Shamik Das


Saturday, March 31, 2007

Sweet sixteen for Ponting as McGrath inspires holders to crushing win with record breaking haul

Glen McGrath gives the thumbs-up to the crowd after breaking the record for most World Cup wickets

Antigua, World Cup, Super Eights: Australia 106/0 (13.5 overs; max 22) beat Bangladesh 104/6 (22 overs) by ten wickets

Glen Donald McGrath broke Wasim Akram's record for most World Cup wickets today with a typically clinical display of line and length, claiming 3 wickets in 16 balls to set his team up for an easy, unflustered win.

The defeat of Bangladesh was also Australia's sixteenth World Cup win in a row under Ricky Ponting's leadership, and 23rd match unbeaten in the competition - stretching back to 23rd May 1999 - as well as their 400th one-day international success.

"Pigeon", as the 37-year-old McGrath is affectionately known to his colleagues, began his historic spell by yorking Shahriar Nafees for 1 to equal Wasim's mark.

And McGrath only needed six more balls before breaking the Pakistan all-rounder's record in his next over - thanks to a spectacular catch by Nathan Bracken, leaping high in the air to dismiss Aftab Ahmed for 11.

Glen McGrath holds aloft the match ball in commemoration of his feat    Glen McGrath celebrates with his teammates after dismissing Aftab Ahmed to break Wasim Akram's record and become the most prolific bowler in World Cups

Then came the prized scalp of Bangladesh captain Mohammad Ashraful - well caught by his opposite number for 6 - as McGrath finished with figures of 5-0-16-3, with 57 World Cup wickets to his name.

The crowd at the Sir Viv Richards Stadium were lucky to see any cricket at all, heavy overnight rain and a sodden outfield delaying the start for five hours and reducing the 100 over contest to a Twenty20 style thrash.

Having been set only 105 to win the Aussies cantered to victory with 49 balls to spare, Adam Gilchrist (59* off 44 balls) and Matthew Hayden (47* off 39) picking off the runs with ease.

"We are playing well, and it was another good game today, but it's only early days and we have to keep improving," said Ponting.

"We knew Bangladesh would come at us early on but the bowlers hit their spots and did a good job. The batsmen have been in form and they just played properly and hit the gaps.

"We've been playing well ever since the warm-up matches in St Vincent. We wanted to carry that through to the tournament and we have done that.

"But it's still early days. We have to make sure we keep it going for the next few weeks."

Friday, March 30, 2007

Three and easy but England again fail to impress

Andrew Flintoff celebrates after mopping up the Irish tail to finish with figures of 4-43 to go alongside his 43 in the first innings

Guyana, World Cup, Super Eights: Ireland 218 (48.1 overs) lost to England 266/7 (50 overs) by 48 runs

England recorded their third win in a row with a workmanlike defeat of Ireland tonight, and though the result was never really in doubt England's fans will feel their team has to step up a gear if they're to have any chance of winning the tournament.

Following wins of seven wickets over Kenya and 51 runs over Canada England again did just enough to roll over Ireland, maintaining their impressive record of just one defeat to a so-called minnow in 54 World Cup matches - when Graham Gooch's side lost to Zimbabwe in Australia at the 1992 World Cup.

Under bright Guyanese skies Andrew Flintoff's display caught the eye, the all-rounder returning to form with figures of 4-43, in addition to 43 valuable runs with the bat.

Flintoff aside only Paul Collingwood (90 runs off 82 balls) and Kevin Pietersen (48 off 47) took the attack to the Irish part-timers, with Michael Vaughan again failing to contribute, scoring just six runs in half an hour.

Irishman Ed Joyce inexplicably shoulders arms and is clean bowled by former teammate Boyd Rankin for just 1    Ian Bell's tortoise-esque vigil comes to an end after getting out caught behind by Ireland keeper Niall O'Brien for a 74 ball innings of 31

But the England captain was far from alone in underperforming. Ed Joyce for some unknown reason shouldered arms and was clean bowled for 1, while Ian Bell (31 runs off 74 balls) laboured for an hour and a half before nicking a ball behind - probably to the relief of his teammates - as England struggled along to 104 for 3 at the halfway point of their innings.

Only some fierce hitting from Collingwood, Flintoff, Paul Nixon (19 off 15) and Ravi Bopara (10 off 5) late on helped England post their insurmountable target, the last ten overs realising 94 runs.

