Asia Cup 2008 Official Schedule & news thread

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Asia Cup 2008

Akmal left out of Asia Cup probables
Cricinfo staff
June 19, 2008

	Sarfraz Ahmed has been picked as Kamran Akmal's replacement © AFP

The axe has finally fallen on Kamran Akmal as Pakistan have left out the under fire wicketkeeper from the list of 20 probables announced for the Asia Cup, which begins on June 24. All the other members of the squad that won the Kitply Cup in Bangladesh have been included among the probables.

"We have decided to rest Kamran Akmal. He needs to sharpen up his stumps work," Salahuddin Ahmed, chief selector, told Cricinfo. Akmal has been Pakistan's regular wicketkeeper since November 2004, when he took over from Moin Khan, playing virtually non-stop in all three formats. Over the last two years, however, Akmal's form has been poor behind the stumps. The slump began on the 2006 tour to England, where he fluffed a number of chances, but since then he has been unable to improve.

The last straw came when he was criticised by Nasim Ashraf, the PCB chairman, in an email leaked to the press for claiming a controversial catch against Virender Sehwag during the Kitply Cup league match against India, which Pakistan lost by 140 runs.

"[The] wicketkeeping was pathetic, especially after Kamran Akmal dropped the catch and pretended that he had held on to it," Ashraf wrote to team manager Talat Ali.

Probables for Asia Cup Shoaib Malik, Misbah-ul-Haq, Bazid Khan, Fawad Alam, Iftikhar Anjum, Mohammad Yousuf, Nasir Jamshed, Abdur Rauf, Naumanullah, Salman Butt, Shahid Afridi, Sohail Khan, Sohail Tanvir, Umar Gul, Wahab Riaz, Younis Khan, Sarfraz Ahmed, Yasir Hameed, Mansoor Amjad, Saeed Ajmal

"This is unsporting behaviour but perhaps one has to give him the benefit of the doubt as he may not have realised that the ball had slipped out from his hand, which was picked up by the cameras. I do not want such behaviour from any Pakistani player. Please warn everyone. We ought to be looking at playing another 'keeper."

Part of the reason Akmal was persisted with for so long was that he was Shoaib Malik's preference, particularly as Malik was able to utilise him as an opener. But a poor showing in front of and behind the stumps in Bangladesh has finally meant he can no longer hold his place. Sarfraz Ahmed, the former U-19 World Cup winning captain, has been expectedly called up as Akmal's replacement.

Other inclusions in the probables are opening batsman Yasir Hameed, Mansoor Amjad, Abdur Rauf and Saeed Ajmal, the offspinner off the back of an impressive first-class season, taking 38 wickets in 12 matches at an average of 29.
"He [Amjal] was impressive this season and we want to assess him more carefully now before we announce the final squad," Salahuddin said.
While Sarfraz has played only three ODIs, not having batted in any of them, Hameed has been in and out of the side since last year, though he made his debut in 2003. Rauf is a fast bowler who has played one ODI, against Zimbabwe in February. The final squad will be named on June 22.

© Cricinfo

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Asia Cup 2008

Bangladesh aim for place in second round
Cricinfo staff
June 20, 2008

	Mohammad Ashraful: "I have played to the situation in the tri-series [Kitply Cup] too and I will do the same in Pakistan from where I bat" © AFP

Bangladesh captain Mohammad Ashraful and coach Jamie Siddons are aiming for a place in the second round of the Asia Cup with a win over UAE, on June 24, the opening day of the tournament, in Lahore.

"Definitely we want to win against UAE and better our Asia Cup records," Ashraful said. "If we don't go for the win, we won't be in the second round but I am sure we will make it."

Bangladesh first played the Asia Cup in 1988, but didn't win a single game till 2004, where they got their only win against Hong Kong, who feature in the tournament this year as well.

Siddons said he expected his team to play really well in the second round. "I have seen some great signs in the batsmen on individual basis. But as far as putting all of that together, the players haven't done it yet. The bowlers must deliver better performances because that is one problem.

"Whether we will win after the first round I am not sure, But I am looking forward to putting our best game together as far as batting is concerned and a much better show in bowling." Bangladesh are in group A along with UAE and Sri Lanka. They are scheduled to arrive in Pakistan on Saturday.

