, though Kithuruwan Vithanage, who played in the Test series, may also be close to selection. The biggest conundrum for Sri Lanka will be how to replace the rested Nuwan Kulasekara. There are a slew of young allrounders in the squad, and among them, fast bowler Ishan Jayaratne and left-arm-spinner Chaturanga de Silva are the likeliest of the freshers to play. Sri Lanka may opt for a little more experience however, in which case Shaminda Eranga will play.

Sri Lanka (probable): 1. Kusal Perera, 2. Dilshan Munaweera, 3. Lahiru Thirimanne, 4. Dinesh Chandimal (capt & wk), 5. Angelo Perera/Kithuruwan VIthanage, 6. Angelo Mathews, 7. Jeevan Mendis, 8. Thisara Perera, 9. Shaminda Eranga/ Chaturanga de Silva/ Ishan Jayaratne, 10. Sachithra Senanayake, 11. Lasith Malinga.

There could be a temptation for Bangladesh to bring in Mosharraf Hossain as the third spinner and cut down on one batsman from the top-order. In that case, Mominul Haque - who has not done well in Twenty20s recently, may be chopped. A debut for Shamsur Rahman also beckons, especially after his BPL performance this season. But team sources have said that Mominul will continue to play while there is a high likelihood for Shamsur to make his international debut with Mosharraf's wait to return to international cricket set to be extended.

Bangladesh (probable): 1 Mohammad Ashraful, 2 Shamsur Rahman, 3 Jahurul Islam, 4 Mushfiqur Rahim (capt & wk), 5 Mahmudullah, 6 Nasir Hossain, 7 Mominul Haque, 8 Ziaur Rahman, 9 Sohag Gazi, 10 Abdur Razzak, 11 Rubel Hossain/Shahadat Hossain.

Pitch and conditions

Sri Lanka's south-west monsoon rains appear to be making an early appearance, and with Pallekele quickly gaining a reputation as one of the wettest grounds in cricket, the match may be affected by the weather once again. The surface itself looks identical to the one used for the ODI, which had a little something for bowlers of all inclinations, but was far more favourable for batsmen.

Stats and trivia

• Sri Lanka have not dismissed Nasir in a limited-overs match, in three innings. He hit 36 not out during the Asia Cup last year, and has was unbeaten on 73 and 33 in the ODI series. He has never played a Twenty20 against Sri Lanka.
• In 12 innings, Chandimal's Twenty20 average is 14.83 and his strike rate 97.26
• If Sri Lanka defeat Bangladesh, they earn one rankings point and extend their lead at the top of the table.
• The game will be played on the 27th anniversary of Bangladesh's debut international match

Quotes

"As a team we are at number one, and everyone is looking to keep that. We've trained really hard in the last few days, and hopefully that will pay off with a win."

Chandimal feels he has a responsibility to maintain a hard-won ranking

"Bowling in the Powerplay and the death is very important for us. We have to do well in these two periods. The bowlers are confident after not having a great tour."

Bangladesh captain Mushfiqur Rahim on Bangladesh's weaker suit on this tour

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Gujarat in final after Manprit ton

Group A

In a one-sided match, Kerala were crushed under the weight of a dominant batting performance from Gujarat, led by Manprit Juneja, who scored a belligerent century, and Abdulahad Malik, to lose by 90 runs in Indore. The victory helped Gujarat qualify for the final of the tournament, to be played against Punjab, as they snatched the top spot via a better net run-rate than Kerala.

Soon after being put in to bat, Gujarat were struggling at 31 for 3 in the fifth over, with the top three batsmen in their line-up having been dismissed. Juneja and Malik, then, shared an unbeaten 202-run partnership - the third-highest for any wicket in Twenty20s and the highest for the fourth wicket - in 94 balls to take them to a daunting 233 for 4. Juneja scored 108 off 50 deliveries, and Malik 84 off 46, both unbeaten. The two hit 25 fours and six sixes between them.

In reply, Kerala lost wickets frequently. Except opener VA Jagadeesh (36), Sanju Samson (32) and Raiphi Gomez (26), none of the other batsmen put up much resistance. They were eventually bowled out for 143, with seamer Mehul Patel and offspinner Jesal Karia taking three wickets each.

A quick half-century from Faiz Fazal helped Vidarbha beat Delhi by five wickets. Delhi, batting first, put up a strong 156 for 7, through a knock of 45 from Mohit Sharma and an unbeaten 39 from middle-order batsman Milind Kumar. Two significant partnerships, between Mohit and Jagrit Anand (worth 57 runs), and between Milind and Nitish Rana (40) helped Delhi get to the total, even though they kept losing wickets.

Fazal set the tone in Vidarbha's reply by dominating the opening stand of 31. He added 53 runs with Urvesh Patel, and when the stand was broken, Vidarbha were strong at 83 for 2. Three wickets fell for 31, but Shalabh Shrivastava, with a 14-ball 26, took them home in 19 overs.

