Bell's One-Day Career is Not Over - Flower

Pakistan v England 2011-12

George Dobell

February 7, 2012

Andy Flower has insisted Ian Bell's limited-overs international career is not over, despite the batsman having been omitted from the England squad to face Pakistan in four ODIs and three T20Is in the UAE.

Bell, a 29-year-old veteran of 108 ODIs, has been left out as England offer opportunities to younger men such as Jos Buttler, the Somerset batsman, and Yorkshire's Jonny Bairstow as England seek to improve their modest limited-overs form away from home of 12 wins in 38 matches since December 2005. Bell has passed 50 only once in his last 14 ODI innings and had looked uncomfortable against Saeed Ajmal's spin in the recently concluded Test series.

"Ian Bell is a very fine player, who has had a hard time in this Test series and hasn't had that many chances recently in one-day cricket for us," Flower said. "I spoke to him yesterday about the one-day situation and he was very mature in his acceptance of it.

"What I did say to him was that this doesn't mean that his one-day career is necessarily over. He's not too old to fight his way back into the side. He's a very fine international cricketer. It depends how this group of players play and whether any gaps open up in the future. If he can fight his way back in, then good on him."

It is not the first time that Bell has been dropped. After the debacle of Jamaica in February 2009, when England were bowled out for just 51, Bell was omitted from the Test side until July of that year and did not reappear in the ODI side until July 2010.

He may also have suffered for England's surfeit of players of a similar tempo. With Jonathan Trott having scored prolifically at No. 3 and Alastair Cook having been appointed captain, Bell had been out of position at No. 6. While Bell is as sweet a timer of the ball as anyone in the team, his style is not best suited to the somewhat more agricultural requirements of the last overs of an ODI innings, as a strike-rate of 73.31 suggests.

Flower also confirmed Kevin Pietersen will open the batting for England. Pietersen, who batted at No. 4 in recent times, has not made a score of 80 or more since November 2008 and has only passed 50 three times in 34 innings. One of those half-centuries came during a four-match spell during the World Cup when he opened the batting. In those four games he averaged 32.75 at a strike-rate of 96.32.

"He is going to be opening the batting for us in this series and that should be really exciting to watch," Flower said. "We started with him in that position in the World Cup and unfortunately he got injured and had to go home early. But he showed glimpses of what he could do.

"He's a very, very fine cricketer - a very dangerous cricketer - and someone we'd like to give the option of facing as many balls as possible in the limited-overs game. If he stays in long enough, he will win games for us in that position.

"It hasn't worked out well for him at No. 4 recently, but I'm really excited to see him embrace the challenge of opening."

In order to help England's batsmen prepare for the further trial by spin they anticipate in the limited-overs games, Monty Panesar will remain with the squad for another week. It is anticipated Pakistan will field four spinners in their ODI side, meaning England's batsmen may face as many as 40 overs of spin per innings.

Flower also reflected on the 3-0 whitewash Pakistan inflicted upon England in the Test series. It was the first series England had played since they assumed the No. 1 Test ranking. Flower admitted he was disappointed with the performance of the batsmen but expressed his confidence in their ability to resolve their problems against spin bowling.

"The batsmen are lower in confidence after the Test series against this type of bowling, so it will be a serious challenge for us. I expect better things from the batsmen, and I really expect to see us improve with our knowledge and method of how to combat their spin.

"Of course, there is a cut-off line where it would be stupid to continue along the same path if it's not being successful. In the main, I don't think we're there with this group of players.

"This is not a closed shop - everyone's aware of that - but this group of batsmen have done an outstanding job for England and have very good international records over the past few years."

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Saeed Ajmal Comment Sparks Action Confusion

Pakistan v England 2011-12

George Dobell in Dubai

February 7, 2012

Saeed Ajmal, Man of the Series as Pakistan whitewashed England 3-0 in the UAE, sparked confusion over his bowling action by giving an interview in which he appeared to claim that he has special dispensation to exceed the limit currently permitted by the ICC. However, it later emerged that Ajmal has an abnormally natural bent arm similar to Muttiah Muralitharan although the exact degrees involved remained unclear.

In the interview with the BBC, Ajmal volunteered the belief that the ICC had allowed him 23.5 degrees to compensate for an accident in which he injured his arm. The ICC, however, were quick to reject the suggestion.

Ajmal said: "Someone is telling me my action is bad because the ICC allowed me as a bowler 23.5 degrees, because my arm is not good. A few years ago I had an accident. Otherwise, no problem, the action was cleared by ICC."

