2009 Pakistan V Australia One Day Series

[Dougie]

Pakistan v Australia, 1st ODI, Dubai

Comeback chance for Shoaib and Symonds

April 21, 2009


Match facts

April 22, 2009
Start time 2.30pm (10.30GMT)

Big Picture

For a team which has had little international cricket in the recent past the next couple of weeks is a huge opportunity: Pakistan have only played two Tests and six ODIs in the last nine months, but will play five ODIs and a Twenty20 game over the next 16 days against the second-best team in one-day cricket. While that's a significant occasion for Pakistan, it'll also test their preparedness - if they come out rusty, their lack of match practice could be ruthlessly exposed. It'll help, though, that their team is being led Younis Khan, a captain who exudes positive energy and is probably the best man to keep team spirits high in such depressing times.

For Australia, the problem is the opposite: they've played 12 Tests and 18 ODIs in the last nine months, and they have so much more cricket coming up in the next few months that some of their big names have been forced to take a break. Ricky Ponting, Michael Hussey and Mitchell Johnson are being rested, while Brett Lee isn't yet fit enough. In Ponting's absence, Michael Clarke will lead a team which has been struggling to assert itself in ODIs lately, losing a couple of series to South Africa and drawing one to New Zealand. The series is also an opportunity for a couple of players to return to the national fold - Andrew Symonds is back in ODIs after a ten-month absence, while Stuart Clark has an opportunity to stake his claim again after recovering from an elbow injury.

There'll be plenty of focus on the venue too: the Dubai Sports City Stadium will become the 172nd venue to host an ODI, and by all accounts the 25,000-seater has impressed both teams. With so much uncertainty over the security situation in Pakistan, a good show here will encourage more games - possibly even Tests - at this ground, which will be good news for Pakistan and for world cricket.


Form guide (last five ODIs, most recent first)

Pakistan LLWWW
Australia WLLLW



Watch out for

Andrew Symonds: Back in the Australian ODI team for the first time since July 2008, Symonds will be keen to prove he has worked on his attitude and his form, and is ready to perform at the top level again. Strong displays here will strengthen his case for a place in Australia's squad for the World Twenty20, and perhaps even the Ashes.

Shoaib Akhtar: There are plenty of question marks about Shoaib's form and fitness, but his ability to turn it on when fully focused isn't in doubt. The dry conditions in Dubai should help his reverse-swing too.


Team news

Pakistan are most likely to play three specialist fast bowlers - Shoaib, Umar Gul and Sohail Tanvir - with Saeed Ajmal, Shahid Afridi and Shoaib Malik offering spin support. Nasir Jamshed should be back at the top of the order after missing the last couple of series.

Pakistan (probable) 1 Salman Butt, 2 Nasir Jamshed, 3 Younis Khan, 4 Misbah-ul-Haq, 5 Shoaib Malik, 6 Shahid Afridi, 7 Kamran Akmal (wk), 8 Sohail Tanvir, 9 Umar Gul, 10 Shoaib Akhtar, 11 Saeed Ajmal.

Despite putting together century stands in their last two games in South Africa, Australia are likely to disturb the opening combination of Brad Haddin and Clarke, and instead put Shaun Marsh and Shane Watson at the top of the order. Haddin is likely to drop to No.3, with Clarke in next. With Johnson and Siddle resting and Lee injured, the bowling attack will have some changes too, and Clark might get an early chance to prove his fitness.

Australia (probable) 1 Shaun Marsh, 2 Shane Watson, 3 Brad Haddin (wk), 4 Michael Clarke (capt), 5 Andrew Symonds, 6 David Hussey, 7 Callum Ferguson, 8 Nathan Hauritz, 9 Stuart Clark, 10 Nathan Bracken, 11 Ben Laughlin.


Pitch and conditions

Pakistan aren't playing at home, but conditions at the Dubai Sports City Stadium will probably resemble those in Lahore or Karachi. The heat will be quite acute, and the dry conditions should offer plenty of encouragement for the spinners.


Stats and Trivia

Australia have been in wretched ODI form this year, winning only five matches out of 15, and losing nine.


Nathan Bracken has been one of the below-par performers during this period, with 16 wickets in 14 matches at an average of 39.93 and an economy rate of 5.34.


In 11 ODIs against Australia, Younis has only scored 158 runs at an average of 15.80, with one half-century.


These two teams last played an ODI more than three years ago, during the VB Series in February 2005. Australia won the best-of-three finals 2-0.


