Inzamam-ul-Haq said he wanted to forget the traumatic World Cup campaign which saw coach Bob Woolmer murdered and his team knocked out in the first round.”It’s been a tournament which I and millions of Pakistan supporters would like to forget, but it won’t be as easy as it looks,” Inzamam told AFP by telephone from Montego Bay where the Pakistan team is staying before they leave for home later Saturday. Pakistan lost their opening match to the West Indies by 54 runs before suffering the ignominy of a three-wicket defeat at the hands of debutants Ireland to crash out of the World Cup.The following day, Woolmer died and his death has since become the subject of a murder investigation. The Pakistan team were first finger-printed and then had to provide DNA samples. Inzamam, who also announced his retirement from one-day cricket and relinquished the captaincy of the national team, said the suffering had become unbearable.”We failed to reach the second round and lost a great mentor who was also an inspirational figure in the dressing-room. I feel Bob’s loss much more than our elimination. My heart goes out to his family and I want to assure them on behalf of the team and entire nation that in this tough time we are right behind them. I will leave the Caribbean for the last time (as a player) with a very heavy heart.”Inzamam said the team was in a good frame of mind when they came to the Caribbean despite a poor build-up during which they lost key fast bowlers Shoaib Akhtar and Mohammad Asif due to fitness problems. “When I landed here, I had high hopes but things changed and became so tragic that we are still struggling to cope with them. Most of the guys are still in a state of shock and when I try to talk to them, I can see their blank faces. They are physically with me but not mentally.”Inzamam, second behind Sachin Tendulkar on the all-time one-day run list with 11,739 runs in 378 internationals, said his team was still a good side despite their early elimination. “I still believe my team was good enough but we just couldn’t click. I am disappointed that we failed to live up to our supporters’ expectations and also for Bob who gave his heart and soul throughout his three years as coach, hoping that we could fulfill his dream of winning the World Cup.”

Inzamam believes Pakistan cricket can recover from the World Cup trauma. “Pakistan cricket is strong and I don’t believe it is in a crisis. In fact, I believe we will get stronger from here because we have good cricketing brains to put everything back on track and we have exceptionally talented players. The current Pakistan team has all the ingredients to beat any team in the world. It’s just a matter of getting our act together. Over the years, Pakistan cricket has faced several crises and every time the team has come out of it successfully. That’s the beauty of Pakistan cricket.”Inzamam said he hadn’t yet made plans after retirement. “I haven’t had a chance to think about my future because events have happened so fast. But looking back at my career, I think every match that I played was worth it. I had tough times but it came in the package, I guess. I had the honour of representing Pakistan for 16 years, the privilege of playing against some of the greatest players, being part of the 1992 World Cup squad and most importantly the respect and appreciation of the people. I couldn’t have asked for more.”Inzamam also backed the organisers to continue with the World Cup despite Woolmer’s death. “The World Cup is a great event and should go on despite the tragedy because we cannot allow this sport to be held to ransom by anybody. Bob would have wanted his event to be a huge success and let’s make him happy by supporting the competition.”

Ireland have earned a place on the ICC ODI championship table after beating a Test-playing nation for the second time at the World Cup. Ireland’s 74-run win over Bangladesh at Barbados means they will be on the official rankings list that will be updated after their final Super Eights game, against Sri Lanka on Wednesday.Ireland graduates from the ICC Associate rankings and joins Kenya as the only non-Test countries in the full ODI championship. An Associate can be promoted when it has played at least ten one-day internationals and has beaten two Full Members, or has defeated one Full Member and won more than 60% of its games against other Associates.Having upset Pakistan in their group match, Ireland needed only one more win to take the next step. In accordance with a previous ICC decision, Ireland has ODI status until 2009, along with the other top Associate Members – Kenya, Scotland, Netherlands, Canada and Bermuda.