An ICC spokeman denied that was the case. "There is no dispensation for anyone," he said. "It is worth remembering that his first language is not English and this may have been a slip of the tongue."

David Richardson, the ICC's general manager of cricket, confirmed that Ajmal's arm is not naturally straight and that Ajmal's action does not fall outside the 15-degree tolerance limit.

"There is a big difference between the 'elbow carry angle' (elbow abduction) and the degree of elbow extension," he said. "There is nothing preventing a bowler bowling with a bent arm, provided he does not straighten it beyond the permitted degrees of tolerance."

In an interview on the ICC website, Richardson added: "In Saeed Ajmal's case he has a 15-degree angle of elbow abduction."

The PCB issued a statement attempting to clarify the situation although their claim that Ajmal's elbow has a natural angle of 23 degrees didn't match Richardson's explanation that it was 15 degrees, which also happens to be the ICC's tolerance limit.

"The ICC's level of tolerance of 15 degrees relates to the degree of elbow extension that is permitted in the bowling action, ie. the amount by which the arm is straightening," Pakistan team manager Naveed Akram Cheema said. "Previous tests conducted on the action of Saeed Ajmal show that the degree of elbow extension is well within ICC's tolerance levels."

"Saeed Ajmal was referring to the angle of elbow abduction, ie. the angle of the upper arm to the forearm and not the degree of elbow extension. This angle is approximately 23 degrees in Saeed's case.

Ajmal tormented the England batsmen in all three Tests, claiming 24 wickets in the series at an average of just 14.7. Their inability to distinguish between his off-break and doosra caused particular confusion and vastly reduced the effectiveness of England's much-vaunted middle order. Ian Bell, Eoin Morgan and Kevin Pietersen all failed to average more than 13.

While Bob Willis, the former England captain turned pundit, had raised concerns about Ajmal's action at the start of the series, the England team have been reluctant to be dragged into any controversy. Consequently, they have stuck to the line that it is job of the umpires and the ICC to scrutinise bowlers' actions.

However, Andy Flower, the England coach, expressed his surprise after being told of Ajmal's remarks. "If that's the degree, then there's a problem," Flower said. "That's ridiculous.

"That is an ICC issue, though. They are there to police the game, and make sure that it is played within the rules, so they've got to scrutinise his action. We've all got our own views, but our job is to combat whoever is put against us, and part of it is also to play the game in the right spirit."

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Pakistan Announced ODI and T20 Squad against England, Shoaib Malik Back

Pakistan v England 2011-12

Umar Farooq

February 7, 2012

Awais Zia is the only new face in Pakistan's limited-overs squads for the ongoing series against England. The Rawalpindi batsman has been named only in the Twenty20 squad, while the one-day unit retains the bulk of the Test team, except for Taufeeq Umar and Mohammad Talha, who will return home. Shahid Afridi, Shoaib Malik and batsman Hammad Azam will join the squad in the UAE. Malik was not in the original squads but was added shortly after at the captain Misbah-ul-Haq's request.

The notable absentee was allrounder Abdul Razzaq, who was part of the team's one-day plans in recent times. He played in the five-ODI series against Sri Lanka in November but missed the series in Bangladesh because of a shoulder injury. He underwent a brief rehabilitation, and went on to play in Australia's Big Bash League Twenty20 tournament, but told ESPNcricinfo that his shoulder wasn't yet 100% fit for international assignments.

"We actually wanted to carry on with the winning sequence," Azhar Khan, selection committee member told ESPNcricinfo. "It is a different ball game and I don't think we should take England side lightly. The limited-overs series is wide open for both teams. The team that quickly adapts itself in the format can take the upper hand."

Azam toured Pakistan in the West Indies last year and his last one-dayer for Pakistan was against Ireland in Belfast in May. Zia was the leading run-getter for Rawalpindi Rams and the fourth-highest run-getter in the domestic Twenty20 with 177 runs from five games. He made his first-class debut in 2007.

"We always look for room to blood a youngster in the side, to test the prospect of the talent," Azhar said. "The inclusion of Zia and Hammad is a part of the proposition. Unfortunately we have been deprived from hosting the series on our home grounds, and we can't try out our talented players more openly.

"Zia is a shining star and we have picked him in a format that is well suited for him. Now it is his own responsibility to justify the opportunity. Hammad was definitely in line from many years but wasn't given a proper chance due to combination in the squad."