Quotes

"Personally, I'm delighted to be back in Aussie colours - I've had a few decent tussles with Pakistan over the years, my debut in Pakistan for starters, and the 2003 World Cup, and I've no doubt this will be a tough series against them. The challenge is there for all of us to roll up our sleeves and get into it."
Andrew Symonds is glad to be back in the ODI squad

"We've been given a fantastic opportunity to perform and put your hand up while guys are out resting or injured. It gives somebody else an opportunity to push for the 2011 World Cup."
Michael Clarke puts a positive spin to the fact that so many top players are missing from the Australian squad

"There is no alternative to playing at home but unfortunately we have to play in Emirates but the conditions here are similar to Pakistan and we feel it is like a home away from home. I hope Pakistani people who live here will come to encourage us."
Younis Khan tries to make the best of a difficult situation

"I am pleased at Shoaib's discipline both on and off the field. He has shown promise and he is bowling with commitment, and I have lots of hope that he would deliver for us, which, I tell you, is very important."
Intikhab Alam, the Pakistan coach, has high expectations from Shoaib Akhtar

[Dougie]

Pakistan v Australia, 1st ODI, Dubai

April 22, 2009

Pakistan 171 for 6 (Akmal 48, Misbah 30*) beat Australia 168 (Hopes 48*, Haddin 40, Watson 40, Afridi 6-38) by four wickets

A team desperate to erase painful recent memories immediately settled in at their new, adopted venue, with a four-wicket win against a struggling Australian side in Dubai. The devastation caused by Shahid Afridi's career-best 6 for 38 had all but shut Australia out of the match before the halfway stage of their innings. A late recovery pushed them to 168 but it wasn't enough to seriously challenge an unpredictable Pakistan outfit. Pakistan stuttered, rebuilt, stumbled again and a late push by Afridi, contributing an adrenalin-filled yet brief 24, pushed them towards a win.

The ultimate difference between the two sides was spin. While Pakistan's pair of Afridi and Ajmal shared eight wickets, Australia's Nathan Hauritz bowled four overs and failed to pick up a wicket. It wouldn't be fair to blame Australia's lone specialist spinner for the defeat. It was a collective failure of their middle order to read the spinners who mercilessly ran through the batting and effected a top and middle-order crumbling to the tune of 8 for 27.

Australia's rapid demise was a reflection of their ordinary recent one-day form. A collapse of this magnitude exposed a weakness against spin which was also on show in South Africa, even with a number of familiar returning faces in the ranks. With the ball gripping and turning, Afridi's mixture of googlies and topspinners caused most of the problems, but the relatively inexperienced Ajmal offered little respite with his doosras.

At 95 for 1 in the 19th over, Younis Khan's pre-match prediction of chasing a target of 260-270 seemed a reality. That was until Afridi got the ball and the crowd to dance to his tunes. He began by getting rid of the most well-set batsman, Brad Haddin, for a brisk 40, tamely chipping a flighted delivery to short cover. Michael Clarke's struggles against the spin trio of Paul Harris, Roelof van der Merwe and Johan Botha in South Africa were well documented and the nightmare didn't end with the move to another country. He was flummoxed by an Ajmal doosra and edged behind before Afridi worked his magic.

A rusty Andrew Symonds nicked one to a refreshingly sharp Kamran Akmal, before Shane Watson, who had played neatly on his return to the side after injury by adding 54 with Haddin, was beaten by one which turned through the gate. Safe catching helped Pakistan and Misbah-ul-Haq showed his sharp reflexes to cling onto Callum Ferguson's edge to remove one of Australia's few in-form batsmen. Hauritz completely misjudged Ajmal's line, shouldered arms and lost his stumps.

The score suddenly read a shocking 110 for 7 and it brought back bad memories of their collapse at Centurion very recently. It wasn't the kind you would expect of the second best team in the world even in the worst of days. The spinners sensed a weak link and exploited it with clinical efficiency. Afridi's googlies proved too much for the tailenders Stuart Clark and Nathan Bracken as he collected his best ODI figures and Pakistan's best figures against Australia.

James Hopes enjoyed a free swing of the arms in the third Powerplay with an unbeaten 48 to push the score to 168, a big improvement from a hopeless 122 for 9, but the momentum was still with Pakistan.

The Australian seamers failed to get enough early breakthroughs to cause a serious flutter in the Pakistan camp. The dangerous Salman Butt was trapped lbw for 5 in the seven-over period before the dinner break before a fidgety Younis Khan holed out to midwicket.

Spin was introduced in the 13th over but Hauritz couldn't extract the same turn and bite that Afridi and Ajmal managed against his batsmen. He overpitched too often and that allowed Akmal to get forward and drive through the line. He used his feet well and chipped down the track to bisect the gaps in the infield.

