Afgun's Sports Round-Up

[Afgun]

Afridi and Gayle fetch highest BPL prices


Shahid Afridi's popularity in the shortest format was proven once more, as he claimed the highest bid in the BPL auction © Getty Images
The first-ever auction for the Bangladesh Premier League has seen Shahid Afridi walk away with the biggest pay packet and a prolonged bidding war for Chris Gayle. The biggest winners, though, are the Bangladesh cricketers, who collectively stand to earn more than $2.38 million. Nasir Hossain was the highest-valued local player, being signed by Khulna for $200,000.
The highlight of the auction, which lasted more than four hours and was broadcast live, was the bidding for Gayle and Afridi, two of the most exciting players in the game's shortest format. Afridi, the Pakistan allrounder, began with a base price of $100,000 and was called at $500,000 by five of the franchises. In the end, Dhaka won the battle with $700,000 after Khulna ($612,000) and Chittagong ($600,000) put in their final offers. Gayle too forced a tie-breaker between Barisal and Rajshahi, the former clinching the battle with $551,000. However, they will get only a proportionate amount of those fees because they won't be available the full season. Gayle is set to play for the Dolphins in South Africa's domestic Twenty20 series from February 15 and Afridi in Pakistan's ODI series against England between February 10 and 27.
Gayle's compatriots, Marlon Samuels and Kieron Pollard, were bought by Rajshahi and Dhaka for $360,000 and $300,000 respectively, with Samuels being in especially high demand. Rajshahi, his franchise, had to fight off Chittagong by raising the batsman's worth from $50,000 to what eventually became more than seven times his base price.
The Pakistan players asserted their popularity in Bangladesh's domestic cricket. Shoaib Malik was bought by Chittagong for $150,000, Sohail Tanvir and Kamran Akmal by Sylhet for $100,000, and Naved-ul-Hasan by Dhaka also for $100,000 - all for $50,000 above their base prices. Forgotten stars like Imran Nazir ($85,000) and Mohammad Sami ($70,000) were bought by Dhaka and Rajshahi respectively. But perhaps the biggest surprise came for Nasir Jamshed, who has just played 12 ODIs for Pakistan, being bought for $100,000 by Chittagong. The bargain was probably Saeed Ajmal, who was bought for just $100,000 on the day he completed a ten-for against England in the Dubai Test.
For locals, though, the star of the day was Hossain, the Rangpur-born allrounder, richer now by Taka 1.68 crore. "I was at practice, so I couldn't catch it live," he told ESPNCricinfo shortly after the bidding ended. "Our team official, Pavelbhai, told me about the price I drew. I am really very happy, I can't really tell you what it's like."
The case for the icon players hasn't been settled yet, with some of the franchises yet to reach an agreement on giving the Bangladesh stars 5% more than the foreigners in their squads. As a compromise it is likely that the icons will get 5% more than the local players in their squads.
Some grade A players like Scott Styris, Chaminda Vaas, Ramnaresh Sarwan, Kemar Roach and Dirk Nannes were left on the shelf leading to a few raised eyebrows, but there was room for retired players Muttiah Muralitharan and Sanath Jayasuriya, who were signed up by Dhaka and Khulna.
There was place also for Associate players Niall O'Brien (Ireland), bought by Khulna for $80,000, and Alexei Kervezee (Netherlands), bought by Dhaka for $35,000. Afghanistan's Hamid Hassan was sold for $40,000 and Canada's Rizwan Cheema for $25,000 by Rajshahi.
For a full list of players bought in the auction click here.