Pakistan will play Afghanistan in a one-off one-dayer in Sharjah on February 10, before the four-match ODI series against England begins in Abu Dhabi on February 13. Pakistan go into the series buoyed by their historic 3-0 whitewash of the world's No. 1 Test side, England.

"Obviously, the expectations have increased after the Test series win, and we have specialist cricketers for the [limited-overs] formats as well," Azhar said. "I am optimistic that Pakistan will continue the winning streak to end the tour on high."

Pakistan ODI Squad: Misbah-ul-Haq (capt), Younis Khan, Shahid Afridi, Mohammad Hafeez, Imran Farhat, Umar Akmal, Asad Shafiq, Adnan Akmal (wk), Junaid Khan, Umar Gul, Aizaz Cheema, Saeed Ajmal, Abdur Rehman, Wahab Riaz, Hammad Azam, Azhar Ali, Shoaib Malik

Pakistan Twenty20 Squad: Misbah-ul-Haq (capt), Shahid Afridi, Mohammad Hafeez, Imran Farhat, Umar Akmal, Asad Shafiq, Adnan Akmal (wk), Junaid Khan, Umar Gul, Aizaz Cheema, Saeed Ajmal, Abdur Rehman, Wahab Riaz, Hammad Azam, Awais Zia, Shoab Malik

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England Announcrd ODI and T20 Squad against Pakistan, Ian Bell Dropped

Pakistan v England 2011-12

George Doorbell

February 7, 2012

Jos Buttler and Danny Briggs have been named in England's limited-overs squads to face Pakistan in the UAE. The pair, both of whom are uncapped in ODI cricket, have been included in the squad that will play four ODIs and three Twenty20 internationals.

Ian Bell, however, was omitted from the squad. Bell had passed 50 only once in his last 14 ODI innings and had looked uncomfortable against Saeed Ajmal's spin in the recently concluded Test series. It is entirely possible that Bell, aged 29 and a veteran of 108 ODIs, has played his last limited-overs match for England.

Buttler, a 21-year-old from Somerset, has been in good form recently for England Lions. He struck two centuries and a half-century in his last five innings against Sri Lanka A, including one century from just 56 deliveries. He broke into England's Twenty20 side towards the end of the English season after impressing in several important games - notably the CB40 final and the FPt20 quarter-final. He is seen as having the big-match temperament and the big-hitting game to prove a destructive ODI player. He can also keep wicket.

Briggs, a 20-year-old left-arm spinner from Hampshire, is one of three spinners in the 16-man squad. A bowler who relies more on control than any extravagant turn, England hope Briggs proves well-suited to the slow, low pitches anticipated in the UAE.

Tim Bresnan, who has just rejoined the England squad, having earlier returned to England for further treatment on an elbow injury that required surgery at the start of December, is also included subject to further fitness tests.

Nottinghamshire batsman Alex Hales will join the squad for the Twenty20 leg of the tour, with Alastair Cook and Jonathan Trott returning to England. Stuart Broad is the captain of England's Twenty20 side that will be looking to retain their World Twenty20 title in Sri Lanka in September.

England's National Selector, Geoff Miller, said: "We have selected two squads that include both experienced international players and younger players who have performed strongly for England Lions in recent months and deserve an opportunity to further test themselves against quality opposition. Playing against Pakistan in the UAE will be challenging but it is important that these players continue to develop their skills so that we are able to make strides in limited-overs cricket particularly on the subcontinent."

England have a mixed ODI record. While their home form remains impressive - they won series against both World Cup finalists, India and Sri Lanka, at home in 2011 - their away form is grim. They lost all five matches against India in October and 14 of their last 20 outside England. They have won just five and tied the other.

Their record in Asia is even more gruesome. Since December 12, 2005, England have won just 12 of 38 ODIs in Asia and four of those victories came against Bangladesh and the Netherlands. Pakistan, by contrast, have won 12 of their last 13 ODIs and 23 of their last 30. England, however, have won five of the last seven ODI meetings between the sides.

In a bid to improve the tempo of England's batting, Kevin Pietersen will be given another opportunity to open the innings, with Craig Kieswetter dropping down to bat at No. 5. While England hope Pietersen can exploit the powerplay overs, after a brief experiment at the World Cup before his injury, Kieswetter is also seen as an accomplished hitter of the older, softer ball. Both may require productive series to silence their critics.

Kieswetter has only passed 50 once in his last 24 ODIs, while Pietersen has not made a score of 80 or more since November 2008.