Sri Lanka on Wednesday will be England's real test, and anything short of victory could spell the beginning of the end for Duncan Fletcher's men.

Sorry Windies staring down the barrel

Black Caps skipper Stephen Fleming and his opposite number Brian Charles Lara at the toss ahead of West Indies v New Zealand at the Sir Viv Richards Stadium in Antigua    Brian Lara looks a worried man at the end of New Zealand's defeat of West Indies

Antigua, World Cup, Super Eights: New Zealand 179/3
(39.2 overs) beat West Indies 177 (44.4 overs) by 7 wickets


Brian Charles Lara cut a disconsolate figure yesterday evening as the dust settled on yet another jaded, insipid performance from the hosts.

Outplayed for the third day running by Antipodean opposition and facing the very real prospect of an early exit from their own party, Lara blamed his fellow batsmen for the team's plight.

"We're just not playing well as a team, especially in the batting department," he said after the West Indies had again failed to bat out their fifty overs.

"At the start we wanted to post 250 plus, and we enjoyed a decent start to move to 60-odd for one. But we lost a cluster of wickets, and then Dwayne Bravo and I fell around the same time after a partnership, and that hurt us."

Lara knows it's now or never for his charges to deliver, starting with a must win game against Sri Lanka on Sunday. "We've got to get into the frame of mind of winning everything from now on," added the Trinidadian.

"If we are going to win the World Cup it's not just going to be one or two of them, or just me - it has to be the entire team. These are really desperate times, and the guys have to pick themselves up and know what is in front of them.

"We're not out of this yet, we just know that we can not afford another defeat. We must win our last four games."

Craig McMillan and Scott Syris shake hands after steering New Zealand to a comfortable win against the hosts

New Zealand, on the other hand, never really looked troubled by an attack containing only three frontline bowlers, as Scott Styris hit a fluent 80 and Craig McMillan a composed 33 to steer the Kiwis home with more than ten overs to spare.

"West Indies lacked a bit of enthusiasm, in terms of generating and taking the game to us," was the verdict of the Windies skipper's opposite number Stephen Fleming. "We certainly didn't scout for the lack of seamer, we had all three seamers playing.

"It did mean a long batting order and we expected them to come hard at us, but we created pressure, perhaps on the back of a good Australian performance.

"We were just able to stunt any momentum. They had a difficult period to bat and they got through that, but we were pleased to take wickets at key times. It was a good day for us.

"The exciting thing is every side you tick off, you're one place closer to the semi-finals. Ideally we're looking at ten points [five wins];
eight would be close and could create a log-jam.

"Part of the reason we put our foot down today was that run-rates could be close. We wanted to finish the game quickly, after we'd got into a position where we felt we couldn't lose it."

Thursday, March 29, 2007

Sideshow Mal to the four as Boks Klown it up

"I'm Sideshow Mal, not Sideshow Mel"    "Soon I will bowl to you"

Guyana, World Cup, Super Eights: South Africa 212/9
(48.2 overs) beat Sri Lanka 209 (49.3 overs) by one wicket


Lasith Malinga took four wickets in four balls as Sri Lanka narrowly failed to pull off one of the greatest comebacks in the history of sport against South Africa last night.

Malinga's four card trick - the first such occurence in international cricket - came late in the South African innings, and very nearly resulted in one of the most unlikely victories ever seen.

In a spooky display of symmetry Malinga's first victim was Shaun Pollock - who took four wickets in as many balls for Warwickshire against Leicestershire in the Benson and Hedges Cup eleven years ago - yorked by the slower ball for 13, followed up by Andrew Hall first ball, spooning an easy catch to Upul Tharanga at cover, ...



... then at the start of his next over Malinga enticed Jacques Kallis into nicking a ball through to Kumar Sangakkara for 86 for his hat-trick before clean bowling Makhaya Ntini with another screaming yorker for a golden duck to turn the game on its head, leaving South Africa three runs short of victory with just one wicket in hand.

Eventually the Proteas came good, snatching the win with just ten balls to spare.

Together with Kallis Graeme Smith (59) and Herschelle Gibbs (31) had laid the foundations for an easy win, reducing the target to four runs required from 32 balls with five wickets remaining before Malinga rewrote the record books.

Earlier the Lankans found themselves restricted to 209 all out, with only Tillakaratne Dilshan (58) and Russel Arnold (50) troubling the opposition.