Shoaib Malik contributed only 12 in a stand of 48 with Akmal, content to let his partner hog the strike. However, as Akmal motored along, a flashy drive outside off cost him his wicket and Clark had his revenge after being slashed for a four past slip two balls earlier. A loose dab by Malik brought Afridi to the crease, who began by clipping his first ball - a low full toss - past square leg and then pulling the next past midwicket.

He took Pakistan within 31 of the target before mishitting one to mid-on. The chase thereafter was scratchy, with Misbah holding fort as Pakistan got home with 35 balls to spare. It wasn't the most convincing of chases but good enough to prove a point. Moreover, they played with a hunger to win against a team dogged by injuries and knackered after a back-breaking summer.

[Dougie]

April 23, 2009

Australia opener Shaun Marsh will fly home from Australia's tour of the United Arab Emirates on Friday morning after scans confirmed a recurrence of a hamstring injury.

He will be replaced in the Australian squad by recent Test debutant Marcus North.

North will join his Australian teammates in Dubai on Friday night after flying in from England.

Marsh re-injured his left hamstring when he dived to make a sharp single while batting in Wednesday night's opening one-day loss against Pakistan in Dubai.

It was his first game in national colours since badly tearing the same muscle fielding against New Zealand at the WACA on February 1.

Marsh had scans in Dubai on Thursday, confirming the injury.

He will require further assessment before it is determined whether he will be fit to play in the Twenty20 World Cup in England in June.

But, given his return on Wednesday night came almost three months after the initial injury, he is likely to struggle to make it back in time for the Cup, which starts on June 5.

Shane Watson is expected to move up from No.3 to share the opening duties with Brad Haddin in Friday's match against Pakistan in Dubai.

David Hussey, who was 12th man in the opening game, should slot into the middle order.

North had been in England to play county cricket with Hampshire.

The 29-year-old played two Tests against South Africa in February and March, scoring a century on debut, but is yet to represent his country in the 50-over format.

His handy off-spin bowling would have helped his selection cause, given spin seems set to play a major part in the five-game series against Pakistan.

Pakistan spin duo Shahid Afridi and Saeed Ajmal took eight wickets between them to set up their side's comfortable win on Wednesday.

[Dougie]

Australia push to turn corner after opening setback

April 23, 2009

Match facts

April 24, 2009
Start time 3pm (11.00GMT)

Big Picture

After a bad start for Australia and a strong one for Pakistan, both teams are chasing more improvement for the second match of the five-game one-day series in Dubai on Friday. Pakistan's first engagement since the terror attacks in Lahore showed some batting rustiness, but there was no problem with their slow bowling, which remains a key problem for Australia despite the denials of Michael Clarke.

Australia's play in the middle order was awful as they lost 8 for 27 on the way to a four-wicket defeat. They have called for more video footage of Shahid Afridi, who took six wickets, and the offspinner Saeed Ajmal before the second game, but given their performance against slow bowlers over the past few months, it would be a surprise to see a major change in results.


Form guide (last five ODIs, most recent first)

Pakistan WLLWW
Australia LWLLL



Watch out for

Shahid Afridi dominating a match should not be a surprise, but the way he did it with the ball - and not the bat - was breathtaking. Afridi's 6 for 38 from 10 overs were career-best figures and he swept through Australia to set up the success. A 16-ball 24 also gave the team some momentum when they threatened to make the small chase overly difficult.

Another allrounder, James Hopes, had a fine day too, but his strong contributions of 48 not out and 2 for 22 off eight were dwarfed by Afridi's output. Hopes has developed into a handy performer with bat and ball and now needs his team-mates to fire around him.


Team news

Marcus North is in the squad following Shaun Marsh's quick exit with a hamstring injury, but his late arrival will probably rule him out of game two. Marsh returns home and his gap will require some series reshuffling, with Michael Clarke and Shane Watson contenders to partner Brad Haddin at the top of the order.

Australia (possible) 1 Michael Clarke (capt), 2 Brad Haddin (wk), 3 Shane Watson, 4 David Hussey, 5 Andrew Symonds, 6 Callum Ferguson, 7 James Hopes, 8 Nathan Hauritz, 9 Stuart Clark, 10 Nathan Bracken, 11 Ben Hilfenhaus.

Following their encouraging opening, Pakistan are unlikely to do too much to their side, which needs match practice following their unscheduled break. Expect Afridi and Ajmal to create more problems, especially if they work in tandem.

Pakistan (possible) 1 Salman Butt, 2 Kamran Akmal (wk), 3 Younis Khan, 4 Shoaib Malik, 5 Misbah-ul-Haq, 6 Shahid Afridi, 7 Nasir Jamshed, 8 Umar Gul, 9 Shoaib Akhtar, 10 Iftikhar Anjum, 11 Saeed Ajmal.