Indeed, in that period, he has only passed 50 three times in 34 innings. But England have invested a lot of time in both of them and would be loathe to change tactics now.

England will warm-up for the series by taking on England Lions on Friday, before the ODI series begins in Abu Dhabi on February 13.

England ODI Squad: Alastair Cook (capt), James Anderson, Jonny Bairstow (wk), Ravi Bopara, Tim Bresnan, Danny Briggs, Stuart Broad, Jos Buttler, Jade Dernbach, Steven Finn, Craig Kieswetter (wk), Eoin Morgan, Samit Patel, Kevin Pietersen, Graeme Swann, Jonathan Trott

England Twenty20 Squad: Stuart Broad (capt), James Anderson, Jonny Bairstow (wk), Ravi Bopara, Tim Bresnan, Danny Briggs, Jos Buttler, Jade Dernbach, Steven Finn, Alex Hales, Craig Kieswetter (wk), Eoin Morgan, Samit Patel, Kevin Pietersen, Graeme Swann

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England Must Learn How to Play in Asia - Strauss

Pakistan v England, 3rd test, Dubai, 4th day

George Dobell in Dubai

February 6, 2012

Andrew Strauss has warned that England must learn the lessons of their 3-0 series whitewash at the hands of Pakistan or face more misery in Asian conditions.

England's 71-run loss in the third Test in Dubai condemned them to a 3-0 defeat in their first series since officially becoming ranked the No. 1 Test team. It was also the first series whitewash England had suffered since the 5-0 Ashes loss of 2006-07 and only the seventh in their history. With a two-Test tour to Sri Lanka coming up next month and a tour of India before Christmas, Strauss knows England have to improve in these conditions if they are to retain any hope of remaining the top-ranked side.

Strauss, England's Test captain, admitted that his team would do some "soul searching" over the coming days but insisted they would conduct a full debrief before making any decisions over the future of certain players. The positions of Ian Bell (who averaged 8.5 in the series), Kevin Pietersen (11.16) and Eoin Morgan (13.66) are all likely to come under scrutiny after England succumbed to their first series defeat since they lost to the West Indies in early 2009 and the first since Andy Flower was appointed to the position of permanent coach.

"We can't ignore this result and just say it's an aberration," Strauss said. "That would not help us. This was an eye-opener and a wake-up call and with two more tours on the subcontinent coming up, things won't get easier. We have to be up for this challenge.

"We have to look at the reasons we lost. We have to look at our preparation, our training, our techniques and our temperament. It would be wrong for us to ignore these things, but we also need to remain true to what has worked well in the past.

"No-one has a right to play for England forever. It would be patently wrong for us to think like that. But we also need to take time to let the dust settle. We need to look at what went wrong individually. Hopefully over the next week or two, things will become clearer.

"I have great faith in our batsmen," Strauss continued. "I think they are some of best be in world, but I am disappointed we haven't coped better. I haven't been involved in a series where so many batsmen have had a hard time. We all have some questions to answer and soul searching into how we can do things better. There was a consistent failure on our part. If you keep getting bowled out for 140 or 150 you're not going to win many Test matches. We could and should have been better."

Andy Flower, the England coach, suggested the long lay-off his players had enjoyed before the series might have been a contributory factor to the result. Before this tour England had not played Test cricket since the series against India finished in August last year and no cricket at all since the limited-overs series in October.

"Looking back now, I don't think we were ready," Flower said. "I shoulder that side of the blame because it was my decision to give them that time off. We won't let that happen again.

"We spent a couple of months out of the game and not doing a lot while Pakistan were beating Sri Lanka and working hard to beat Bangladesh and that hardened them up for this contest. Certainly during that rest time, our team and support staff were all being lauded and, while that was happening, Pakistan were working hard at their game and beating international opposition. Consequently one side was sharp and ready and one side wasn't and we've got to do something about that."

Flower also expressed his faith in the batting line-up, but confessed he was surprised at how they had struggled in the series. "We do have a lot of faith in our players and that faith has been justified over a long period of time," he said. "But we've obviously underperformed here badly. I've been surprised by how poorly we've batted.

"We have to take the lessons that have been learned here and improve our skills and improve out method for the Sri Lanka tour. A number of our big players have underperformed in this series. It was the first time that so many of our established Test crickets were out of runs and not feeling as confident as they usually do and not as clear in their method as they usually are."