Herschelle Gibbs runs out Chamara Silva under the watchful eyes of Mark Boucher

Herschelle Gibbs dives full length à la Jonty Rhodes to run out Chamara Silva

But the highlight of the first innings was Herschelle Gibbs's run out of Chamara Silva in a move reminiscent of Jonty Rhodes, the greatest fielder of his generation.

Meanwhile in Antigua the West Indies suffered a 103 run defeat at the hands of Australia in the rain delayed Super Eights opener.

Despite half-centuries from captain Brian Lara (77 runs off 83 balls) and keeper Denesh Ramdin (52 off 43) the hosts never really recovered from a terrible start which saw them slump to 20 for 3 off the first ten overs.

Marlon Samuels skies a catch to Andrew Symonds as West Indies lose their way    A delighted Brad Hogg traps Dwayne Smith leg before as the world champions close in on victory

Chris Gayle (2), Shivnarine Chanderpaul (5) and Marlon Samuels (4) all fell cheaply - Gayle and Samuels contributing to their own dismissals with a couple of dreadful shots - balls skied high into the air and caught with ease by Shane Watson and Andrew Symonds respectively.

Brad Hogg (3-56), Glen McGrath (3-31) and Shaun Tait (2-43) were the main wicket takers for the holders.

Tuesday, March 27, 2007

Haydos dazzles amidst the drizzle

Matthew Hayden plays a cracking stroke through the covers

Antigua, World Cup, Super Eights: Australia 322/6 (50 overs) v West Indies

Matty Hayden completed a hat trick of national records today as he added the highest World Cup innings by an Australian to his record high Aussie ODI and Baggy Green Test scores.

Hayden's 158 can now go alongside his 181 not out against the Kiwis last month and his then world record Test innings of 380 against Zimbabwe four years ago; all this on top of the fastest ever World Cup century - 101 against South Africa at the weekend.

The opener's last five one-day international innings have yielded 529 runs at an average of over 130 and a strike rate of almost 110 - quite a haul for a man who was in the one-day wilderness for 14 months from summer 2005 to autumn last year, missing 27 matches, a man who only clinched his place in the squad with that epic 181 in Hamilton.

Matthew Hayden tucks into a wayward leg-side delivery  Matthew Hayden slaps a delivery square of the wicket all the way to the point boundary  Eyes narrowed, the beetle-browed Matty Hayden is a picture of concentration as he pulls a short ball through midwicket for four

This match is the first to be played at the brand new Sir Vivian Richards stadium in St John's, Antigua, and the Windies legend will have been thrilled at the way Hayden played, especially the manner in which he brought up his 150, smacking Marlon Samuels back over his head for 6.

What was perhaps most impressive about Hayden's innings was the way he stepped up the pace once he'd reached three figures, scoring 58 runs off 32 balls - the last 28 coming from just 12 deliveries prior to his dismissal.

In all the Aussies scored 99 runs off the last ten overs, Mike Hussey (7), Shane Watson (33*) and Brad Hogg (5*) helping Hayden in posting Australia's sixth consecutive one-day score of over 300.

Australia captain Ricky Ponting is caught short by a direct hit from Ramnaresh Sarwan

Earlier having been put in by West Indies the world champions failed to get off to the best of starts, Adam Gilchrist falling for just seven and Ricky Ponting managing only 35 when he was run out by Ramnaresh Sawrwan's superb throw from the deep as Australia struggled to 96 for 2 after 20 overs.

The hosts begin their chase tomorrow, and will have a full 50 overs in which to achive what will be a record World Cup target, hoping to succeed where South Africa failed.

Woolmer 'offered to quit' after Ireland defeat

Murdered Pakistan coach Bob Woolmer    Dr Nasim Ashraf, chairman of the PCB

It has emerged that murdered Pakistan coach Bob Woolmer sent an
e-mail hours before his death offering to resign from his post, the chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board has revealed.

The contents of the e-mail, sent to PCB chairman Dr Nasim Ashraf the morning after Pakistan's surprise loss to Ireland, came to light only yesterday - eight days after Woolmer's tragic death.

In it Woolmer states his desire to retire from international coaching and return to South Africa, as well as expressing his "great disappointment" over the "stunning defeat" against the Irish.

