Pakistan's "The Tour of Sri Lanka 2009"

[Moin91]

Fixtures
Fixtures, Schedule | Sri Lanka v Pakistan 2009 | Cricinfo.com


Younis says Pakistan must switch on for Lanka tour

The headlines in Pakistan continue to laud the national team's ICC World Twenty20 title triumph, but Younis Khan has said his team is ready for its next assignment. Pakistan beat Sri Lanka by eight wickets in the World Twenty20 final at Lord's on Sunday but Younis says he is wary of a stronger showing by Sri Lanka when Pakistan tour there next month.

"The Sri Lanka tour will be a big challenge," Younis said. "The celebrations become a matter of the past when you embark on the next tour, so I hope players get into a different mood soon. We will have to leave our World Cup win behind and focus on what is a very tough assignment against Sri Lanka."

Younis admitted there was more pressure on Pakistan after their success in England but said his squad had the potential to take whatever came their way. "In Kumar Sangakkara, Sri Lanka have a wise captain and their team is balanced with quality players, so we will have to be at our best to get positive results," he said. "It will be double pressure on us because our people want wins in every match and after the Twenty20 success they want more success and that can put pressure on us, but we are ready for it.

"Twenty20 cricket was different and now Test cricket is different, it seriously tests the abilities of a player whereas I don't think the abilities of a player can be gauged in a Twenty20 match."

Saeed Ajmal, the offspinner, has been included alongside Danish Kaneria. Ajmal has yet to play Test cricket but was crucial in Pakistan's success in England, with 12 wickets at 13.58. "Kaneria gives us variety and along with Saeed Ajmal supplements our spin bowling," said Younis, "so it will be a keen contest between two balanced teams and I hope it will be a great series."

Pakistan will play three Tests, five ODIs and a Twenty20. The tour begins with a three-day warm-up match in Colombo on June 29.

 

[Moin91]

Mohammad Yousuf gets ready to leave for Sri Lanka, Lahore, June 27, 2009

Shoaib Malik arrives at the Allama Iqbal airport, Lahore, June 27, 2009

 

[Moin91]

Confident Gul aims to click in SL

Sunday, June 28, 2009
By Khalid Hussain

KARACHI: Umar Gul narrowly missed clinching the player of the series award in the ICC World Twenty20 after playing a key role in Pakistan’s title-winning triumph in the 12-nation spectacle in England earlier this month.

But that hasn’t dented the lanky pacer’s morale as Gul is now looking forward to wrapping up that honour during this summer’s demanding tour of Sri Lanka.

“I feel really confident because of my current form and fitness,” Gul said at the Karachi airport on Saturday just before leaving for Colombo. “It is because of that I’m targeting the man of the series award in Sri Lanka where I’ll give my 110 percent for Pakistan.”

Gul, 25, was by far the most successful bowler in the 2009 World Twenty20, picking up 13 wickets at an average of 12.15 and a economy rate of 6.44. He finished with world record figures of 5-6 in a Super Eights match against New Zealand and also became the first bowler to take 25 or more wickets in Twenty-20 World Cup matches. He now leads the list with a grand haul of 37 wickets from 21 T20 games.

But Gul made it clear that his performance in England will matter for little in Sri Lanka, where difficult playing conditions and a different format awaits Pakistan.

“Things will be entirely different in Sri Lanka,” said Gul. “The weather will be different and so will be the format,” he added referring to the hot and humid conditions in Sri Lanka where Pakistan will begin the tour with a three-match Test series.

Gul said that the team will adapt to the challenging playing conditions by taking part in a three-day warm-up game starting in Colombo from Monday (tomorrow).

“The warm-up game would be very important for us because will we be aiming to switch to the longer version of the game and to acclimatise to the weather conditions.”

Gul may have just played 18 Tests but he would be spearheading the Pakistani attack in Sri Lanka where they will also play five One-day Internationals and a Twenty20 game during the 45-day tour that concludes on August 12 He termed it as a great responsibility.

“To be leading the team’s attack is a huge responsibility,” stressed Gul who has taken 76 Test wickets. “But I’m mentally and physically prepared for it and will try to perform that role in the best possible manner.”

Pakistan’s bowling attack will include comeback all-rounder Abdul Razzaq, youngster Mohammad Aamer, Abdul Rauf and spinners Danish Kaneria and Saeed Ajmal.

Gul believes that Pakistan’s World Twenty20 victory has raised expectations back home which is he and his team-mates will have to come out with their very best to ensure that they don’t disappoint fans.

“We will have to play like world champions in Sri Lanka because expectations at home are very high,” he said.

Gul said that he was moved by the way Pakistani nation has showered the team with praise and rewards but urged the fans to also support the cricketers in troubled times. “It is always great to have the fans behind you especially in defeat.”

The pacer welcomed the return of the team’s premier batsman Mohammad Yousuf, saying that his comeback will improve Pakistan’s chances in the series.

“Yousuf is world class batsman and we are all very happy that he is back.” Yousuf was recalled to the Pakistan squad after he broke ties with the rebel Indian Cricket League (ICL) earlier this summer.

