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Mushtaq Ahmed: PCA player of the year

Mushtaq Ahmed was last night named player of the year by the Professional Cricketers Association. It caps off a memorable season for Mushtaq, who took 103 first-class wickets for Sussex and helped them to win the Championship for the first time in their history.Chris Adams and the Sussex squad received the award on Mushtaq’s behalf at the PCA’s annual end-of-season dinner in London. Meanwhile, Kabir Ali took the young player of the year prize in recognition of his 54 wickets for Worcestershire, who won Division Two of the County Championship, while Alec Stewart was given a lifetime achievement for his contribution to the game.Richard Bevan, chief executive of the PCA, said: “These awards are special because the players decide the winners, based on playing with or against them during the season. The players rewarded Mushtaq’s outstanding record this year, and with some truly devastating bowling spells he can take a great deal of credit for Sussex’ Division One success.”Other winners included:
Slazenger Sheer Instinct Award: Ed Smith
MCC Spirit of Cricket Award: Glamorgan County Cricket Club (voted for by the umpires)
PCA in the Community Award: NatWest Cricket with the Princes Trust
Special Merit Award: Stuart Robertson for his work on Twenty20 Cricket with the ECB
Umpire of the Year: Neil Mallender
Groundsman of the Year: Mick Hunt (Lord’s)

Dhaka Division got full points in their 4-day match against Chittagong Division in Ispahani 3rd National Cricket League 2001-2002 held in M A Aziz stadium, Chittagong today. They defeated the hosts by 24 runs as Chittagong were all out for 179 in their second innings.Winning the toss Chittagong Division sent their opponents to bat first. Dhaka piled up 285 runs with the help of Mehrab Hussain (60), Halim Shah (57) and Neeyamur Rashid (37). Tareq Aziz Khan captured 5 wickets for 68.Chittagong failed to capitalize the advantage of the home ground and they managed only 237 thanks to veteran Minhajul Abedin’s 78 and opener Azam Iqbal’s 63. Ex-Bangladeshi captain Naimur Rahman claimed 4 wickets giving away 68 runs.Dhaka batted again having a 48 run lead, but could not fend off the hostile deliveries off Tareq Aziz. In the second innings they lost all their wickets having 155 runs on the board. Neeyamur Rashid top scored with 37. Tareq Aziz caused the havoc once again removing 5 Dhaka batsmen for 44.Chittagong Division, having a target of 203 to win, lost dependable opener Azam Iqbal for 4 only. Local hero Masum-ud-Dowla made the highest 38. Akram Khan scored 30. Spinner duo Naimur Rahman and Mosaddek Hossain made the task impossible for Chittagong. They restricted the hosts to 179 all out. Both naimur and Mosaddek captured three wickets each.Tareq Aziz Khan was adjudges the man-of-the-match for his 10-wicket haul in the match.

With the end result of a modest first innings lead secured, Sussex spentmuch of this day doing little more than trying to grind and claw its way ontop of Middlesex in the teams’ willing County Championship struggle atSouthgate. Their slightly more resourceful opponents, meanwhile, used theoccasion first to prevent this deficit from extending to hefty proportionsand then to launch a spirited second innings assault on the back of theefforts of its best two batsmen.Aside from three forceful cuts from Michael Bevan in the opening over ofthe day, this was predominantly an occasion for the steady accumulation ofruns. The ray of hope offered by the Australian was dimmed in the secondover when Phil Tufnell (4/88) lured him out of his crease to have himstumped; ended with Middlesex grimly preserving its remaining seven secondinnings wickets; and generally offered little in the way of attackingshotmaking in between.For an action-filled day to have eventuated, the best prospects lay in theemergence of substantial contributions to the Sussex first innings fromeither of their two premier batsmen, Bevan and Chris Adams. That pairscored just thirty runs between them though, they were both gone early inproceedings, and the die was cast. The pitch, and the probing turn andflight extracted by Tufnell in foty tight overs, rendered scoring difficultand Sussex’s batsmen in particular exhibited little willingness to dominateat any stage. Robin Martin-Jenkins (44) and Tony Cottey (42) emerged astheir mainstays in a generally disappointing performance.When Middlesex’s turn came, strokeplay was slightly more abundant, and itwas their captain, Justin Langer (48), who was chiefly responsible for theturnaround. Before playing one lofted on drive too many, he gained goodsupport first from Mike Roseberry (28) and then his team’s other main starwith the bat, Mark Ramprakash (27*), as they worked hard to overcome theearly departure of Andrew Strauss (3) and lift the score to 125/3 by theclose. As for Tufnell, the reward for his control today came in the formof the wickets of James Kirtley (21), Bevan (30) and Adams (0). It was aheartening exhibition and one which breathed some life into the home team’sambitions of clawing its way off the bottom of the Division Two table. Inits favour too, of course, is the fact that the Southgate pitch is showingmarked signs of increasingly yielding to spin. Chasing a decent fourthinnings target – no matter its exact dimension – is unlikely to be an easyproposition.