Pitch and conditions

This is the last game in Dubai before the series switches to Abu Dhabi for Monday's match. Clear and warm conditions are predicted for the day-night encounter.


Stats and Trivia

Pakistan have never been beaten by Australia in four ODIs in the United Arab Emirates


In 18 games in the UAE Australia have won 10 and lost eight.


Both Afridi and Ajmal recorded personal-best figures in the opening contest




Quotes

"We don't have exposure in domestic cricket in Australia to that style of bowling. It is difficult when the first time you get it is when you step up to international level ... My shoulder will probably get worn out throwing offspinners and doosras."
Australia's coach Tim Nielsen looks for ways to fix his team's spin problems

"It was a fantastic team effort. The fast bowlers did well to check the openers and then Afridi and Saeed Ajmal bowled very well. We wobbled a bit when batting but all's well that ends well."
Younis Khan after the opening success

[Dougie]

Pakistan v Australia, 2nd ODI, Dubai

April 24, 2009

Australia 208 for 4 (Symonds 58, Hopes 48, Afridi 2-38) beat Pakistan 207 (Butt 57, Afridi 41, Hauritz 3-41, Symonds 2-12) by six wickets

Andrew Symonds may have cut his Rastafarian beads, but he showed tonight there had been no cutback on his competitive spirit or his aptitude as Australia levelled the series 1-1. His two-wicket over, in the face of a marauding Shoaib Akhtar, had kept Pakistan down to a par total, but his bigger contribution came with the bat when Shahid Afridi and Saeed Ajmal threatened to run through Australia for the second time in a row.

Afridi and Ajmal had undone James Hopes' good work at the top, bringing the game right back into the balance, when Symonds came in to bat. Hopes, filling in for the injured Shaun Marsh at the top of the order, had put Australia on their way to a chase of a tricky 207, before Ajmal and Afridi struck in back-to-back overs.

The contest was always going to come to life when the spinners came on. Before that Hopes had weathered the storm from hostile and accurate Shoaib and Umar Gul. That initial spell resulted in the early wicket of Brad Haddin, but Hopes counter-attacked and brought the run-rate within manageable proportions.

From 19 for 1 in six overs, Hopes cut and drove Gul and Shoaib for three boundaries and a six in the next three overs. Australia reached 70 for 1 in 14 overs, when spin was first introduced.

Australia tried to play the mind game, going for the batting Powerplay immediately, and trying to delay the introduction of the dangerous spinners. Pakistan played ball, and went on with Afridi and Ajmal anyway. From 70 in 14 they moved to 91 in 20 in a tense period of play.

In the 21st, Ajmal got Watson with a doosra, the batsman looking to pull without reading the spin. In the end Watson tried unsuccessfully to pull out of the pull, and top-edged. In the next over, Afridi beat a Hopes sweep with a straight and full delivery.

Batting was not easy then, what with Test fields in place and the ball turning big, and Australia coming off a monumental collapse in the previous game. Ajmal and Afridi attacked, but Symonds tackled them superbly. Even early on in the innings, he picked Ajmal's doosra. For good measure he let Ajmal know every time he saw the away-spinner. His 58 comprised only four boundaries and a six, the first of which was the team's first boundary in 17 overs.

The value of Symonds' knock grew when put in comparison with his partner Michael Clarke's effort. Clarke struggled to pick the spin, and was patchy all the way through. At one point, out of a 58-run stand Clarke had scored only eight.

Symonds' sensible batting also coincided with Pakistan gradually running out of the spinners' quota, and with a small total to defend they had to bring back the pace bowlers on. Once that happened it was a cruise for Australia, with close to four an over required.

Even that small target was thanks to Symonds' effective over at the death. Shoaib's 14-ball 25 had lifted Pakistan from 176 for 7, but just when it looked he would take Pakistan to a more competitive total, Symonds struck with two in the 46th over to not even allow them a full quota of 50 overs.

That was not the last twist of a slow yet dramatic first innings of the game. A disciplined Australia had done well to pull Pakistan back after they had threatened twice to move out of their grasp.

First it was Younis Khan who recovered from a sluggish start to get into fluent mode only to be dismissed for 28. Then Shahid Afridi played an uncharacteristically responsible innings, but when he looked set to launch Pakistan into the safe zone, Hopes got him with seven overs to go.