Having been banished from the world cricket community by the ICC, US cricket has returned, literally and figuratively, to its grass roots. It is doing what it does best – opening up its far frontiers to an exciting brand of cricket, and breaking many records in the process.Not that too many people, even in the Pacific Northwest, were paying much attention. Most Northwest cricketers were glued to their newly acquired broadband TV receivers as they followed the World Cup. Those who could afford it had made the 6000-mile flight to Jamaica and Barbados, and were sending back “wish-you-were-here” e-mails to folks back home.Those who did descend on the Kirigin Cellars in Morgan County, CA found themselves in an idyllic setting for cricket. Here are two first-class cricket grounds, not one; being built to professional standards by the wealthy owner of the Kirigin Cellars, one of the largest distributors of fine wines in Northern California. Here also is a major sponsor for the Northern California Cricket Association who is committed to the long-term development of cricket in this unlikely part of the world, called “Cricket’s Northwest Passage” by Chris Sandford in Cricketer International. Only the Woodley Park grounds in Los Angeles can claim to have similar facilities for staging major national tournaments and exhibition matches. And for a place that is closer to Japan and Hong Kong than to New York or Miami, this has to be a major achievement.The Northern California Cricket Association (NCCA), hosts of the tournament, made a risky decision–they chose to hold the InterLeague Tournament early in 2007, not late August or September.The “later” months are favoured by most US leagues, when their “regular” seasons have been completed. Playing early puts a great deal of pressure on the leagues, who have to select promising talent to be supported in the season ahead.The weather, too, could have proved to be the tournament’s undoing. There were brief showers and overcast skies through much of the tournament, and a bone-chilling breeze even in bright afternoon sunlight made spectators and reporters huddle underneath procured blankets, warmed by some very spicy curry served by the hosts during innings breaks. But it worked out for the best, and a good time was had by all.Below, in Rohan Chandran’s words, is a match-by-match commentary as our selected eyewitness to the InterLeagueTournament. We hope folks will find it almost as enjoyable as if they were at the new Kirigin Cellars cricket complex in the first place.******************************************************************************************The NorthWest InterLeague Cup tournament was held at Kirigin Cellars winery, in Morgan Hill, CA. It featured representative sides of the Northern California Cricket Association (NCCA), Bay Area Cricket Alliance (BACA), California Cricket League (CCL), and the North West Cricket League representing Washington State, Oregon and Idaho (NWCL).The host team, NCCA, ultimately prevailed, beating all three of their opponents, but it was a success that was threatened several times along the way. Particularly promising for all concerned was the fact that the architects of the triumph were two young cricketers just starting out on what will hopefully become long and fruitful careers.Medium-pacer Sunny Singh Baidwan was, along with BACA’s U-19 off-spinner, Saad Khan, the pick of the bowlers on display; whilst 18 year old Shoaib Saleem displayed a maturity beyond his years with match-winning knocks in both his trips to the middle.Game 1: NCCA vs. BACA
After winning the toss and electing to bat, BACA got off to a flier, thanks to an aggressive display from Iftikhar Khan, and a generous helping of extras from the NCCA opening bowlers. Wickets kept falling however, and at 74 for 6, BACA looked down and out. However, some selective counter-attacking by another Under-19 player, Randhir Kalsi, coming in at number seven, helped his side eke out a total of 146 before he was trapped by the offspin of Nirav Shah. That the entire innings lasted just 29 overs paints a clear picture of the tactics adopted, unsuccessfully, by the BACA batsmen. The NCCA reply began in the best possible fashion, with Rohan Dutt pulling the first ball of the innings high over mid-wicket for six. His 66, in an opening partnership of 95 with skipper Arjun Thyagarajan, laid a solid platform as the medium pacers were easily dispatched to all corners of the field. Some injudicious strokeplay from the middle order gave BACA a glimmer of hope, but 146 was never going to be enough, and NCCA emerged victorious by five wickets with 19 overs to spare.Game 2: NWCL vs. CCL