Confident Gul aims to click in SL

 

[Moin91]

Umar Gul... ‘I feel really confident because of my current form and fitness’

Pakistan to hunt for more glory in Sri Lanka

Sunday, June 28, 2009
By our correspondent

KARACHI: Less than a week after lifting the World Twenty20 trophy at Lord’s, Pakistan’s cricketers flew out to Sri Lanka on Saturday still hungry for more glory.

Pakistan coach Intikhab Alam was confident that his charges will give their best during the 45-day tour but made it clear that fitness will be the key to their success in Sri Lanka where they will play three Tests, five One-day Internationals and a Twenty20 game.

“Playing a Test series in Sri Lanka is always very challenging because of the hot and humid weather,” he said. “That is why fitness would be of utmost importance. But I’m pretty confident because my players are fully committed and motivated,” he stressed before his departure for Colombo from Lahore.

The players left in two different batches from Karachi and Lahore. Skipper Younis Khan left from Karachi along with Umar Gul, Fawad Alam, Faisal Iqbal and Khurram Manzoor while nine other players flew out of Lahore on Saturday. Leg-spinner Danish Kaneria, returning to the Pakistan squad for the first time since the 2007 Test against India in Bangalore, will join the team in Colombo from England where he has been playing county cricket.

Pakistan will open the tour with a three-day practice match against a Sri Lanka Cricket XI in Colombo from Monday (tomorrow). The first Test starts in Galle on July.

Intikhab is looking forward to an interesting series.

“Sri Lanka have quality spinners in (Muttiah) Muralitharan and (Ajantha) Mendis but our batting is good and I hope it will be up to the challenge of playing in the heat and against two world-class spinners,” he said.

Pakistan’s batting line-up has received a shot in the arm with the comeback of premier batsman Mohammad Yousuf, who broke his ties with the rebel Indian Cricket League (ICL) and was subsequently recalled in the touring party.

Yousuf, 34, said that he is eyeing a successful return to international cricket.

“I want to make my international comeback a memorable one,” said Yousuf, whose last Test was in Bangalore in December 2007.

“It will not be easy because when you play international cricket after a big gap it’s always tough, but I will do my best to perform my role in the team’s win against Sri Lanka, who are a very tough team on their home grounds.”

Also back in the Test is senior all-rounder Abdul Razzaq, who played a key role in Pakistan’s World Twenty20 campaign.

Razzaq was confident that Pakistan will do well in Sri Lanka. “The way our team is playing I believe we will be favourites to win the series.”

Pakistan squad: Younis Khan (captain), Misbah-ul-Haq (vice captain), Salman Butt, Khurrum Manzoor, Shoaib Malik, Mohammad Yousuf, Kamran Akmal, Abdul Razzaq, Fawad Alam, Umar Gul, Faisal Iqbal, Mohammad Aamir, Danish Kaneria, Saeed Ajmal, Abdul Rauf. Coach: Intikhab Alam.


Umar Gul... ‘I feel really confident because of my current form and fitness’

 

[Ghazy]

I think so that Pakistan lack a fast bowler. Probable Team will be
Butt, Khurram, Younis, Misbah, Yousuf, Malik, Akmal, A.Razzaq, Gul, Kaneria and Ajmal.
And genuine fast bowler is onle Gul and pitches in Srilanka generally supports quickies. Remember Asif getting 11 wckts in a match. Razzaq is not a genuine fast bowler and Aamir is too young to play a test match. So I really think we should have someone like Akhtar or Asif. Rao or Tanvir would not be bad either.

 

[Imran Khan]

SL swat protect pak players.

 

[SummerWine]

SL swat protect pak players.

Nice pics sir, Sri Lankan SWAT look cool

 

[EagleEyes]

It seems like Abdul Razzaq will not play the first test.

 

[Moin91]

Sri Lanka 129/3 (36.6 ov)

Mohammad Aamer is congratulated after dismissing Kumar Sangakkara, Pakistan v Sri Lanka, 1st Test, Galle, 1st day, July 4, 2009

Malinda Warnapura is bowled after an inside edge, Pakistan v Sri Lanka, 1st Test, Galle, 1st day, July 4, 2009

 

[Moin91]

Sri Lanka 255/7 (68.5 ov)

Younis Khan is elated after dismissing Thilan Samaraweera

Mohammad Aamer is delighted after removing Tillakaratne Dilshan

 

[Shiji]

SL swat protect pak players.

Pak-Sri-Lankan Friendship Zindabad!!! My father was an instructor in the Artillery School he said that the most hard-working and most favorite foreign students are Sri-Lankans!

 

[Moin91]

Yousuf marks Test return with superb ton

Monday, July 06, 2009
GALLE, Sri Lanka: Mohammad Yousuf hit a fluent century on his return to big-time cricket to put Pakistan ahead in the first Test against Sri Lanka here on Sunday.

Yousuf made 112 and Misbah-ul Haq chipped in with 56 as Pakistan, replying to Sri Lanka's 292, recovered from 80-4 to post 342 in their first innings on the second day at the Galle International Stadium.