Following the early run-out of 17-year-old debutant Ahmed Shehzad, Pakistan made an edgy start. Salman Butt and Younis were literally edgy against Nathan Bracken and ODI debutant Doug Bollinger, both left-arm seamers. They troubled both the batsmen with their angle and movement both ways. By the end of the ninth over Pakistan had crawled to 28 for 1, having faced a maiden each from both the bowlers.

With Hopes came the change of angle, and Younis helped himself to three boundaries in his first two overs. In the next seven overs Pakistan doubled their score, mainly via Younis who scored 20 off 14 during that period. The sight of Ben Laughlin lit his eyes up, a short loosener first up widened them further, and an edge resulted as he went to cut the leather off the ball.

Two more wickets, punctuated by an especially asphyxiating spell by Bollinger, meant Pakistan were struggling in the middle overs, five down for 122. Bollinger went for 26 in his 10 overs, including a middle spell of four overs for five runs.

But then Afridi lifted them, not looking to hit the ball out of the ground every time he faced up. The main feature of his innings was his late-cuts, and placement for quick runs. He actually faced 40 balls, the most he has since his 52-ball 85 against Zimbabwe last January. Afridi also read the game well, picking a slower ball early during the Powerplay, when Australia had both third man and fine leg up in the circle. That was his only six. Afridi, along with Ajmal, provided Australia with a tough examination, but he was not the best allrounder on the night.

[Dougie]

Change of scenery will decide tight series

April 26, 2009

Match facts

April 27, 2009
Start time 3pm (11.00GMT)

Big Picture

A committed Australia hit back to level the series on Friday and show they would not be swept aside by Pakistan's crafty spin. While Shahid Afridi starred again with both disciplines, the performance of Andrew Symonds, who struck a half-century and two blows with the ball, gave Michael Clarke's team a big boost after the allrounder's troubles on and off the field over the past year.

After Symonds' innings the Australians were able to cruise to an important victory by six wickets, which moved them alongside their opponents, who were more professional in the opening match in Dubai on Wednesday. Abu Dhabi hosts the final three encounters of the tight series that is testing the progress of both sides as they peer towards the World Twenty20 in June.


Form guide (last five ODIs, most recent first)

Pakistan LWLLW
Australia WLWLL



Watch out for

Andrew Symonds displayed good form with the bat for the first time in a long time during his 58 on Friday, an innings which was a relief to him and his supporters. More strong showings in the final three games will help seal his passage to England.

Salman Butt was lucky to survive after his awful mix-up with Ahmed Shehzad in the third over on Friday, but he stayed calm following his reprieve and moved to a useful half-century. With Pakistan's batting not going as well as their bowling, Butt has an important job at the top of the order in setting up the side for a match-winning total.


Team news

Clarke called Australia's performance on Friday "brilliant" so don't expect too many changes to the line-up. James Hopes fitted in well at opener and Doug Bollinger was tight in his maiden ODI. Stuart Clark and Ben Hilfenhaus are also in the squad so one of them may come in for the young Ben Laughlin.

Australia (possible) 1 Brad Haddin (wk), 2 James Hopes, 3 Shane Watson, 4 Michael Clarke (capt), 5 Andrew Symonds, 6 Callum Ferguson, 7 David Hussey, 8 Nathan Hauritz, 9 Stuart Clark, 10 Nathan Bracken, 11 Doug Bollinger.

Pakistan's batting continued to contain rust on Friday as they were dismissed in the 47th over and some tinkering to the line-up could occur. Shehzad, the 17-year-old opener, will be keen for another chance after his unfortunate run-out for 4 on debut.

Pakistan (possible) 1 Salman Butt, 2 Ahmed Shehzad, 3 Younis Khan (capt), 4 Shoaib Malik, 5 Misbah-ul-Haq, 6 Shahid Afridi, 7 Kamran Akmal (wk), 8 Umar Gul, 9 Shoaib Akhtar, 10 Iftikhar Anjum, 11 Saeed Ajmal.


Pitch and conditions

Abu Dhabi is about 125km south-west of Dubai and its ground is the Sheikh Zayed Stadium. The forecast for Monday is a warm, clear day with a maximum of 37C.


Stats and Trivia

Symonds' half-century on Friday was only his fourth in state and international cricket since the beginning of 2008-09
Afridi picked up his 250th ODI wicket in Dubai and has eight victims in two matches
Australia's win in game two took their record for the year to six wins in 17 matches


Quotes

"Now we've had a win and hopefully we can start getting a bit of a roll on from here. We've spoken about the amount of games we've failed to win in the last little bit, so hopefully from here we can continue to improve. We've got things we can work on but [Friday] was not a bad effort from us."
Andrew Symonds

"We knew that Australia would come down hard on us, they were our fears."
Younis Khan