In contrast to that one-sided affair, NWCL needed all their mental strength to see off CCL by just one run on the adjacent field. Half-centuries for Srikanth Sundaragopalan and pugnacious legspinning allrounder Saurabh Verma led NWCL to a defensible total of 239 for 7. Having elected to field first, CCL let themselves down with a poor catching display, and the concession of 24 wides. They then lost three early wickets before the scoreboard had really got moving, leaving NWCL scenting victory. Former NCCA skipper Nauman Mustafa then took charge, driving his way to 70 runs in a century partnership with Saad Hasan. A mini-collapse left CCL needing 68 in 9 overs with four wickets in hand. USA national squad member Fauad Hasan, the CCL captain, batted with the clear intent of finishing the game off as quickly as possible. With 16 needed in 18 balls, with three wickets in hand. A tame caught and bowled saw the end of Hasan. At this stage 12 balls remained, two runs were needed to win, one run to tie. But a slight hesitation over a tight single was pounced upon by NWCL, and they stole back a game they had once dominated and then nearly thrown away at the death.Game 3: NCCA vs. CCL
Having been sent in to bat, NCCA got off to a terrible start, losing Rohan Dutt for a duck, and finding themselves 54 for 4 with the last recognized batsmen at the crease. Fortunately for them, Jay Kashalikar and the youngster, Shoaib Saleem, on debut, forged a partnership that was an object lesson in batting at this level. NCCA’s innings evolved into a series of very smartly taken singles and twos. Just when things looked to be getting back under control, Fauad Hasan induced a leading edge to send Kashalikar back to the pavilion, and the innings teetered on the brink at 143 for 9. That was the moment that Saleem chose to show everyone watching just how to play the game. Number eleven Sandeep contributed just one run to a last wicket partnership of 48, which was only ended by a needless run-out off the final delivery of the innings. The CCL reply never really got off the ground once Sunny Singh Baidwan had struck twice in two overs early in the innings. Ayan Banerjee fought hard for his 42, but none of the other batsmen got going against a disciplined attack, and they could only muster 131 in their reply, despite some poor catching by the NCCA fielders.Game 4: NWCL vs. BACA
In the day’s second game, NWCL collapsed to 117 for 6 after winning the toss, and it was only Saurabh Verma’s 47, following on from his half-century the previous day, that took his team to a respectable 217. The spin attack of Saad Khan and Mayank Pradhan captured three and four wickets respectively for BACA. It was Verma’s day in fact, and in nine overs of legspin he snared 5 for 21, decimating the BACA middle order, and ensuring that Jaswinder Singh’s valiant 46 was in vain. BACA fell 54 runs short, thereby setting up a straight knock-out for the championship between NWCL and NCCA on the final day.Game 5: BACA vs. CCL
In what was a fight to not finish last, BACAs spin twins of Saad Khan and Mayank Pradhan were once again amongst the wickets, taking 4 for 19 and 4 for 30 respectively as the CCL top order all failed to capitalize on good starts. A total of 180 seemed eminently reachable, but a very tight spell of spin bowling from Fauad Hasan, and five catches behind the stumps for Nauman Mustafa, put a stranglehold on the batsmen, and once again it was only Jaswinder Singh who resisted, scoring 59 as his team spluttered their way to 147, not once looking like posing a serious threat to CCL.Game 6: NCCA vs. NWCL
The hosts were favourites going into this one, and they started out in determined fashion, making the NWCL openers struggle for every run. Wickets fell regularly to the medium pace of Badiwan, Patel and Kashalikar, and it was only some very determined batting by the tail that turned 94 for 6 (with David Hoyle retired hurt as well) into 162. That score was not thought to be sufficient to test the NCCA batting line-up, but when Rohan Dutt fell for his second successive duck, and skipper Arjun Thyagarajan and Jay Kashalikar followed him to leave the home side reeling at 15 for 3, all bets were off. The left-right combination of Sikander Khan and Sunil Chandrupatla steadied the ship, but it was left to young Shoaib Saleem to once again play the winning hand, his undefeated 49 guiding his more experienced colleagues home with six overs to spare.All four teams in the tournament showed the rust-inducing effects of a long winter without cricket, but in the strong performances of several debutant youngsters, the first stones in a foundation for a successful future may well have been laid here.