[Afgun]

England have no answer to spin, again


Saeed Ajmal, with his wonderfully subtle variations of pace and ability to move the ball just a little both ways, panicked the tourists like a dog running through sheep © Getty Images
So, were Pakistan wonderful or England wretched? The answer, as ever, is a bit of both. But, at the risk of incurring the wrath of a nation, there may be more truth in the latter than the former.
Let's be clear: Pakistan utterly outplayed England. They have, despite losing several top players to the spot-fixing debacle, quickly redeveloped a solid side that should prove highly competitive in any conditions.
They have a solid opening partnership - neither India or Australia ever neutralised England's seamers so effectively - a strong pace attack leader in Umar Gul, two wise old middle-order batsmen, a sparky keeper who produced a key innings in this game and a very good spin partnership. Most of all, they have a leader in Misbah-ul-Haq who pervades calm authority. Who inspires and unites. Who provides solidity and security. After years of superstar individuals, Pakistan have a team.
It would be a gross injustice if any of the gloss were to be taken off this result by mealy-mouthed slurs of Saeed Ajmal's action. It has been cleared by the ICC and drawn no complaints from other opposition. Indeed, none of the current England team have complained, either. England, surely, would do better to learn from Ajmal than moan about him.
But Ajmal will bowl better and take far fewer wickets. England, with all the pre-series talk of teesras and doosras ringing in their ears, looked paralysed with fear against him. They showed, for all the bluster about their improvement against spin, that it remains their Achilles heel. The ball hardly turned in this match but Ajmal, with his wonderfully subtle variations of pace and ability to move the ball just a little both ways, panicked the tourists like a dog running through sheep. Heaven help England when they are confronted by a track that turns square.
Some sense of perspective is required. England haven't lost a Test since December 2010 and, even during their ascent to the No. 1 Test ranking, there were moments - Perth, for example - when they imploded spectacularly. It is not wise to read too much into one result. As ever, the real test of a side is how they respond to adversity.
The alarm bells are ringing loud and clear, however. Since December 2001, England have played 22 Tests in Asia and won just five. Even that modest record flatters them, however. Four of those Tests - and four of those wins - came against Bangladesh. Remove them from the equation and England record is quite gruesome: just one win in 18 and eight losses. That is not No. 1 form, is it?
England's success has come on surfaces quite different from this and, in the next year, be it in the UAE, Sri Lanka or India, they will play on plenty of pitches that favour spinners far more. The track in Dubai hardly turned and they had first use of a blameless pitch.
Were they unfortunate? Not really. While it's true they lost three top-order wickets to what might be termed leg side strangles, each of those was lost to a poor shot. They would be deluding themselves if they hid behind such trifles.
Forget about the Monty Panesar debate, too. It was not England's bowling that let them down here. Quite the opposite, actually. It was their batting. Monty's inclusion would not have made not a jot of difference.
The real damage was inflicted - or self-inflicted - on the first day. England froze in the spotlight and handed Pakistan an initiative that was never returned.
Yet their batting in the second innings was no better. To lose two men - Kevin Pietersen and Stuart Broad - to catches on the boundary in these circumstances was remarkably irresponsible. Broad's shot, with his side seven wickets down and 11 runs behind, was breathtakingly poor. And Pietersen's was worse.
But what is more of a concern: men who throw their wickets away, or men who are rendered hapless in these conditions? For while the former should be easily mended, the second might not be. Ian Bell's complete bafflement against Ajmal's doosra in both innings should be of particular worry. Andy Flower has a great deal to ponder in the coming days.
Pakistan's only concern is that many of their key players are not young men. Ajmal and Younis Khan are 34, Misbah is 37, Mohammad Hafeez, Taufeeq Umar, Aizaz Cheema and Abdul Rehman are all the wrong side of 30.
But such concerns can wait. For now, Pakistan deserve all the praise coming their way and can look to the next couple of years with great confidence. It will now take a monumental effort by England to deny them in this series.

[Afgun]

'A boost to the nation' - Mohsin


Mohsin Khan has said the win would help improve the image of Pakistan cricket © Getty Images


Test rankings

• Saeed Ajmal's 10-wicket match haul has propelled him to the third place in the ICC Test bowling rankings. He jumped nine places and displaced Graeme Swann to take the No.3 spot, behind Dale Steyn and James Anderson. Ajmal's spin-bowling partner Abdur Rehman, who picked up four wickets in the game, jumped five spots and is now in 14th place.