Manchester United have been surprisingly quiet thus far into the summer window; alarmingly quiet for some. David Moyes is yet to really signal his arrival as the new manager, while failed bids for Cesc Fabregas and an apparent lack of interest in Thiago can only add to the frustration.

But, big-name signings can come in the form of young talents from across Europe. United have regularly been linked with some of the leading names in football, and there is no reason why any of them wouldn’t want to further their education at Old Trafford.

United have the pulling power, the financial backing and the history of taking youngsters to the next level. Picking one or two from the myriad of young talents currently available in Europe would be a perfect marker for Moyes’ intent at the club.

Click on Lucas Moura to see FIVE wonderkids for Manchester United

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Younis Khan: “If the board feels I can be a good Test captain, I am willing to do it” © AFP

In a surprise change of heart, Younis Khan has said he is now willing to lead the Test side if the Pakistan board asked him to do so.Younis has long shown a reluctance to lead Pakistan. He gave up the captaincy – and swiftly took it back – last year before the Champions Trophy, and then turned down the post again after the Caribbean World Cup this year.And he was again an unwilling stand-in captain after Shoaib Malik’s ankle injury ruled him out of the last two Tests against India. “If the board wants me to lead the team, I can do it. But first we [himself and the officials] need to sit down, discuss and finalise some things,” Younis told .Younis had been the official vice-captain for two years under Inzamam-ul-Haq and was widely expected to take over once Inzamam resigned. At the time of his refusal, he also stepped down from the vice-captain’s role, before surprisingly accepting for the tour to India.”I only agreed to be vice-captain for the Indian tour because of the importance of the series. If the matches had been against any other team I might not have accepted this responsibility.”But now if the board feels I can be a good Test captain, I am willing to do it but after talking to them,” he said. “If the team can do well under my captaincy I would be very happy but I am not asking anyone for the job. This is the board’s prerogative whatever they want to do.”The board has, however, responded by saying that Younis’s offer is too late and that they are happy with the incumbent. “Younis was our first choice as captain but he refused the responsibility,” Nasim Ashraf, chairman PCB, told . “Now we have appointed Shoaib Malik as our captain till December, 2008 and have complete faith in him which is why there is no need to change the captain,” he added.Ashraf said that Younis is yet to talk to him about his change of heart. “I’m not aware about Younis’s comments that he is willing to take up captaincy but even if he is, we already have a captain.”

Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
How they were out

Cool hand Astle led New Zealand safely home © AFP

Stuttering, stumbling, bumbling, New Zealand eventually managed to find a way home, beating Sri Lanka by five wickets at Eden Park to ensure that the two match Twenty20 series was shared one-all. After James Franklin and a menacing all-pace New Zealand attack had bundled out Sri Lanka for 115, New Zealand squandered a flying start, losing their way, before the experience of Nathan Astle eventually guided them home with nine balls to spare.It should never have even gotten that sweaty, especially after Franklin had sashayed his way through the top order as Sri Lanka were put into bat by Stephen Fleming. From the very first ball of the match, he was at it, a thin edge from Upul Tharanga unnoticed by everyone, apart from technology. Not that it mattered for two balls later, he was bowled. That set a pattern for the rot that followed.It helped that the surface had both pace and bounce, lifelong enemies of subcontinent teams, but arguably the zest with which New Zealand’s grey shirts (a tribute to their 1992 World Cup innovators) bowled and fielded helped even more. Chamara Kapugedera tonked an impressive six over long-on in Franklin’s second over but Mahela Jayawardene fell in the same over.Kapugedera went himself next, slicing Michael Mason to third man, where Franklin – who seemed to be everywhere all at once at that stage – made a difficult chance look easy. Kumar Sangakkara, in regal touch all tour, briefly fought, hoicking and then flicking consecutive boundaries through leg in the sixth over.As it turned out, those were the last boundaries for nearly seven overs, a veritable lifetime. Batsmen, meant to be lords of this format, were reduced to paupers. They fed off stolen, surreptitious singles and boundaries, their staple diet, all but vanished. Franklin came out of the attack, having dismissed Marvan Atapattu only for Mark Gillespie and Andre Adams to take over.Gillespie charged, a quicker, less stocky Mick Lewis – touching 140kmph and getting bounce, he was altogether more threatening. Adams was skiddier, a mutant version of Imran Khan’s action, but both picked up wickets during the middle overs and choked runs. At that stage the only bad news for New Zealand was Gillespie limping off with a knee injury in his last over.Nathan Astle replaced Gillespie, a change that allowed Lasith Malinga and Dilhara Fernando a worthy tailend punt. Malinga hoisted a massive six over midwicket off Astle. Almost like a top-order batsman, he dabbed him through point for four before lifting him for another six over long-on. Fernando played the wonky sidekick, inside edging and outside edging a couple of boundaries as a hundred was belatedly brought up. Two more conventional boundaries arrived, but they were merely a last, meek hurrah, Malinga falling to Jeetan Patel’s off-spin with ten balls still left to go.

Stephen Fleming holes out to Chamara Kapugedera © AFP

As often happens in these type of games, the pitch took on a different hue when the other side bowled. Sri Lanka were missing thousands of wickets’ experience in Muttiah Muralitharan, Chaminda Vaas and Sanath Jayasuriya (all rested) and it showed.A worse Boxing Day was difficult to imagine for Ruchira Perera, smashed liberally to all parts of the ground as New Zealand began in a hurry. Brendon McCullum, in particular, recreated his hustling, bustling, all-action persona from the first game. Perera’s action looked rickety but his bowling was even worse, McCullum and Fleming taking six boundaries from his first two overs.As he was taken off, Sri Lanka briefly recovered. For as long as there is limited overs cricket – of ten, twenty or fifty overs – there will remain the Sri Lankan spinners’ mid-innings choke and Tillekeratne Dilshan and Malinga Bandara did it here. Boundaries momentarily dried up, singles evaporated and two run-outs in one Dilshan over pegged New Zealand back. At 65 for three, Sri Lanka squeaked.But Astle simply played smart. Content to pick up singles and doubles where he could, he bided his time, waiting for the pacers, especially Perera, to return. When he did, in the 16th over, Astle immediately drove him over extra cover for four. And in his next over, he pulled him first for four through long-on before lifting him for a giant six over long-on: 15 from the over and the deal, with a little negotiating, was sealed.