Mohammad Ashraful has been named Bangladesh’s new Test and ODI captain. He replaces Habibul Bashar who stood down as one-day captain following the series against India, but had indicated his wish to remain in charge of the Test side. However, the board decided on a clean break, ending Bashar’s three-year stint. At 22, Ashraful becomes the second youngest current international captain behind Prosper Utseya.Ashraful has been appointed initially till the end of the Twenty20 World Cup in South Africa during September and his first assignment will be a three-Test and three-match ODI series against Sri Lanka later this month. Mashrafe Mortaza, Bangladesh’s leading pace bowler, has been named as his deputy.”With his [Ashraful’s] captaincy, Bangladesh cricket enters a new era,” said a BCB spokesman. “The board is confident Ashraful will lead by example and take the country’s cricket to a new height. He is a talented batsman and has all the abilities to be a very good leader.”AshrafuI, who found out of his elevation first through a text message from Reazuddin Al Mamun, the board joint secretary, paid tribute to Bashar and former coach Dav Whatmore. “I must say Sumon bhai (Bashar) was the most successful captain of the country,” he told . “His ability to lead the team both on and off the field with calmness along with coach Dav Whatmore has set a standard for the team, so I have to continue it. It’s a big challenge but I am ready for it.”I know if I failed to deliver as a batsman then the captaincy wouldn’t mean anything. So I have to lead the team from the front. The most important thing is that the demand in our cricket has increased day by day,” he added.And Ashraful, who has played 35 Tests and 101 ODIs, added that he may take a leaf out of the captaincy manuals of idols Steve Waugh and Stephen Fleming. “I like their captaincy because of their aggressiveness. I think there are a lot of things I have to learn as a skipper and I believe I will get support from my teammates and the former cricketers. I proved myself as a captain slightly in the domestic circuit but I am aware that it is a different task for me at the international level.”Ashraful’s coach on the tour of Sri Lanka will be Shaun Williams, the Australian who has been in charge of the successful Under-19 side, following Whatmore’s departure after the India series. The board plan to name Whatmore’s long-term successor following the series in Sri Lanka.Despite Test and ODI averages of 24 and 21 respectively Ashraful is one of Bangladesh’s key players. He hit the headlines in 2001 by becoming the youngest Test century-maker and was Bangladesh’s leading run-scorer during the World Cup in West Indies. Against South Africa he hit an 83-ball 87, which was central to the team’s memorable Super Eight victory.However, his finest moment came at Cardiff, in 2005, when he hit 100 to guide Bangladesh towards a famous victory over Australia in the Natwest Series. But each time his game has appeared ready to move to the next level his inconsistency, and impetuosity, has reared its head. Now he has the added responsibility of having to lead by example.