Ashraful said he will play aggressive cricket if there was a need to do that. "I have played to the situation in the tri-series [Kitply Cup] too and I will do the same in Pakistan from where I bat. It is necessary to play that role in that No. 3 role." Bangladesh lost to India and Pakistan in the Kitply Cup but Ashraful managed an unbeaten half-century in opening game against Pakistan. "We could not take 100% advantage of those [Dhaka] pitches but yes, Lahore and Karachi have very good wickets and we hope to utilise it."

Meanwhile MA Latif, a member of the Bangladesh board's (BCB) executive committee, decided to resign from his post for personal reasons. "He has submitted the resignation letter to the BCB president Sina Ibn Jamali," Sajjadul Alam, the chairman of the board's media committee, told the Daily Star, a Dhaka daily. Latif had worked as the team manager before he was appointed chairman of the games development committee.

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Asia Cup 2008

Malik warns against complacency
Cricinfo staff
June 21, 2008

	Shoaib Malik does not want to take things lightly in the Asia Cup © AFP

Shoaib Malik, the Pakistan captain, has warned against complacency as his side gears up for the Asia Cup on the back of their triumph in the Bangladesh tri-series.

"There is no doubt that the victory in Bangladesh has boosted our confidence," Malik said during a preparatory camp at the National Stadium in Karachi. "But the Asia Cup will be a different tournament altogether and we will have to start from scratch."

Pakistan kick off their Asia Cup campaign with a game against Hong Kong on June 24, but Malik said his side wouldn't take things for granted. "We will work hard and give our best in each of the matches, no matter which side we are playing against in the event."

Malik picked out India and Sri Lanka as the main threats to Pakistan's hopes of clinching the title for the second time in the tournament's history. "Let's not forget that India are a very dangerous team," he said. "They've beaten Australia this year and we will have to give our best to beat them. And then, we cannot take Sri Lanka lightly."

Pakistan are on a high after their defeating India in the final of the Bangladesh tri-series. They turned things around after a humiliating 140-run loss against them in the league phase, after which PCB chairman Nasim Ashraf sent a stinging email to the team manager.

© Cricinfo

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Asia Cup 2008

Stage set for Hong Kong to prove themselves
Cricinfo staff
June 22, 2008

While he knows all too well how tough it will be for his inexperienced side to beat India and Pakistan, Hong Kong captain Tabarak Dar sees the Asia Cup as an excellent opportunity to learn and develop.
The tournament starts in Karachi on June 24, and Dar believes it will encourage Hong Kong and other smaller sides to lift their game in the future. "I believe this [Asia Cup] is a very good chance to play with big guns Pakistan and India, the two world-class outfits," he told the Dawn, a Pakistan daily. "And if we are able to compete with them it would only benefit Hong Kong cricket.

"Even though our task is very tough, we are pretty optimistic of putting up a good show here because the stage is set for our lads to prove everyone where we stand in international cricket."
Hong Kong lost both their matches in the previous Asia Cup in 2004. They play hosts Pakistan on Tuesday and India the next day.

"At the end of the day, we are not here on holidays," said Dar, 32. "Our aim is to be competitive in this tournament and try to create an upset or two. Playing alongside the best teams will be a good learning process for my team."

While Dar could not single out any one player to watch out for, he had confidence in his team. "There are individuals in this squad who are capable of big things," he said. "Basically, ours is a side that contains all-round players. However, we are pinning our bowling hopes on Nadeem Ahmed, who was a youngster when we played in Sri Lanka in 2004."

"Straight after the Asia Cup we have the ACC Trophy, so we are looking at it as an opportunity to play against bigger Test nations and show the world where we stand here and then in the ACC Trophy," said Dar.

Aftab Habib, Hong Kong's coach, admitted they were up against the odds. "We are a very small team but this Asia Cup gives us an opportunity to know where we stand against bigger teams and it is a huge stepping stone for us," Habib, a former England Test player who took over as coach 10 months ago, told AFP. "I am honoured to be associated with Hong Kong cricket and by now have got to know the boys well and the goal for me is to take them further."