Misbah-ul-Haq, meanwhile, said the whitewashing of England has sent "a strong message that the Pakistan team are back in cricket."

Pakistan's captain hailed his side's "wonderful achievement" after leading them to victory in the third Test. It was the fifth time that Pakistan had achieved a whitewash in a series of three matches or more.

Victory was especially sweet for Misbah given the context in which the series was played. The previous time these teams met, in 2010, the series was soured by allegations of corruption that subsequently led to three of the Pakistan team receiving jail sentences. The episode tarnished the reputation of Pakistan cricket and forced the side to rebuild with a new captain and several new players. Now, however, Misbah feels Pakistan cricket is in the news for the right reasons.

"We showed that we are a power in the cricketing world again," Misbah said. "Now is the time to give importance to the Pakistan team again. It is a wonderful thing for us. I can't describe in words how important this series was for our team.

"We just came out of such problems. But the way we have come out and the way we are progressing is wonderful. Everyone was ignoring us, but now they have to look at Pakistan cricket."

Pakistan, who were dismissed for just 99 on the first day of this game, also became the first team since 1907 to win a Test after being bowled out for under 100 in the first innings. Pakistan responded by limited England's first innings lead to 42, before centuries from Azhar Ali and Younis Khan seized the initiative for the hosts.

"Our bowlers did a wonderful job," Misbah said. "They cut down the lead and we knew that, if we were only behind by 100 on the first innings, we were still in the game. Then Azhar Ali and Younis Khan batted wonderfully. Their batting was the main thing that brought us back into the game."

Having proved their potency in these conditions, Misbah agreed that his team would be defined by their success overseas. "That's another challenge," Misbah said, "but this team loves challenges. We have it in our mind. We are focused on proving ourselves outside Pakistan.

"If you saw us in New Zealand, though, you would know we can do it. Conditions there were not easy for our team, but we performed well there and in the West Indies. We are looking forward to playing in South Africa and Australia and we will start our preparation now."

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Today a Dream Come True - Mohsin Khan

Pakistan v England, 3rd Test, Dubai, 4th day

ESPNcricinfo staff

February 6, 2012

Mohsin Khan, the Pakistan coach, compared his team's whitewash against England to the 1992 World Cup triumph after the 3-0 margin was sealed with a 71-run victory in Dubai. It was the first time since 1907 that a team had won after being dismissed in double figures in the first innings of a Test and completed Pakistan's first cleansweep over England.

"Today is like a dream come true," Mohsin told Sky Sports. "It's not a very experienced team but it's very talented. Today, the captain and all the players have proved they are one of the best in the world. It's a great achievement for the Pakistan team."

Pakistan's captain Misbah-ul-Haq always believed his team could fight back from their poor first innings which had seen them 44 for 7 before lunch on the opening day. The fightback started with the bowlers and was built on by Younis Khan and Azhar Ali who struck the only hundreds made in the series.

"After being bowled out for 99 nobody thought we could come back," Misbah said. "But that is what this Pakistan team has been doing for the last year and a half, coming back in pressure situations. Everybody performed well, especially the bowlers. Saeed Ajmal and Abdur Rehman brought us back into the game then there was a wonderful batting performance from Younis Khan and Azhar Ali. I think that was the difference in this game."

As they have throughout the series, England struggled to combat Pakistan's spinners. Ajmal took four wickets in the final innings to take his series tally to 24 at 14.70 which earned him the Man-of-the-Series award. But it wasn't all spin that ended England's hopes of a consolation victory as Umar Gul took out key middle-order scalps in another penetrative spell.

First he struck with the old ball to extract Ian Bell and then Eoin Morgan with the new ball to ensure no lower-order heroics from Stuart Broad or Graeme Swann. Having also taken a four-wicket haul in the previous Test in Dubai at the start of the series Misbah was full of praise for his senior fast bowler.

"He's a wonderful bowler, whenever we need him he performs well," he said. "Today he gave us four precious wickets. He's a matchwinning bowler and he showed that again today."

For Andrew Strauss the defeat completed a chastening three weeks where England's credentials as the leading Test team have been left in tatters. The bowlers couldn't have done more to try and keep their side in the series but time and again the batting failed to respond and Strauss admitted the constant failures were unexpected.

"I'm a little surprised we didn't get bigger scores over the three matches," he said. "That was a consistent failure on our part but you have to give credit to Pakistan. When they got their noses in front they didn't let us back in. We have to learn lessons from this. I'm a great believer you don't become a great team overnight or a bad team overnight."