Bermuda’s minister of the environment Neletha Butterfield threw dirt on claims that there were local solutions to the pitch problem at the National Centre.Responding to critics who decried her tabling a bill that would allow the importation of foreign soil, Butterfield said there will not be any environmental disaster akin to the cedar blight from the 1940s.She said the cedar blight that began in 1940s was the result of imported juniper trees carrying a scale pest. The cedar blight did not stem from the importation of foreign soil. The cedar blight also occurred more than 60 years ago when there were little regulations as far as importation of plants and agricultural materials.She added that there was also a cost of not importing foreign soil. “Much of the focus in this debate has been on the possible cost to Bermuda in terms of environmental damage should an invasive pest be introduced. We must look at the cost of not importing soil, for example, for use in the wicket of the cricket pitch of the Bermuda National Stadium.”The National Stadium has been one of the longest running capital projects in the history of our island with much of the funding coming from Government. It is vital that the cricket pitch be certified by the ICC for use in officially sanctioned international cricket matches. This will contribute to Bermuda’s economic and social environment in many ways, including valuable experience for our national cricket team and increased tourism to watch cricket matches. Indeed, at the recent World Cup, of the 16 competing countries, Bermuda was the only one without an accredited home ground.”To me, this entire issue is about managing risk, something many in Bermuda should understand. We in the Ministry of the Environment … are doing, and will do everything in our power to manage the risk and keep it to an absolute minimum.”Something Bermuda residents perhaps fail to understand is that the people employed in the various departments responsible for safeguarding Bermuda’s environment are passionate about what they do. They don’t want to see the environment impacted in a negative way at all. The new regulations call for specific treatment and extensive testing at many stages in the import process, and only when any imported soil has been fully cleared will it be allowed to enter the island. Highly qualified scientists will monitor the process from beginning to end to ensure risks are managed every step of the way.”The department of environmental protection has been working with the National Sports Centre board, the Bermuda Cricket Board, the department of sports and recreation, overseas consultants and the groundskeepers in their search for a suitable local soil, and other possible options including the importation of clay to be mixed with sand and local soil. However, it has been determined that the only suitable soil will need to be sourced from overseas.”Few Bermuda residents may realise that large amount of plants, fruits, vegetables, and animals and potting medium are already imported into Bermuda on almost a daily basis.”Bermuda imports large amounts of artificial growing medium and there is still a risk with this material, but it is a calculated risk. As with any risk management process, you mitigate the risk to ensure it is as small as possible, and this applies when importing plants, animals, trees, and potting mix and the same practice would be in place for any imported soil. Christmas trees are imported every year and are sometimes sent back following inspections which reveal pests. The island’s nurseries, farmers and even private individuals import thousands of live plants and animals every year but vigorous inspections ensure that, to date, we have managed to keep foreign pests from destroying Bermuda’s fragile ecosystem.”She also has no plans to resign just because the opposition calls for her head.This article is reprinted with permission of the Bermuda Sun

Chennai is set to get a new state-of-the-art cricket stadium before the 2011 World Cup, the Tamil Nadu Cricket Association (TNCA) announced. The Tamil Nadu state government has allotted 50 acres of land in Karunkuzhi Pallam, a village in the outskirts of the city for the construction of the new stadium.”Tthe TNCA president N Srinivasan had requested the State Government for such a facility and the government has responded positively,” K Vishwanathan, the TNCA president, was quoted in the Hindu. “It will be an ultra-modern stadium with plenty of parking space. The president and the executive committee will decide on the features in the stadium.”Once approved by the ICC, it will be the third international venue in Chennai. The MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chepauk which houses the Madras Cricket Club (MCC) currently hosts international games. The Nehru Stadium, formerly known as the Corporation Stadium, hosted nine Tests between 1956 and 1965.

Shoaib Akhtar may face more action from the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) for his alleged outburst at the board’s headquarters in Gaddafi Stadium on Friday, following the imposition of a fine of approximately US$5000.On Friday, Shoaib reportedly clashed with several board officials over the fine, and specifically because he felt he wasn’t provided a chance to clear his position. The board announced his punishment on Wednesday, after Shoaib did not turn up on Tuesday to clarify why he was absent from the national training camp in Karachi on August 4.Shoaib has reportedly insisted that he received the letter for the original disciplinary hearing on Friday, and not Tuesday as the board claims. Shafqat Naghmi, the board’s chief operating officer, however, contradicted this, telling that he had been in touch with Shoaib earlier.”Shoaib rang me up and admitted that it was wrong of him not to attend the camp in Karachi and the PCB had rightly imposed a fine on him,” said Naghmi. “He expressed annoyance over the manner in which one of the PCB officials had inquired of his whereabouts from his family.”Naghmi said he will be looking into the matter now personally. “I will be in Lahore on Monday and will inquire from the PCB staff about the actual incident which happened on Friday,” he said. “After that, we will then decide on a course of action.”