Group B

A career-best, unbeaten 93 from Gurkeerat Singh helped Punjab beat Uttar Pradesh by 51 runs and gave them a berth in the final, to be played against Gujarat on Sunday. UP, after choosing to field, removed opener Mandeep Singh in the first over, and Ravi Inder Singh in the sixth over. But Gurkeerat struck useful stands with Mayank Sidhana, Chandan Madan and Amitoze Singh to steer his team to 161 for 5. His 58-ball knock consisted of eight fours and six sixes.

UP's innings never took off as seamer Sandeep Sharma dented the top order with quick wickets and spinner Rahul Sharma followed up by taking four wickets. Mohammad Kaif (46) and captain Piyush Chawla (29) provided resistance with a 46-run stand for the fifth wicket, but then they lost six wickets for 19 runs to be bowled out for 110.

Half-centuries from Jyot Chhaya and Vishnu Solanki took Baroda to a tight five-wicket victory over Karnataka at the Holkar Stadium. In their chase of 168, Baroda's top-order batsmen squandered starts, but at 75 for 4, Chhaya added 90 runs off 52 balls with Solanki to take them home in the penultimate ball of the innings.

Karnataka's innings revolved around a 34-ball 49 from opener Robin Uthappa, and contributions from Karun Nair (22), Manish Pandey (29), and K Gowtham (24). Spinners Bhargav Bhatt and Krunal Pandya took three wickets each.

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Faisalabad and Sialkot in final after thrillers

Faisalabad Wolves 125 for 8 (Shehzad 27, Hafeez 3-30, Rasool 2-27) beat Lahore Lions 123 (Jamshed 46, Hafeez 36, Adil 3-23, Khalid 2-31) by two runs
Scorecard

With nine required of the final over, promising fast bowler Ehsan Adil conceded just six to help Faisalabad Wolves win a thriller against Lahore Lions and reach the final of the Faysal Bank Super Eight T-20 Cup in Lahore.

Though the first ball of Adil's over went four, and the next was a wide that reduced the equation to four off five balls, Adil kept his cool. The second legitimate ball of the over produced a wicket as Sohail Ahmed, who threatened to take the game away, was dismissed after mistiming a pull. Another wide was bowled, followed by two dot balls as the No. 9 Adnan Rasool failed to connect.

That made it three required off two. Rasool missed a third ball in a row, and decided to attempt a bye, but with the non-striker not responding, both batsmen were at the bowler's end when the wicketkeeper broke the stumps. The final ball of the match left No. 11 Aizaz Cheema needing to take three, and he too failed to connect and was run out by the keeper Mohammad Salman, giving Wolves the game.

Wolves didn't seem to have a defendable target after they opted to bat, posting 125. Opener Farrukh Shehzad slashed Aizaz Cheema between gully and point for a boundary, followed by a dashing drive through extra cover, to take nine of the first over as the openers put on 22. Misbah ul-Haq (19) and Khurram Shehzad (27) put on 45 for the third wicket, with the Wolves passing 100 in the 16th over with the help of Imran Khalid's cameo of 20 off 15 balls.

At the halfway stage, Lions were favourites, given Wolves' moderate total, and that Lions had seven cricketers with international experience in their ranks, including the Twenty20 national captain, Mohammad Hafeez.

The Lions announced their charge with three boundaries off the first over from openers Ahmed Shehzad and Nasir Jamshed. Shehzad fell to a brilliant catch behind by Salman with the score on 13. Jamshed (46) and Hafeez (36) put on a solid 57-run partnership, and Lions looked comfortably on course to overhaul the Wolves' total.

A double-strike by Adil in the 11th over brought Wolves back into the game, as he removed Kamran Akmal and Ali Azmat. From being 81 for 2 in 10 overs, Lions ended up losing seven wickets for 38. Once Jamshed was run out by Samiullah with the score on 99, the Wolves' smelt the possibility of victory. Sohail Ahmed's 19 kept the Lions in the hunt, but Adil's superb final over handed Wolves the victory.

Sialkot Stallions 139 for 8 (Malik 44, Amin 3-28) beat Rawalpindi Rams 136 (Waheed 44*, Naved-ul-Hasan 3-20) by three runs
Scorecard

Sialkot Stallions raced into the final after a thrilling victory over Rawalpindi Rams at the Gaddafi Stadium. The match went into the final over with Rawalpindi needing eight runs, but the vastly experienced Naved-ul-Hasan picked up three wickets to bowl Rams out and clinch a three-run victory. Stallions, defending champions of Faysal Bank Super8, will take on Faisalabad Wolves in the final on Sunday.