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Asia Cup 2008 Siddons targets 240 as team total Cricinfo staff June 22, 2008 Jamie Siddons: "We used to score over 200 runs only about 25% of the time, but since I have been here it has gone up to 50%" © TigerCricket.com Jamie Siddons, the Bangladesh coach, has targetted 240 as the total his team should try and score every time they bat during the Asia Cup. "If we can regularly score 240, which we rarely do, we can be competitive and hopefully win a few games," Siddons told the Dhaka-based New Age. Looking at the positives within his team, Siddons said it was good to see Bangladesh were no longer relying only on Mohammad Ashraful to get big scores. "Now we have Raqibul [Hasan] , we have Shakib [Al Hasan], we have Tamim [Iqbal] - they are all capable of making 90 or 100 at international level against the better teams. I know it will come together at some point and when they all perform at the same time, we will be a good team. What we are trying to tell people is that it's not just about Ashraful, it's about the rest of the players around him performing. Once that starts to happen, Ashraful will be a bonus." Siddons was also pleased that the team was scoring more than 200 and batting out 50 overs more often than they used to. "We used to score over 200 runs only about 25% of the time, but since I have been here it has gone up to 50%. That is a start. Things are not going to turn around overnight with this team. We have changed the team a fair bit; lots of younger players have come into the side. At the moment, we have the young guys learning the game at the international level and I see some really good performances." Siddons defended the 'Team Rules' that he drew up for each player and denied they were having an adverse effect on the players' natural game. "When I first came here, everyone was saying to me - you have got to stop Ashraful from playing rash shots all the time. Now that he has stopped playing rash shots, you are telling me to let him play them. So I am not sure what everyone wants. But with Ash batting at three, I think it's perfect. He can play his natural game until we lose two wickets. After that, he has to play a little bit more sensibly." Siddons said it was a reality that other teams were better than Bangladesh and his players knew that. "Out there it is a tough game for them with the skill level they have got. Our batsmen average 20; batsmen in other teams average 35. So it's 350 for them versus 200 for us. That is the reality of the situation." Siddons was also critical of the infrastructure available to the domestic players, and said there was a need to get better coaches to Bangladesh. "Even the Premier League clubs have terrible training facilities." He also said the first-class structure was not producing players good enough for the international circuit. "In our domestic cricket, we don't have bowlers who bowl at over 130 kph. Yet, at the international level, every side has got bowlers who bowl at 140-145 kph. That is a massive difference. "Also, bowlers in international cricket tend to be a lot taller than the ones our batsmen face in domestic cricket, which again makes a massive difference. You can't learn it until you face it. You can't try it in the nets, can't try it with the bowling machine. That is why our players fail when they first get into international cricket. So improving the quality of domestic cricket, making the wickets bounce a lot more would make a big difference." Bangladesh open their Asia Cup campaign with a match against UAE on June 24. © Cricinfo

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Asia Cup 2008 You will see me batting up the order - Dhoni Nagraj Gollapudi June 22, 2008 Mahendra Singh Dhoni will bat higher up the order in the Asia Cup, in the hope that India score more heavily during the middle overs © AFP Mahendra Singh Dhoni says India will be looking to score above five runs an over in the middle overs of the Asia Cup, which starts on June 24 in Pakistan. He also said he would bat up the order to avoid the sort of collapse that happened in the recent Kitply Cup final against Pakistan, where they lost wickets at regular intervals and ended up 25 runs short when chasing 316. "In the middle overs it is important to keep scoring at 5 to 5.5 runs per over at least till the 40th over without losing many wickets," said Dhoni before India's departure for the ninth edition of the Asia Cup. "[In Bangladesh] we did well in the league games but in the final we had a good run rate but lost wickets. Yuvi [Yuvraj Singh] was going well but the lack of an experienced partner didn't help us," Dhoni said, admitting his gamble of sending Suresh Raina ahead of him didn't go well and that he would not repeat the same mistake again. India have done reasonably well in the middle overs recently: in the last 13 games - starting with the CB Series earlier this year - they have scored at the rate of 5.01 between the 21st and 40th over, and have averaged 34.88 runs per wicket, losing 34 wickets in those overs. While they scored at a good rate during the league matches of the Kitply Cup, Dhoni singled out the loss of wickets at regular intervals during Pakistan's 25-run win in the final as the main cause for defeat. "You will see me batting up the order," he said in response to the matter. It has been 13 years since India last won the Asia Cup but Dhoni believed that with a few changes they can clinch victory this year. Instead of resting on the laurels of the CB Series triumph in March or the formidable performances by most of his Asia Cup team-mates in the Indian Premier League, Dhoni said the focus was on coming back from another final loss to Pakistan. "It is not about what has happened in the past," he said. "We will win more matches than lose if we play to our potential and our capability. If you want to be exceptional side you have to learn from mistakes." Gary Kirsten, India's coach, echoed Dhoni's sentiments and said that winning the event was one of the goals the team had set for itself as part of the plan for the next year. India have won the Asia Cup four times, the most by any team, but their last triumph came in 1995. Nagraj Gollapudi is an assistant editor at Cricinfo © Cricinfo