Pakistan XI 239 for 9 (Bazid 90*, Rafatullah 55, Anderson 4-46) beat England XI 236 for 7 (Collingwood 75*, Prior 72) by one wicket
Scorecard

Matt Prior on his way to 72 but it wasn’t enough as England suffered another defeat © Getty Images

Another match against Pakistan A at Bagh-e-Jinnah, another setback for England. Last month it was Hasan Raza who sealed a memorable match with an unbeaten 71; today another young cricketer with a point to prove also pushed his claims for an international recall. Bazid Khan, the son of the legendary Majid, guided Pakistan A to the finish with a superb unbeaten 90 from 88 balls, and served notice that he is not satisfied with his current haul of one Test cap and three ODI appearances.Chasing 237 for victory as the light faded in the leafy surrounds of Bagh-e-Jinnah, Bazid stood firm in spite of a late wobble from the tail, and applied the coup de grace with a brilliant piece of improvisation. James Anderson, who had bowled impressively with the new ball, returned at the death to grab three wickets in six deliveries, and at 217 for 8, Pakistan A’s challenge appeared to have faded.Bazid however, had other ideas, and wrested back the initiative in Anderson’s next over, as he dropped to one knee, and deflected a full-length delivery high and handsomely over the keeper for a one-bounce four. A crestfallen Anderson was then clobbered over the covers for the winning runs, and England have now gone five matches and as many weeks without a victory since their opening three-day fixture in Rawalpindi.In mitigation, England were missing three of their biggest guns. Marcus Trescothick, Andrew Flintoff and Steve Harmison were all rested after their exertions in the Test series, leaving the captaincy in the hands of Andrew Strauss, who has only just returned to the tour following the birth of his first child, Samuel. After losing the toss and being asked to bat first, Strauss was also the first wicket to fall, caught behind off Riaz Afridi for 5 as England struggled in the misty morning conditions.But as the sun cut through the clouds and the early life in the pitch died down, Matt Prior began to unfurl the selection of strokes that could earn him a role as England’s Supersub when Trescothick returns to the top of the order. He added 76 for the second wicket with Vikram Solanki, who has been offered another opportunity in the absence of Michael Vaughan, before Solanki was superbly caught for 26 by Tahir Khan, running back from point to take a skied swish over his shoulder.That gave Abdul Razzaq a welcome wicket on his comeback from injury, and soon afterwards Kevin Pietersen’s difficult tour continued, as he was bowled by a beauty from Yasir Arafat for 2. Prior’s performance then ended as he top-edged a sweep to short backward square-leg, giving Tahir his first wicket of the innings.At 134 for 4, the innings was in the balance, but Paul Collingwood came into his own in the middle order, marshalling the final overs as a selection of colleagues played handy cameos around him. England’s team for this match included all three one-day specialists – Solanki, Kabir Ali and Ian Blackwell, as well as Prior and Anderson, neither of whom took part in the Test series.Blackwell, who has a golden opportunity to cement a slot in the side ahead of the World Cup next winter, had moved along to a quickfire 15 when he was caught behind off Iftikhar Rao, while Kabir’s innings ended in freakish circumstances, when his thumping straight drive cannoned off Collingwood’s shoulder and looped into the hands of Rafitullah Mohammad at mid-on.England’s total was more or less par for the conditions, and when Yasir Hameed edged a beauty from Anderson to Solanki at first slip, it looked doubly impressive. But Pakistan rallied through a third-wicket partnership of 60 between Bazid and Rafatullah Mohmand, who made 55 before he was brilliantly caught by Pietersen off Collingwood.Collingwood added a second when Razzaq was bowled for 8, but Faisal Iqbal cracked four fours and a six in a quickfire 33 to keep Pakistan A’s challenge alive. But ultimately it was Bazid who made the difference between the teams, as England’s problematic tour of Pakistan hit another spot of turbulence.

Martin Snedden, the head of New Zealand Cricket, has suggested that India might be asked to visit New Zealand for a one-day series in January – a move prompted by Sri Lanka’s tour cancellation. India are currently on a break for nearly two months: this availability, as well as their commercial pull, makes them an attractive replacement.When asked about the possibility of India touring, Snedden told the NZ Press Association, “I haven’t had a chance to look closely at it but we’ll have to do some work … it’s a possible option but I don’t know whether it’s workable or not.”But it is unlikely that India will tour. Pakistan are scheduled to arrive in February, and besides denying that they had not received any request from the New Zealand board, India board officials said that there wasn’t enough time to tour any other country before then.Ranbir Singh Mahendra, the president of the BCCI, said to , “It’s a fact that we don’t have much time as Pakistan are due to arrive here in February.”