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Pakistan vs England 3rd Test Day 4 Highlights - 6th Feb 2012

Pakistan vs England 3rd Test Day 4 Highlights

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

Presentation

Match Info:Squads

Pakistan Squad: 1 Mohammad Hafeez, 2 Taufeeq Umar, 3 Azhar Ali, 4 Younis Khan, 5 Misbah-ul-Haq (capt), 6 Asad Shafiq, 7 Adnan Akmal (wk), 8 Abdur Rehman, 9 Umar Gul, 10 Saeed Ajmal, 

11 Junaid Khan.

England Squad: 1 Andrew Strauss (capt), 2 Alastair Cook, 3 Jonathan Trott, 4 Kevin Pietersen, 5 Ian Bell, 6 Eoin Morgan, 7 Matt Prior (wk), 8 Stuart Broad, 9 Graeme Swann, 10 James Anderson, 

11 Monty Panesar.

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Pakistan Secure 3-0 Series Whitewash against England with a Stunning Victory in 3rd Test

Pakistan v England, 3rd Test, Dubai, 4th day

The Report by David Hopps

February 6, 2012

Pakistan 99 (Broad 4-36) and 365 (Azhar 157, Panesar 5-124) beat England 141 (Strauss 56, Rehman 5-40) and 252 (Prior 49*, Gul 4-61, Ajmal 4-67) by 71 runs

Pakistan duly completed their first clean sweep against England in a Test series, an extraordinary achievement for a side with no home to call its own, a side that lives out of a suitcase and does it rather well. Along with the socks and the toothpaste they certainly unpacked quite a shock for the No. 1 ranked side.

Twice in a few months, the leading Test side in the world has been found wanting. India were whitewashed in England last summer and now England have suffered a similar humiliation. Test cricket in Asia, described by England's captain, Andrew Strauss, as "the final frontier," has proved as unconquerable as ever.

The sunny disposition of Saeed Ajmal, the Man of the Series, and the stiff-limbed tenacity of Abdur Rehman tormented England to the end. They shared 43 wickets between them in a three-Test series and England barely played a shot in anger. Even after dismissing Pakistan for 99 in their first innings, they could not summon either the method or confidence to prevail. Only when the game was as good as lost did Matt Prior, who has looked likelier than most throughout the series, play with gusto in making an unbeaten 49.

There was plentiful spin for Pakistan's spinners, not quick turn but leaping turn at times when the ball struck the rough. Fittingly, the match finished on an lbw referral as Monty Panesar swept at Rehman, only to find that his retro scoop bat had no magical qualities. DRS upheld the umpire's decision and the all-time record of 43 lbw decisions in a series was equalled.

Until then, Rehman had counted Strauss as his sole success as he bowled unchanged for two sessions, 30 overs sent down with unerring accuracy. He is the sort of spin bowler who looks slightly weary from the outset, but never noticeably tires after that.

The emphasis has been upon spin, but Umar Gul reminded England that the quicker bowlers carried their own threat. His four wickets set the course of the Test unquestionably towards Pakistan. Ian Bell averaged more than 100 last summer, less than 10 in this series and when he slapped a long hop wide of point it summed up his state of mind. Reverse swing accounted for Eoin Morgan, whose dance down the pitch was nothing compared to the merry jig from the wicketkeeper Adnan Akmal, after he had caught it. If Pakistan had doubts about taking the new ball, Gul allayed them as Stuart Broad and Graeme Swann risked all-out attack and got out almost immediately.

Cook had put up statuesque resistance, 187 balls for 49. Along the way he became the second youngest person, at 27 years and 43 days, to reach 6,000 Test runs. Only Sachin Tendulkar has reached the landmark at a younger age. His most attacking shot of the morning, a loft into the leg side against Rehman, caused the bowler to taunt him with applause. He lived on scraps, combating the turning ball with thoughtful defence and numerous works to the leg side and that proved his undoing as a leading edge was brilliantly held by Younis Khan, diving to his left at first slip.

England, 36 runs banked the previous evening, needed a further 288 at start of play. Strauss fell in the sixth over of the morning, lbw on the back foot once more. He reviewed it, although he would have been better advised to head smartly for the dressing room. When it comes to captain's reviews Strauss cannot match Misbah-ul-Haq. Misbah was lbw on five occasions in this series and took a review every time. It must be a captain's prerogative.