Sri Lanka, trailing by 50 runs, failed to score from the one over bowled by Mohammad Aamer in their second knock before stumps were drawn for the day.

Pakistan's lead left the match evenly poised on a wicket that appeared to have eased out after helping the seamers with bounce and movement on the first day.

Yousuf, who turns 35 next month, was playing his first Test match since December 2007 after being banned by the Pakistan board for his involvement with the unauthorised Indian Cricket League.

But the prolific right-hander was rehabilitated with a call-up for the current tour after breaking links with the rebel body and repaid the selectors' faith with his 24th Test century.

"At one time I feared my career was over, so it was a very good feeling to be back and that too with a hundred because the team needed it badly in this game," Yousuf said.

"The wicket is still not easy to bat on and that's why I feel we should have taken a lead of 100 runs. But we lost our tail cheaply.

"It is very important now that we bowl Sri Lanka out quickly and have a chance to win this game."

The bearded 80-Test veteran hit 11 boundaries en route to his first Test hundred against Sri Lanka when he was run out in the final session attempting a cheeky single.

Sri Lanka were convinced Yousuf should have departed on 57 when he edged left-arm spinner Rangana Herath and the ball carried off the batsman's bat and pad to makeshift wicket-keeper Tillakaratne Dilshan.

Television replays showed Yousuf was out but Australian umpire Daryl Harper turned down the confident appeal from the bowler and close-in fielders.

Pakistan, who began the day at 15-2, lost two quick wickets before Yousuf and Misbah resurrected the innings by adding 139 for the fifth wicket.

When Misbah fell shortly before tea, caught in the slips off Herath, former captain Shoaib Malik (38) helped Yousuf put on 75 for the sixth wicket.

Kamran Akmal hit 31, but Pakistan lost their last five wickets for 48 runs.

Seamer Nuwan Kulasekera finished with 4-71, but mystery spinner Ajantha Mendis went wicketless from 25 overs in which he conceded 89 runs. Dilshan was forced to don the gloves because first choice Prasanna Jayawardene was unavailable due to injury and skipper Kumar Sangakkara, the one-day 'keeper, preferred to guide the bowlers from the outfield.

The three-match series is the first between the two nations since armed gunmen attacked the Sri Lankan team bus in the Pakistani city of Lahore on March 3 while the squad was en route to resume a Test match.

The attack injured seven Sri Lankan players and killed eight local security men. The two teams recently contested the World Twenty20 final in England where Pakistan beat Sri Lanka by eight wickets.

Score board

Pakistan won toss

Sri Lanka 1st innings 292 (N T Paranavitana 72, A D Mathews 42, K M D N Kulasekera 38; Mohammad Aamer 3-74, Abdur Rauf 2-59)

Pakistan 1st innings

Khurram Manzoor lbw b Thushara 2

Salman Butt b Kulasekera 0

*Younis Khan c Dilshan b Mathews 25

Abdur Rauf c Dilshan b Kulasekera 31

Mohammad Yousuf run out 112

Misbah-ul Haq c Jayawardene b Herath 56

Shoaib Malik b Kulasekera 38

†Kamran Akmal run out 31

Umar Gul b Kulasekera 7

Mohammad Aamer c Paranavitana b Thushara 4

Saeed Ajmal not out 1

Extras (b12, lb15, nb7, w1) 35

Total (all out, 94 overs) 342

Fall: 1-1, 2-5, 3-55, 4-80, 5-219, 6-294, 7-303, 8-329, 9-339

Bowling: Kulasekera 24-3-71-4; Thushara 21-3-77-2 (3nb); Mendis 25-2-89-0 (4nb); Mathews 8-2-26-1 (1w); Herath 16-2-52-1

Sri Lanka 2nd innings

R Herath not out 0

M Warnapura not out 0

Total (for no loss, 1 over) 0

To bat: †T M Dilshan, *K C Sangakkara, D P M D Jayawardene, T T Samaraweera, N T Paranavitana, A D Mathews, T Thushara, K M D N Kulasekara, B A W Mendis

Bowling: Aamer 1-1-0-0

Test debuts: Abdur Rauf, Mohammad Aamer and Saeed Ajmal (Pakistan); A D Mathews (Sri Lanka)

Umpires: D J Harper (Australia) and I J Gould (England). TV umpire: H D P K Dharmasena (Sri Lanka). Match referee: A G Hurst (Australia)


Yousuf marks Test return with superb ton

 

[Moin91]

Sri Lanka 292 & 101/5 (26.0 ov)

Pakistan 342

Sri Lanka lead by 51 runs with 5 wickets remaining


Pakistan v Sri Lanka, 1st Test, Galle, 3rd day, July 6, 2009

 

[Hyde]

Pakistan need 168 runs to win and we are 27/0

Masha'Allah we can win this match with ease

 

[Moin91]

at the stumps of 3rd day.
Pakistan 342 & 71/2 (19.0 ov)

Pakistan require another 97 runs with 8 wickets remaining

Masha'Allah Muhammad Aamir is very Good bowler...
in this innings he took three wickets....total 6 wickets in this match...
Great debut....