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Asia Cup 2008
Injury sidelines Maharoof again
Sa'adi Thawfeeq
June 22, 2008

	Farveez Maharoof hasn't played for Sri Lanka since the CB Series in Australia earlier this year © Getty Images

Farveez Maharoof, the Sri Lankan allrounder, has been ruled out of the Asia Cup tournament in Pakistan due to an abdominal strain. He will be replaced by Thilan Thushara, the left-arm medium-fast bowler.
Maharoof, 23, suffered the injury while bowling in a practice match at the SSC grounds on Thursday, and although the first scan failed to reveal the injury, a second scan taken on Friday showed that he had strained his left abdominal muscles.
Ranjith Nanayakkarawasam, the Sri Lanka team physio, said that Maharoof would be out of action for at least six weeks. "He requires physiotherapy treatment and rest."
Maharoof has had an impressive ODI career, taking 104 wickets in 79 matches at an average of 24, but the last match he played for Sri Lanka was during the CB Series in Australia four months ago. He was forced to miss the tour of the West Indies due to a side strain, though he recovered full fitness to play for Delhi Daredevils in the IPL tournament in India.
Thushara, his replacement, made his international debut on the tour to the West Indies earlier this year. He played all three Tests, taking eight wickets, and returned figures of 1 for 12 from 5.2 overs in his only ODI, a washed out game in St Lucia.
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Asia Cup 2008
Sri Lanka look for change of fortune
Sa'adi Thawfeeq
June 22, 2008

	Mahela Jayawardene wants more consistency from his team in the Asia Cup © AFP

Mahela Jayawardene, the Sri Lankan captain, is hoping his team rediscovers the winning touch in the Asia Cup after three poor series since the 2007 World Cup. Since making the final of that tournament in the Caribbean, Sri Lanka have suffered one-day defeats against England at home, in Australia in the CB Series and in the West Indies.
"We are working really hard and we have to start putting things right, there's no doubt about it," said Jayawardene. "The guys want to do well and the opportunity is there. The Asia Cup is a big tournament. It's in our hands and our responsibility to get the job done."
Over the last 13 months, Sri Lanka have only won eight out of 22 ODIs, and three of those wins were against Bangladesh at home. "We haven't been consistent with our all-round performances," Jayawardene admitted prior to his team's departure to Pakistan. "Either we make mistakes in our batting or bowling or in the field. If you are to compete and beat sides consistently you need to get it right more often. That's an area we have spoken about, set game plans and try to execute them. If you are to do well overall you have to be consistent.
"When you are not winning matches obviously you do lose confidence. That's when we tried a few different combinations and tried to bring in a few different personnel. When you do that it also unsettles the side. We just need to have a lot of belief and trust in the guys we've got, make sure we give them full confidence so that they believe in themselves to go and do the job."
Sri Lanka have also suffered recently through injuries to their bowlers - Lasith Malinga, Dilhara Fernando, and Farveez Maharoof all missed the tour of the West Indies, and Malinga and Maharoof have been ruled out of the Asia Cup as well. Jayawardene insisted, though, that their absence had nothing to do with Sri Lanka's 2-0 defeat in the ODI series.
"We had the right personnel. People may get injured or get dropped but whoever is there need to get the job done. There are no excuses for that," said Jayawardene. "We had a great opportunity to win the first ODI which we lost, the second we didn't bat well at all. We didn't settle ourselves into the conditions and take responsibility. The third one we batted well for 260 and probably were in a good position to win, but that's how it goes." The bowling attack will be bolstered, though, by the return of Fernando and Muttiah Muralitharan, who missed the ODI series in the West Indies.
Looking ahead to the Asia Cup, Jayawardene said that while India and Pakistan were obviously the two biggest threats, it would be dangerous to write off Bangladesh. "We need to make sure we respect them for who they are and play a proper game."
He also said the games against India and Pakistan would be a good test of Sri Lanka's abilities. "We've got the same strength in all departments. We can definitely pit ourselves against them and see where we stand right now as a team. It's a good challenge for us."
The format of the tournament also makes it imperative for teams to get into their stride straightaway, said Jayawardene. "In a short tournament of two weeks the momentum is very important. We have to make sure we have that momentum going because things can happen so quickly. Matches are going to come thick and fast and we need to be prepared for it."