Without lapses in the field, Pakistan might have won sooner. They had dropped Cook the previous evening, a relatively simple chance to Taufeeq Umar at third slip and Gul's drop in the shadows of the stand at deep square gave him another reprieve as Pakistan lost the efficiency that has characterised their cricket throughout this series. Rehman made his frustration clear when he caught Jonathan Trott at deep square and flung the ball into the turf with feeling at the errors that had gone before.

Kevin Pietersen was bent upon playing enterprisingly. The first ball of the afternoon provided a reminder of his vulnerability when a bat-pad against Rehman flew high past short leg, but he had the fleeting satisfaction of striking him straight for six before Ajmal, from around the wicket, spun one through the gate and beamed at further bounty.

Adnan Akmal's fumble behind the stumps to reprieve Strauss, although not costly as the England captain was out in the next over, was the worst miss of all. Adnan has had a good series behind the stumps and has the opportunity to be Pakistan's first-choice keeper for many years to come but his excitable chatter was at times counterproductive. Strauss' edge flew to him at comfortable height but he put it down. For a few minutes he was quiet and you could hear your ears ringing.

Adnan's cacophony of cries often rent the air for inexplicable reasons. As do parrots, Adnan vocalises for many reasons. He may be excitedly greeting the day or summoning his family at sunset. He may be screeching when he is excited or when he is merely trying it on. He may screech when he thinks things have got too quiet or when he thinks it is his duty to scream. He just likes screeching. At one point he burst out coughing as if in sore need of a lozenge and Trott looked at him in deadpan fashion.

Adnan is also incorrigibly optimistic about reviewing umpiring decisions. "Do it, do it, yes, yes, all good," you could sense him saying from first moment to last. Misbah learned not to take his evidence into consideration and looked askance at him. He will not be looking askance tonight - every Pakistan player will share Adnan's excitement.

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New Zealand Seal Series with Thumping Victory Over Zimbabwe in 2nd ODI

New Zealand v Zimbabwe, 2nd ODI, Whangarei

The Report by Andrew Fernando

February 6, 2012

New Zealand 372 for 6 (Nicol 146, Guptill 77, Oram 59, Latham 48) beat Zimbabwe 231 for 8 (Chigumbura 63, Taibu 50, Oram 3-29) by 141 runs

New Zealand cruised to a 141-run victory after amassing 372 for 6 at Whangarei's Cobham Oval, and took an unassailable 2-0 lead in the ODI series. Their mammoth innings was grounded by Rob Nicol's 146, and launched by Jacob Oram's 28-ball 59, with Martin Guptill's 77 providing the early spark. Zimbabwe's thin hopes evaporated when three wickets fell in the first seven overs of their chase, and their innings meandered to 231 for 8 in 50 overs. Such was the magnitude of the drubbing, that in response to a New Zealand effort that featured 29 fours and 16 sixes, Zimbabwe managed only two fours until the 28th over of the chase.

Following a 131-run opening stand from Nicol and Guptill, Oram's belligerence propelled New Zealand's pace from brisk to frenetic, and flattened the opposition. Promoted five spots to No. 3 in a ploy to maintain the tempo, Oram responded with an innings whose violence was reminiscent of his early years. Having taken the batting Powerplay soon after his arrival, Oram unleashed an array of punishing strokes - some of which had been notably missing in recent times. The four towering strikes over long-on were brutal, as were the drives that singed the turf behind the bowler, but it was his inside-out loft over extra cover that stood out.

Nicol's steady progression to a second ODI hundred drew little attention as Guptill, then Oram, and for a short time Brendon McCullum, exploded at the other end. Nicol stayed at close to a run-a-ball throughout his innings, collecting 10 fours and six sixes himself as he set up a brutal finish to the innings.

Earlier, Zimbabwe were guilty of a dramatic slip in fielding standards, missing no fewer than five clear-cut chances after they had restricted New Zealand to 10 runs in the first five overs. Tatenda Taibu and Elton Chigumbura fluffed an early run out, where they could have dismissed either batsman with ease, before Oram was gifted a reprieve ten overs later. Two absolute sitters went down - off Brendon McCullum and Tom Latham - and Nicol also benefitted from a dropped chance.

Shingi Masakadza had combined well with Kyle Jarvis to prevent New Zealand from aggressing early. Guptill eventually unhinged the floodgates with two wristy legside flicks off Kyle Jarvis. Having meandered to 5 from 17 deliveries, Guptill looted 46 off his next 27 balls, to complete a fourth successive ODI half-century.