There is a lot of debate on whether Rahul Dravid did the right thing in not enforcing the follow-on in the third Test against England but I feel it was the correct decision under the circumstances.Winning a series in England is always a difficult preposition and Dravid must have kept India’s past record in mind while taking the decision. It is not often that India win a series in England and to have played it safe was quite understandable.A 2-0 margin would have been definitely better and I think Indian team could have won the last Test at the Oval with one extra bowler – spinner Ramesh Powar. If with seven batsmen they could make 664, I feel with one less they could have still made 600.Powar would have utilised the turn on the pitch. Sachin Tendulkar was turning the ball a mile with his off breaks, and Kevin Pietersen too was able to turn the ball. India certainly missed a second spinner. But to win against England in England is a difficult proposition and that is the reason I rate this Test series victory by the Indian team quite high on my card.The difficulty of winning in England is because their players are capable of exploiting the conditions better than the visitors. The victory is doubly sweet because Test cricket is the genuine form of cricket and it’s a game of thinkers. You have to think before every ball and from session to session with constantly changing conditions – weatherwise and pitchwise.Obviously, there will be a comparison between this 1-0 series victory and ours in 1971 by the same margin. Ours was obtained basically through spin bowling while this has come about due to swing and seam bowling though Anil [Kumble] also performed admirably.Compared to this team, which I feel needs to pep up in the fielding department, ours was a better fielding outfit. We hardly dropped a catch. Dravid’s team, however, is much stronger in batting with the fab four – the captain, Tendulkar, Sourav [Ganguly] and [VVS] Laxman – forming the fulcrum who guided youngsters [Dinesh] Karthik and the rest.In one area this team was blessed – in the opening partnerships between Karthik and Wasim Jaffer – as compared to ours in 1971. Harking back to our triumph in 1971 I must say that when we set out to the West Indies we were considered the weakest team and even when we won people said it was a flash in the pan, and the real test awaited us in England.The then Test series win over England was also remarkable in that almost every team member contributed to it, unlike in the West Indies when Sunil [Gavaskar] and Dilip [Sardesai] played lead roles.The present victory, in the middle part of the English summer as compared to ours in the most dry part, too can be attributed to the team playing as one unit with almost every member contributing to it. They showed tremendous team spirit and single-mindedness.The weather gods were kind to us in the build-up to the ’71 series. All our practice matches against the various counties were unaffected by weather. It helped us get acclimatised.We also played very positively, even in the first Test at Lord’s when we strove hard for victory even when the chips were down. Chandra bowled exceptionally well when we won at the Oval in the final Test. And there was the close-in brilliance on the field of Eknath Solkar.I remember an anecdote about Ekki. Alan Knott, England’s wicketkeeper, used to mark his guard by lifting the bail and using it like Shivnarine Chanderpaul does now. Ekki had noticed it and when Knott came to bat in the second innings, he found the bails missing. Ekki, after seeing Knott’s discomfiture, as most cricketers are superstitious, took them off his pocket and placed the bails on the stumps and Knotty marked his guard. But he was out second ball, caught brilliantly by Solkar off Venkat. Knotty was certainly disturbed by Ekki’s prank. And this was a very crucial wicket.Another incident comes to mind when I recall Chandra’s match-winning spell. I saw Derek Underwood play three balls from him comfortably and decided to re-introduce Bishen Bedi into the attack and he dismissed the batsman immediately.John Price came out to bat and after seeing him play Bedi comfortably I decided to bring back Chandra into the attack and he trapped Price leg before. These are just two instances where everything clicked.Talking about the present, this team needs to improve its fielding and catching. But I am happy to see it being openly aggressive and not averse to giving back to the rivals. We used to do it discreetly but present day players adopt the in-your-face style opposition even if it’s all captured by the TV cameras. You can’t take it lying down, an you?The victory was very important especially for the five seniors who are unlikely to be around when India visits England next. With the current hectic schedule one cannot visualise them being around five years later. They should be preserved and not used in Twenty20 events and against minor opposition like Zimbabwe which are ideal to field youngsters with an eye on the future. The seniors need to be used against stronger teams like Australia, Pakistan, South Africa and England.