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Asia Cup 2008
Uncertainty still surrounds buoyant Pakistan
Osman Samiuddin in Karachi
June 22, 2008

	Sarfraz Ahmed won't replace Kamran Akmal as opening partner to Salman Butt, but Pakistan will hope he holds his chances better than his predecessor © AFP

A rare tournament win and a rarer tournament at home means Pakistan go into their opening game of the ninth Asia Cup in what can, for once, be called a buoyant mood. Opening against Hong Kong in this most irregular of tournaments only adds to the confidence, enough to alleviate some of the early pressure that comes from being hosts.
"We are professionals and the pressure in all games is high," Shoaib Malik, Pakistan's captain, told reporters. "Our morale is high after our win in Bangladesh and we will again be aiming to do our best here."
High spirits or not, the suspicion still lurks that no one really knows what Pakistan's best team is at the moment. Permutations and combinations still remain unresolved. No preview of Pakistan would be complete without a glance at the openers for instance. Malik has long insisted that Salman Butt and Kamran Akmal are his preferred pair in ODIs, but the latter's overdue dropping confuses an already confused issue.
The murmurs are that Malik himself may open, which given his successes higher up the ODI order, is not a bad call. Shahid Afridi will also be in the running no doubt, despite his traditional reluctance. Either of these options allows Pakistan the luxury of a sixth bowler, but it also means Nasir Jamshed, who should really be tested here and now, may miss out.
Everyone knows what Pakistan's first-choice pace attack should be, but equally they know there is as much chance of them playing together as there is of uninterrupted 24-hour electricity supply through the country. Umar Gul, Sohail Tanvir and Rao Iftikhar are a willing trio, though perhaps missing just a little menace.
Sohail Khan, the designated 'next big thing', will not be around to provide it, missing out with malaria. "Our bowlers did pretty well in the Bangladesh tri-series," Malik reasoned. "Sohail Khan has a great future ahead of him but it is unfortunate that he is out with malaria." Saeed Ajmal's inclusion provides Pakistan with some variety at least, and a first specialist offspinning option since the under-rated Arshad Khan.
Most eyes, however, will be on the boy behind the stumps, the ebullient Sarfraz Ahmed. Long touted as Akmal's understudy and given opportunities only intermittently, the former Under-19 captain is unlikely to get a better chance to take over the gloves: a big stage, crunch games and an uninterrupted run of at least six matches.
Typically of this modern wicketkeeping age, the only question asked about Sarfraz was of his batting skills, the implication being of course, whether he can provide the kind of high-elbowed oomph Akmal occasionally did. Malik, a keen backer of Akmal, didn't sound altogether convincing in stating his case.
"He has batting ability. He can bat, but he plays lower down the order," he said. "There is a little gap between him and Akmal but Sarfraz will improve the more he plays." More than runs, Pakistan will just want Sarfraz to take what chances come his way.
And in June and July, it might not be that straightforward. This is the first time international cricket will be played in Pakistan at this time of the year and if New Zealand or any other country visits in August prior to the Champions Trophy, it effectively means cricket has been played all year-round here. Even in the late 4pm starts, conditions will be stifling and humidity high, though God's gift to Karachi - the sea breeze - might help. Under lights, more extraneous factors can be added.
Malik has the unconcern of a captain who has won more than he has lost recently. "That shouldn't affect us at all. We are professionals and we have to perform in hot or cold conditions. In Bangladesh recently it was hotter than this anyway so it doesn't matter."
Osman Samiuddin is Pakistan editor of Cricinfo
© Cricinfo