Mohsin Khan, the Pakistan interim coach, has said the three-day win over England was a major "boost to the nation" after a period marred by controversy, chiefly the spot-fixing scandal.
"There have been well documented and unwanted activities involving former Pakistani cricketers a couple of years ago which spoilt the name of Pakistan cricket and gave the nation of Pakistan a bad name," Mohsin told PakPassion.net. "Our aim was to turn that around, and to provide a boost to the nation and fans of Pakistan cricket, and to show the world that there is more to Pakistan cricket than just negatives. Cricket is not just a game in Pakistan; it's a way of life, it's a passion and the people adore cricket in Pakistan. So for that reason I feel the win today was a gift for the people of Pakistan.
"The Pakistan Cricket Board is working tirelessly to improve the image of Pakistan cricket and to bring normality back to Pakistan cricket. Likewise this group of players can play an important role in improving the image of Pakistan cricket, by playing tough cricket and winning consistently and therefore showing the world that Pakistani cricketers are among the best in the world and that Pakistan is amongst the best teams in the world."
Pakistan won by 10 wickets, skittling England out for 192 and 160. They picked up five wickets in the first session of the first day, and Mohsin said that played a decisive role. "We were pleased when England decided to bat first as we knew there would be something in the pitch for our bowlers, particularly in the first hour due to the moisture. Our plan was to create early pressure in the first session and to take full advantage of the conditions, and that worked to our satisfaction. We had an early grip on the game and I told the boys to not let that advantage go and to maintain that pressure and not ease up at all. The first session was ultimately pivotal in the outcome of the match."
England had few answers against offspinner Saeed Ajmal, who was Man of the Match for bagging 10 wickets. Mohsin dismissed questions raised in some quarters about his action. "I'm not worried about the comments regarding Ajmal's action and neither is Saeed. You do find some people in the media who try to create a few unwanted things which should be kept away from cricket, but then again when we came to the UAE there were questions from some of the media directed to Misbah and myself about the issues in 2010 in England.
"Our response was simple and was that we are just here to play good positive cricket and nothing more than that."
The second Test will take place at the Sheikh Zayed Stadium in Abu Dhabi on January 25. "Shortly after the match finished today we had a team meeting where we all discussed the importance of not being complacent and maintaining our focus for the second Test match in Abu Dhabi," Mohsin said.

[Afgun]

Hard-hitting Perera seals first win for Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka 304 for 5 (Dilshan 87, Perera 69*, Chandimal 59) beat South Africa 299 for 7 (de Villiers 96, Smith 68) by five wickets
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details




Tillakaratne Dilshan finally batted with his usual freedom © AFP
It took Sri Lanka three consecutive defeats to get their batsmen firing in unison. Tillakaratne Dilshan finally played with freedom to give the chase momentum, Dinesh Chandimal anchored it in the middle overs, and Thisara Perera stunned South Africa with sustained hitting to overhaul a stiff target in Kimberley. Perera had also struck crucial blows earlier with the ball, making South Africa lose their way in the final quarter of their innings, when 350 had looked achievable at one stage.
In the end, that late batting stumble on a flat pitch was where South Africa lost the game, after having been 171 for 1 in the 24th over and 242 for 3 in the 39th. They did have Sri Lanka requiring more than 100 at close to seven an over but the visitors always had wickets in hand, and Perera sealed the chase with a volley of sixes. He also pressurised South Africa's fielding, which unravelled in a series of dropped chances and missed run-outs.
Perera, playing his first game of the series, was promoted ahead of Angelo Mathews with Sri Lanka on 194 for 4 at the start of the batting Powerplay. When Perera was trapped lbw by Wayne Parnell off the sixth ball he faced, it looked like Sri Lanka had only heaped more pressure on Mathews. But Parnell was found to have overstepped by a big margin on referral, and it was to be Perera's night. He almost hit his next delivery straight back to Robin Peterson but recovered to slam the next two for a six and a four.
Perera swung the game in Sri Lanka's favour with consecutive blows over the midwicket boundary off Peterson in the 43rd over, the second bringing up his maiden ODI fifty off 30 deliveries. With 34 now needed off 42, Perera soon took Sri Lanka to the highest ODI total in Kimberley with a straight six off JP Duminy in the 49th over.