When India and Pakistan clash, the buzz is generally around the players who could turn in the match-winning performance, but thanks to all the rain around Durban the weather has taken centrestage on the eve of this high-profile game – the forecast predicts 60% chance of evening showers.Pakistan have already qualified for the Super Eights and can, if they choose to, take this as a practice match before the next stage. India, though, have more at stake: if they lose such that their run-rate is more than 2.55 lesser than Pakistan’s (by more than 51 runs if Pakistan score 160, or if Pakistan chase down India’s 160 in 15 overs or lesser), they will be knocked out of the Super Eights stage of a World Cup for the second time inone year.Despite all the talk by Mahendra Singh Dhoni to the contrary, the Indians will be feeling the pressure when they step out at Kingsmead on Friday.Bat play: The Indians missed out on an opportunity to get a hit in the middle, but Dhoni mentioned after the wash-out that the same 12 have been chosen for Friday. That probably means the same XI will play, and the batting line-up will be exactly the same as well. There are potential match-winners there, but the challenge will be to step it up against a dangerous bowling attack in conditions which will be unfamiliar for theIndians.Pakistan’s batting wasn’t entirely convincing either, but it always looked like they weren’t pushing the accelerator at full throttle. Even with qualification not on the line, expect them to come hard at the Indian bowlers. A promotion up the order is on the cards for Shahid Afridi.Wrecking ball: Umar Gul had a field day against Scotland, and if conditions remain overcast – and forecasts suggest they will – expect Gul and Mohammad Asif to ask plenty of questions of the Indian batsmen. India have Sreesanth, RP Singh and Ajit Agarkar in their ranks, but if conditions assist swing, Irfan Pathan, who already has a hat-trick to his name against Pakistan is Tests, could be the one to watch out for.Keep your eye on: Asif. The Indians have generally struggled against him, and even in a batsman-dominated game, his four overs could push them back significantly.Shop talk: Most players like to play down the significance of an India-Pakistan match, but Salman Butt, the Pakistan opener, made no attempt to pass it off as just another game. “It’s the biggest game there is,” Butt said. “The whole nation will be depending on us to do well. There are two sides to the coin. You can either see the match as a pressure situation or as an opportunity to perform.”Dhoni, on the other hand, refused to believe the washout against Scotland had placed his team under extra pressure. “There is so much pressure in international cricket that a little extra expectation makes no difference.” The Indians will also be putting on the line their record of never having lost to Pakistan in a World Cup match: they have beaten them four times, though they were all in the 50-over format.Pitching it right: If the first two games here were any indication, the pitch should offer a few challenges to the batsmen – there was sideways movement on offer, which could be exaggerated under cloudy skies.Teams
India (likely): Virender Sehwag, Robin Uthappa, Gautam Gambhir,Yuvraj Singh, Dinesh Karthik, Mahendra Singh Dhoni (capt & wk), IrfanPathan, Ajit Agarkar, Harbhajan Singh, RP Singh, Sreesanth.Pakistan (likely): Salman Butt, Shahid Afridi, Imran Nazir,Mohammad Hafeez, Younis Khan, Shoaib Malik, Misbah-ul-Haq, Kamran Akmal,Yasir Arafat, Umar Gul, Mohammad Asif.