Other developments over the past 48 hours include the collation of all cctv footage from the Pegasus Hotel - Pakistan's base in Kingston - as well as the police's belief that Woolmer's killers weren't locals.

"It seems highly unlikely a Jamaican has walked off the street, gone up to the 12th floor in a secure lift, gone along to his room, got into his room without any sign of forced entry, murdered him and then not stolen anything," said Mark Shields, the man heading up the investigation.

Monday, March 26, 2007

The picture that paints a million dreams:

Ian Paisley and Gerry Adams in Belfast earlier today

A bright new dawn to herald a bright new future. An image that would have been unthinkable a few years ago.

An image of hope, a picture of peace, of faith in the future.

Ian Paisley and Gerry Adams sitting at the same table in front of the cameras.

Ian Paisley in the nineties    Gerry Adams in the eighties

Un. Be. Lievable.

Peace in our time? Only time will tell ...

Sunday, March 25, 2007

Tigers leap into last eight & send India crashing out

The Bangladesh players celebrate the fall of an early Bermuda wicket

Trinidad, World Cup, Group B:
Bangladesh 96/3 (17.3 overs; max 21) beat
Bermuda 94/9 (21 overs) by three wickets (D/L method)


A nervy Bangladesh rode their luck tonight to qualify for the Super Eights and in so doing sent India spinning out of the tournament.

That a nation of over a billion people should have to rely on an island of under 70,000 to bail them out represented a spectacular fall from grace for a team which reached the final last time around, winning nine games in the process.

Following heavy rain and thunderstorms the match was reduced from 50 overs-a-side to 41 overs each, then following further rainstorms down to 35 overs per team, 30 overs per innings and finally a 21 over slogathon.

Saleem Mukuddem jumps for joy after claiming the scalp of Tamim Iqbal  Saleem Mukuddem pounches the air in delight after trapping Aftab Ahmed leg before  Saleem Mukuddem celebrates in style having dismissed Shahriar Nafees

And having clubbed 94 from their innings Bermuda had Bangladesh in all sorts of trouble early on, Tamim Iqbal succumbing to a spectacular catch by Kevin Hurdle, who ran all the way from third man to deep point and dived full length to dismiss Iqbal for just one.

6 for 1 soon became 30 for 2 and then 37 for 3 as the pressure began to tell - Saleem Mukuddem's pacy inswingers accounting for Aftab Ahmed (7) and Shahriar Nafees (12) - to leave the Tigers needing 59 runs from 83 balls to go through.

Aftab Ahmed and Mohammad Ashraful dance with delight after the wicket of Bermuda's best batsman, Glamorgan captain David Hemp    Bangladesh skipper Mohammad Ashraful is mobbed by his teammates after steering the Tigers through to the Super Eights

But India's miracle never materialised, the Bermudans falling about 30 runs short as captain Mohammad Ashraful and Saqibul Hasan steered Bangladesh into the second phase with 21 balls to spare.

England avoid embarrassment to qualify for Super 8s

The England players observe a minute's silence in memory of Bob Woolmer

St Lucia, World Cup, Group C: England 178/3 (33 overs; max 43) beat Kenya 177 (43 overs) by seven wickets

England made it third time lucky last night as they sneaked into the last eight of the World Cup almost unnoticed for the first time since 1996.

Having failed to make the cut on home soil eight years ago and again in South Africa last time around Duncan Fletcher's men made light work of Kenya, dispatching the 2003 semi-finalists with ease.

After overnight rain had delayed the start for two hours England's bowlers struck early - removing Ravindu Shah for just 4 and Maurice Ouma for a painfully slow 13 - as the Kenyans found themselves 35 for 2 with more than 10 overs already used up.

Ed Joyce salutes the crowd on reaching 50    Steve Tikolo gets a pat on the back from Andrew Flintoff after the Englishman bowled him for 76

Steve Tikolo restored the Kenyans' pride with a battling 76, but with the next highest score Jimmy Kamande's 17 the Africans were never in danger of pulling off a win, setting a mediocre 178 at a little over 4 an over.

Though Michael Vaughan (1) and Ian Bell (16) were out cheaply Ed Joyce (75) and Kevin Pietersen (56*) put on 103 for the third wicket to steer England home with ten overs to spare.

Next up for England a game against Ireland on Friday; for Kenya, an early flight home.