Two sixes - one straight, and another hooked over square leg - punctuated a volley of crisp boundaries as New Zealand flung off the chains suddenly and emphatically. Nicol took longer to warm to the attack than Guptill, but his gargantuan 118-metre hit into the neighbouring rugby stadium signalled his coming in the sixteenth over.

Ray Price bore the brunt of Oram's onslaught after Guptill's fall, conceding 40 off three overs in the middle of his spell. Shingi Masakadza was also dispatched for three successive boundaries, and Prosper Utseya launched into orbit despite Oram's top hand coming off the bat mid-stroke. Hamilton Masakadza created a chance, getting Oram to top edge one towards mid-on, but the opportunity was woefully and predictably bungled.

Oram was eventually caught at long-on when he mishit another one, and though Brendon McCullum and Kane Williamson kept the runs flowing, they both holed out while Nicol progressed untroubled. Another giant six into the rugby stand took him into the nineties, before two square boundaries brought him his second one-day hundred. In most other innings, Nicol's knock might have provided both the substance and the impetus for the team effort, but in comparison to his team-mates' savagery, his 115-ball ton was the anchor.

Nicol was joined by Latham as the final overs approached, and the pair continued New Zealand's incredible plunder. Eighty-six runs were scored in the last five overs, 25 of those from Kyle Jarvis' 48th. Six fours and eight sixes came in that phase as Andrew Ellis and Dean Brownlie partook in the flogging.

The bowlers aimed for the blockhole, but often missed their lengths by so much that the batsmen could have dispatched the ball in almost any direction. A last-ball six from Ellis was the fitting end to Zimbabwe's torture.

Early in the chase, Hamilton Masakadza found Dean Brownlie at point with the first aggressive stroke he ventured, before Ellis took a terrific diving catch at third man to dismiss Stuart Matsikenyeri. When Brendan Taylor skied one to McCullum as he attempted to revive a flat-lining run rate, Zimbabwe seemed resigned to the loss. They hadn't even completed the mandatory Powerplay.

After Taylor's dismissal, Zimbabwe opted to spend time in the middle and find some form before the last ODI. Tatenda Taibu and Elton Chigumbura hit risk-free half-centuries to ensure Zimbabwe did not suffer their heaviest one-day defeat, nine days after stumbling to their worst Test loss.

Both men departed soon after passing 50, before tenacious lower order batting on a lifeless pitch helped the visitors bat out their quota - some consolation at the end of another difficult day.

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Ben Hilfenhaus Replaces Injured Brett Lee For Commonwealth Bank Tri-Series 2012

Commonwealth Bank Series 2011-12

Daniel Brettig

February 6, 2012

Ben Hilfenhaus, the leading wicket-taker in Australia's Test series victory over India, has been recalled to the national ODI squad to replace the injured Brett Lee - his first limited overs duty in more than two years.

The national selector John Inverarity and his panel chose an experienced name to cover for Lee rather than picking another youthful pace bowler, affording Hilfenhaus the chance to play his first 50-over internationals since a tour of India in late 2009.

On that tour Hilfenhaus suffered from knee tendinitis that would subsequently keep him out of international cricket for most of the 2009-10 season, and had been employed exclusively in Test matches since.

While naming Hilfenhaus, Inverarity suggested the XI for the Perth match against Sri Lanka on Friday was likely to be unchanged from the one that defeated India in Melbourne on Sunday. However Hilfenhaus may play in the third match, against India in Adelaide on Sunday at Adelaide Oval.

"The NSP has named Ben Hilfenhaus in the squad for the game against Sri Lanka in Perth on Friday," Inverarity said. "Ben will replace the injured Brett Lee. The bowling attack for Perth is likely to be the same as the one that did so well in Melbourne and Ben will be in Perth to provide cover."

Hilfenhaus and Peter Siddle have been resting in reserve since the completion of the Test series, which reaped 27 wickets at 17.22 for the Tasmanian after he was recalled for the Boxing Day Test.

Siddle (23 wickets at 18.65) is likely to come into contention for the second half of the ODI series, his exertions in nine consecutive Test matches deemed worthy of a longer break than Hilfenhaus' four.

As previously flagged by the selectors, Mitchell Marsh will join the ODI squad after the completion of the Sheffield Shield fixture between Queensland and Western Australia at the Gabba. Two of the other mooted contenders for Lee's spot, Nathan Coulter-Nile and Alister McDermott, are also taking part in the match.

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