Five months on from the most traumatic period in their history, Pakistan have reached the ICC World Twenty20 final and are fully worth their place in the Johannesburg showpiece. They have bowled with variation, batted with verve and, most surprisingly, fielded well at crucial moments. The usually mercurial team has been the epitome of consistency; now they need to hold it together for one more match.However, it won’t be any ordinary match; Pakistan against India rarely is. Their previous meeting during the tournament ended in a thrilling tie before India won the bowl-out 3-0. Although the locals will disagree, this is the final that the inaugural edition needed. It guarantees a passionate crowd and electric atmosphere.Victory at the Wanderers would give Pakistan their first title in a global event since Imran Khan’s “cornered tigers” triumphed against England at Melbourne in 1992. As we have been reminded throughout the tournament, this isn’t a World Cup, but after all that has gone on in Pakistan cricket over the last few months, success here would be a significant mark in their history.Shoaib Malik has been reluctant to talk about the Caribbean – “that’s history, we are just looking forward” – but this new-look side is beginning to gel impressively under the guidance of Geoff Lawson. During the two weeks in South Africa, Pakistan have played and trained with a smile on their face, which has translated into positive results. “He [Lawson] has only been here a short time, but we all enjoy working with him, and he’s a good man,” Malik said.New and recalled faces have impressed, especially Sohail Tanvir, whose wrong-footed action has flummoxed some of the best players in the world, and Misbah-ul-Haq, after his original selection ahead of Mohammad Yousuf sparked heated debate. But the absence of Yousuf, and Shoaib Akhtar, might actually have been a blessing in disguise for Malik. It has allowed him to mould a team under his command, a leadership the side responds well to. The captain leads by example, with 187 runs at 46.75.Although the efforts of Malik and Misbah have been vital, the key to Pakistan’s run to the final (unbeaten in match results, if not bowl-outs) has been their bowling attack. Most sides have had a weak link as the fifth bowler, Australia being a prime example with Andrew Symonds and Michael Clarke, while fellow finalists India have also struggled despite Joginder Sharma becoming a hero against Australia. But Pakistan have been able to maintain the pressure throughout the 20 overs.

Tanvir and Mohammad Asif have shared the new ball, followed by a combination of spin from Malik, Mohammad Hafeez, Fawad Alam, and Shahid Afridi, who leads the player-of-the-tournament race heading into the final with 12 wickets. Afridi has been an attacking threat, spinning his legbreaks hard and fizzing through the rapid top-spinners. But the difference between Pakistan and other teams has come with Umar Gul, who has bowled his four overs in the latter half of the innings.”We worked hard leading into the Twenty20 with training camps,” Gul said. “It allowed me to work on my bowling, especially bouncers, yorkers and slower balls and I discussed with Geoff [Lawson] about how to bowl. I have taken the new ball throughout my career, but this was a decision for the team and I was happy to do it.”The main injury concern is over Imran Nazir, who needed a runner during his 59 against New Zealand after picking up a groin strain, although he didn’t appear in too much pain. If Pakistan want to look for good omens, they can focus on their previous visits to the Wanderers. They comprehensively beat both Sri Lanka and Australia, and have chased and defended on the ground. Also in their favour is that India’s only visit to Johannesburg ended in a 10-run defeat to New Zealand. However, that will count for little on Monday and it will all be about who can handle the pressure in the Bullring.Pakistan (probable) Imran Nazir, Mohammad Hafeez, Younis Khan, Shoaib Malik (capt), Misbah-ul-Haq, Shahid Afridi, Fawad Alam, Kamran Akmal (wk), Umar Gul, Mohammad Asif, Sohail TanvirRoute to the final
Group Stage: Scotland – won by 51 runs
Group Stage: India – lost 3-0 on a bowl-out
Super Eights: Sri Lanka – won by 33 runs
Super Eights: Australia – won by six wickets
Super Eights: Bangladesh – won by four wickets
Semi-final: New Zealand – won by six wickets