Saturday, March 24, 2007

Hayden blitzes Proteas as holders march on

Matty Hayden smashes Shaun Pollock for a booming six high over the long-on boundary

St Kitts, World Cup, Group A: South Africa 294 (48 overs) lost to Australia 377/6 (50 overs) by 83 runs

Matthew Hayden scored the fastest century in World Cup history to help reigning champions Australia lay down a marker with a crushing defeat of South Africa.

Hayden's 66 ball ton eclipsed John Davison's 2003 knock against the West Indies by just one ball, and was brought up in style with a straight six off Graeme Smith, walloped high over the bowler's head and into the stands.

The Queenslander perished next over, having clubbed 14 fours and four sixes in his 102, and having treated all four South African frontline bowlers with equal disdain, hitting Shaun Pollock for 17 runs off 1 over, Charl Langeveldt for 12, Andrew Hall for 10 and Makhaya Ntini for 9.

Michael Clarke plays an immaculate cover drive  Ricky Ponting drives one through the air  AB De Villiers flays the Australian attack

Assisting Hayden in posting a commanding total were his skipper Ricky Ponting (91 from 91 balls), Michael Clarke (92 off 75) and fellow opener Adam Gilchrist (42 at a run-a-ball), with whom he put on 106 for the opening stand, racing away to 50 inside five overs.

If the South Africans were to have any hope of achieveing what would be a record score for a team batting second in the World Cup they had to get off to a flier, and how - AB De Villiers launching Nathan Bracken for a four and then a six off the first over of the innings.

The opening pair of De Villiers and Smith struck 22 fours and four sixes between them in putting on 160 for the first wicket by the time De Villiers was superbly run out by Shane Watson's direct hit from the long leg boundary in what proved to be the pivotal play of the match.

Graeme Smith receives treatment for cramp on the outfield at Basseterre

Soon after De Villiers's dismissal Smith had to leave the field with cramp, and with the loss of momentum came the loss of wickets - the last nine falling for 74 runs.

Herschelle Gibbs (17) and Mark Boucher (22) tried to inject some urgency back into the chase, smashing a four and a six apiece, but it was too little too late, and by the time Boucher was fourth man out - clean bowled by the lightning fast Shaun Tait for 22 - the rate required had risen to 11 an over from as many overs.

Shaun Tait strains to fire down a typical delivery at speeds of up to 90mph    Mark Boucher trudges off the pitch after getting yorked by Shaun Tait

With Jacques Kallis taking almost two hours to compile an interminably slow 63 ball 48 South Africa's chances of emulating their memorable win at The Wanderers a year ago this month - when the Proteas chased down a world record 438 with one wicket and one ball to spare - had all but disappeared.

Australia win group A and carry the two points won today through to the Super Eights, their superb display of out-cricket proving decisive.

Friday, March 23, 2007

The end for India's golden generation?

India's players, sitting on the balcony, watch on anxiously as their team slide to defeat and the brink of elimination from the 2007 cricket World Cup

Trinidad, World Cup, Group B: India 185 (43.3 overs) lost to
Sri Lanka 254/6 (50 overs) by 69 runs


India's World Cup hopes were left hanging by a thread tonight following a catastrophic defeat by Sri Lanka; only an unlikely win for Bermuda on Sunday will prevent them following Pakistan all the way back to the
sub-continent.

The shattering loss to the Lankans in all probability represents the passing of the last chance of World Cup glory for several of India's supremely talented crop of players from the past 15 years.

Rahul Dravid, Sachin Tendulkar, Sourav Ganguly and Anil Kumble have over 1,250 one-day caps between them dating back to the 1992 World cup, but will be approaching their 40th birthdays come the 2011 competition.

India had started the game well, reducing Sri Lanka to 78 for 2 off their first 20 overs, dismissing the dangerous Sanath Jayasuriya and Mahela Jayawardene for a combined total of 13 runs in 43 balls, before losing their way - Upul Tharanga (64) and Chamara Silva (59) helping their team post a competitive total.

India captain Rahul Dravid cuts a lone figure as the Indian innings collapses around him

Chasing a target of 255 at 5.1 runs an over, India found themselves reduced to 44 for 3 - Tendulkar bowled throught the gate for a duck - before Dravid and Virender Sehwag appeared to turn things around, but when Sehwag was dismissed for a 46 ball 48 the Indians imploded.