After opting to bat first, Stallions got off to a steady start with the openers adding 23 off 21 before Shakeel Ansar (7) was trapped lbw by Yasir Arafat, followed by the dismissal of Shahid Yousuf (16). In a bid to improvise, Naved-ul-Hasan was promoted up in the order, but the idea backfired and Naved was back in hut with 15 off 22 balls. By the end of 15th over, Stallions were in trouble at 96 for 5.

Their captain Shoaib Malik drove five boundaries to compile 44 off 35 balls to take Stallions past 100 and Mansoor Amjad hit 18 off 11 with the help of a six over long-off to propel Stallions to a respectable total of 139.

Rams, in reply, lost three wickets within five overs with 31 runs on board. It was Umar Amin (24) along with Umar Waheed who kept the the game from slipping away with a defiant 37-run stand. Sohail Tanvir chipped in three boundaries for his 17 off 16 balls but wasn't enough to keep the chase on course, leaving Waheed (44 not out) to resist all alone in the middle with no batsman providing him support, which left Rams two runs short.

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Raza Hasan confident of swift return

Raza Hasan, Pakistan's 20-year old left-arm spinner, is confident of being back in the reckoning for national selection with his swift recovery from a career-threatening spine injury. He returned to competitive cricket, after an almost four-month break, in the ongoing Faysal Bank Super Eight Twenty20 Cup.

Hasan, who made his international debut last September against Australia, has played seven Twenty20 internationals since, taking six wickets at 25.66. But he was pegged back with major back trouble when he injured the disc in his spine in a domestic Twenty20 game on December 2. He underwent surgery, performed by a neurosurgeon Dr. Anjum Habib Vohra.

"It was a major blow but with the timely treatment I am back in shape," Hasan said. "Although I was given at least eight weeks' rest by the doctor, I extended it to 12 weeks to give my body adequate rest. I am enjoying good health due to the gap. I am working hard to cover up for lost time.

"I was a bit reckless earlier with my injury and I let it linger on, but now after the operation I am taking extra caution to take care of myself with proper gym sessions and back exercise."

In the wake of the injury, he missed the tours of India and South Africa, and hasn't so far played Tests or ODIs for his country. During his layoff, two other left-arm spinners, Zulfiqar Babar and Abdur Rehman - who served a 12-week ban for testing positive for cannabis during his spell with Somerset - have been called in by the selectors. But the competition with other spinners for a place, with Saeed Ajmal leading the race, isn't worrisome for Raza.

"I am not really worried on being pushed back on return of Abdur Rehman or others as I don't think I will be competing with anyone. The only completion I am facing is with my own self and I need to improve myself from here. I am young and have plenty of time ahead of me [to do the needful], rest is in the hands of the selectors."

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Razzak draws strength from career setbacks

Abdur Razzak, the Bangladesh left-arm spinner, thought he would miss the chance to complete 200 ODI wickets in the three-match series against Sri Lanka. After going wicketless in the first game and the second one being abandoned, he ended up getting all five wickets required to reach the landmark in the final game in Pallekele, a testament to his persistence over difficult periods in his career.

"After the first two matches, I thought I would have to wait a long time for another opportunity," Razzak said. "It came in the third game and I was extremely happy. The moment when I took the fifth wicket was unforgettable. Before the series I had it in mind to reach the 200-wicket mark."

Razzak's numbers, and stature as the most experienced bowler in the line-up have made him a valuable member of the ODI side. All but one of his four-wicket hauls came in defeats while all four of his five-fors have been in wins.

Yet, it is his experience with the darker side of international cricket that has taught him the lesson of not taking even an ordinary spell of bowling for granted. Razzak was twice pulled up for chinks in his bowling action, the second occasion costing him almost a year's international cricket. He was first reported in 2004 and four years later told to correct his action.

"I am one of those few players from Bangladesh who has seen some really critical periods in their career. When the bowling action was questioned, everyone spoke to me as if my career was over. I was strong on the inside. I didn't think my career was over.

"I think that has given me a lot of strength as a person. I love taking up challenges, I can't hide away from bowling in certain periods because it doesn't make me comfortable. I like to go through these difficult experiences during matches or otherwise, so that I know what to do the next time it happens," he said.

Razzak has experienced memorable moments too. After taking three wickets on debut against minnows Hong Kong, he was impressive against Pakistan in his next game. Problems with his bowling action kept him out till 2006 when he became a regular for another three years. During this time he was instrumental in Bangladesh's progression to the 2007 World Cup's Super Eights.

Razzak was the Man of the Match against West Indies in his comeback game in 2009 after correcting his action. It was followed by a hat-trick against Zimbabwe in 2010, and through ups and downs, he has remained the backbone of a side short on experience.

"It is hard to make a distinction on which has been my best moment. There have been so many good moments. But I think I have enjoyed the fact that the 200 wickets have not taken too long. I have done it in 141 innings which gives me a lot of pride."

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