Smart stats

• This is the sixth time overall and the first time against South Africa that Sri Lanka have managed to chase down a target of 300 or more. It is also their first successful chase over 300 since their win over India in Nagpur in 2009.
• South Africa suffered their first defeat at the venue in six matches. It is also the first time they have batted first in Kimberley. In their previous meeting against Sri Lanka at the venue in 2002, they won by eight wickets.
• Thisara Perera's 69 came off only 44 balls. The strike rate of 156.81 is the highest for a Sri Lankan batsman against South Africa for an innings of fifty or over. It is also his first half-century in ODIs.
• Tillakaratne Dilshan scored only his third half-century since the World Cup. In 20 innings, he has scored just 399 runs at 19.95.
• AB de Villiers' 96 is the second-highest score by a South African captain in a defeat after Graeme Smith's 141 against England in 2009. de Villiers' strike rate of 126.31 is second on the list of top strike rates for fifty-plus innings by South African captains in losses.

That Perera had a manageable asking-rate to contend with was down to Dilshan. With his captaincy on the line, and having made 0, 0 and an uncharacteristically subdued 33 in the first three ODIs, Dilshan's approach was anything but muted. His fluent 83-run partnership with Kumar Sangakkara set the tone for Sri Lanka's response.
South Africa tried to bounce Dilshan out but he pulled his second delivery for four, whipped his fourth over square leg for six and soon scooped Vernon Philander for six over fine leg. Despite Upul Tharanga falling early to Tsotsobe, Dilshan and Sangakkara never allowed the asking-rate to climb over six.
Sangakkara's first attempt to take on the left-arm spin of Peterson seemed to have paid off when he lofted the bowler cleanly towards the midwicket boundary. But Alviro Petersen pulled off an astounding leaping catch near the rope and Sangakkara could scarcely believe his misfortune.
Chandimal ensured Sri Lanka did not lose momentum. Two balls after Sangakkara fell, Chandimal stepped out to slam Peterson over the long-on boundary. Both Dilshan and Chandimal kept taking singles, and the stand was already worth 68 before Dilshan slapped Tsotsobe straight to short extra cover to depart for 87.
Lahiru Thirimanne followed soon but Perera arrived to take control of the innings, and despite Chandimal falling to Tsotsobe for 59, he ensured Sri Lanka had enough firepower to register their first win of the series.
It was Perera who brought Sri Lanka back after de Villiers had threatened to blow them away in a feast of exquisite boundary hitting. Perera removed Duminy and de Villiers in successive overs as South Africa stumbled from 242 for 3 to an ultimately underwhelming 299. Until de Villiers fell for 96 in the 41st over, South Africa had control over a listless Sri Lanka attack and were racing towards a total of about 350.
The under-pressure Graeme Smith made only his second half-century in 17 innings and his 84-run opening partnership with Alviro Petersen prepared a solid base for the middle order. de Villiers promoted himself to No. 3 and raced to 50 off 31 deliveries, peppering the extra-cover boundary with lofted shots.
Smith, who had been subdued throughout the series, was allowed to find much-needed form as Sri Lanka fed his strength by bowling on leg stump. From the moment he worked Lasith Malinga for consecutive boundaries, through fine leg and midwicket in the third over, Smith's struggle was over. In all, 57 of Smith's 68 runs came on the leg side.
While Smith had the poor lines to cash in on, de Villiers needed no help from the bowlers. He put on a display of effortless hitting, making room and carving the offspin of Sachithra Senanayake and Dilshan over extra cover. It made no difference where the spinners bowled - even deliveries fired in on leg stump met with the same fate as they disappeared over extra cover.
Kulasekara gave the visitors some respite when he trapped Colin Ingram leg-before. The scoring-rate, which was comfortably above seven, now started dipping. Duminy was unable to keep up the pace, and even de Villiers tapered off, making his final 46 runs off 45 deliveries.
After Perera's double-strike, Faf du Plessis came and went, but the lower order sensibly batted out the remaining overs to push South Africa to one short of 300. As it turned out, they hadn't budgeted for Perera's six-hitting prowess.