Yuvraj Singh managed to get himself run out for a paltry six, Mahendra Singh Dhoni was trapped leg before by Muttiah Muralitharan for a golden duck and Agit Agarkar (10) ballooned a dolly to Russell Arnold to leave India needing 117 off the last 15 overs to stave off the unthinkable.

Despite some carefree hitting from their captain towards the end once he was out caught in the deep by Murali for 60 it was game over.

Meanwhile in Group D the West Indies maintained their 100% record without drawing sweat following an eight wicket win over Ireland at Sabina Park.

After restricting the Irish to 183 for 8 off their 48 overs the hosts cantered to victory with 59 balls to spare, Shivnarine Chanderpaul smashing an unbeaten 102.

Daren Powell celebrates his second wicket, enticing Eion Morgan into a mis-timed hook to be out caught behind by Denesh Ramdin    Shivnarine Chanderpaul pulls on his way to three figures

Earlier Daren Powell (9-2-24-2), Chris Gayle (10-0-23-2) and Dwayne Bravo (7-1-34-2) put the brakes on Ireland with some disciplined spells of bowling.

Official: Woolmer was murdered

Crime Scene Investigation: Jamaica

• Coach 'knew his killers' • Entire Pakistan squad quizzed

The Jamaican police have launched a global manhunt after confirming the cricket world's worst fears: that Pakistan coach Bob Woolmer was murdered.

The police announced the news late last night, revealing Woolmer had been strangled to death - possibly by more than one assailant - after learning the results of a delayed post-mortem.

It is also widely believed that Woolmer knew his killer or killers. "I have to say at this stage that it looks as if it may be somebody who's somehow linked to him," said Mark Shields, deputy commissioner of the Jamaican police.

"Clearly he let somebody into his hotel room and it may be that he knew who that person was. Bob was a large man, it would have taken some significant force to subdue him."

Bob Woolmer and Hansie Cronje at Heathrow Airport    Jamaica's Deputy Police Commisioner, former Scotland Yard detective Mark Shields

The police also revealed that the whole Pakistan entourage were questioned and had their finger prints and DNA samples taken, with Shields adding that they would "rule nothing out" and were probing "lots of lines of inquiry".

Woolmer's death is the second tragedy to have afflicted South Africa's 1999 World Cup squad, following the demise and subsequent death of captain Hansie Cronje, who died in a plane crash in 2002.

Though Cronje was implicated in match fixing, an inquest revealed his death was the result of pilot error and not murder. Whether or not investigations into Cronje's killing will re-open in the wake of events in the Caribbean, and whether or not the two deaths are linked remain to be seen.

Wednesday, March 21, 2007

Emotional Inzy exits stage centre

A tearful Inzamam-ul-Haq leaves the pitch to a hero's acclaim following his final innings as captain

Jamaica, World Cup, Group D: Zimbabwe 99 (19.1 overs; max 20) lost to Pakistan 349 (49.5 overs) by 93 runs (D/L method)

Fifteen years to the day since blasting Pakistan into the 1992 World Cup final in only his 15th ODI innings Inzamam-ul-Haq hung up his boots amidst tearful scenes at a sombre Sabina Park this afternoon.

A decade and a half on from his 37 ball 60 against New Zealand - followed by 42 against England to win the World Cup - Inzamam played a typically destructive knock in his last innings as captain, hitting three sixes and two fours before getting caught by Sean Williams for 37.

Once dismissed Inzy was congratulated by each and every Zimbabwean fielder before being given a guard of honour by his teammates as he left the field after his final one-day innings, struggling to hold it all together, choking back the tears.

Pakistan's players observe a minute's silence in memory of former coach Bob Woolmer, whose image looks down from the giant screen    A Pakistan fan pays his respects to Bob Woolmer

Later Inzamam dedicated Pakistan's triumph to fallen coach Bob Woolmer. "We dedicate this game to Bob because he was a wonderful person and every Pakistani and every cricket lover is sad about his death," he said.

Inzy's deputy Younis Khan joined in the tributes. "This performance is for Bob and his family," added Khan. "It was very difficult for us, like playing without our father, he was like that for us.

"It has been a bad two days. Everybody is hurting and nobody knows what's happening next."

On the pitch Imran Nazir top scored for the winners - smashing eight sixes and 14 fours in his 121 ball 160 - and in the field Umar Gul (2-10), Danish Kaneria (2-48) and the returning Shahid Afridi (3-20) were the main wicket takers.