There’s something appropriate about newly-selected New Zealand bowler Michael Mason regarding Australian legend Glenn McGrath as his bowling model. They are both country lads.Mason, 29 next week, who hails from Mangatainoka, in the northern Wairarapa – a part of the country where its Tui brewery and pub are the only features to disturb the blinking of a driver’s eye on the way through – has been a journeyman bowler in the classic New Zealand mould, who was dogged by the most frustrating bad luck during the formative years of his cricket.The worst example was three seasons ago when he broke his leg while attempting to field a ball from his own bowling during a one-day match for his Central Districts side in Timaru. There are team-mates who are still sickened by what they heard as the leg snapped, in the ankle region, and by what they saw when it was obvious Mason was in distress.Since then he has come back well, saying it took a year for him to get full mobility and strength back, and then building on that to become one of the most consistent bowlers in the country. It was always likely that he would get a crack at playing for New Zealand. His age for making his international debut may be late by the standards of most countries in the world, but is not unusual for New Zealanders.When his injury problems are added into the equation, his timing is about right for bowlers who don’t tend to mature under New Zealand conditions until their mid-to-late 20s. It is almost unfashionable, in the days of migration from rural areas to towns, for country-based players to make it into international cricket. But Mason enjoys great support from his home region where the enthusiasm for cricket is just as much as in more endowed city areas. After all, he remembers that it was only six or seven years ago when he was playing third grade cricket with his mates there.And living in the country he didn’t have time for sitting in front of the television set watching his particular favourites in action. “No, I just used to get outside and play,” was his answer to a question on players who might have affected his interest in the game.For all that, Mason has spent the winter in Christchurch this year and for the past three or four weeks has been building up in readiness for a new season. The urgency of that exercise has just been increased with his selection for India, which is preceded by a stint at Dennis Lillee’s pace bowling clinic in Chennai.He goes into the tour with a first-class record of 128 wickets at 23.75 from his 38 matches and much more realistic understanding of what he is trying to achieve out in the middle. The freedom from injury over the last few years has given him consistency of match play.”That has given me bit more of a chance to improve my bowling, mentally more than anything else, and one of the benefits of that experience has been not wasting my energy. There were times when I wondered if I was ever going to get through a season. I’ve probably looked after myself a lot better recently,” he said.”I’m not the sort of guy who wasted my energy. If there is nothing happening I will try and bowl a bit quicker but if I am feeling a bit tired I have learned not to overdo it.”His motivation, once starting to be noticed, had been simply based on wanting to do his best. That has meant sticking to a plan of not looking too far ahead, and enjoying the moment for what it is and getting the results on the day. Personal goals extend only to keeping the runs per over down and bowling with accuracy.Called in as 12th man for New Zealand during its two Tests of last summer had been a confidence boost for Mason, more from the point of knowing that he was there or thereabouts and had some goods that the selectors were interested in. And selection for India had left him “excited but nervous.”He was looking forward to the chance, if it arose, of playing Test cricket and putting into action some of the qualities he enjoys in McGrath’s bowling – his accuracy and ability to put the ball in the right spot. “He’s not a special bowler, but he does special things,” Mason said.For a player who will be opening his passport at its first page when he flies out to the Lillee clinic next weekend, the prospect of visiting India and its vast social extremes was not especially daunting. “It should be good and preparation is the main thing, and getting used to the heat for when we return for the tour. It will certainly be better than the cold in Christchurch.”Mason appreciated what lay ahead for him and the New Zealand pace attack: “It will be hard on the tracks in India, especially after what happened here last year but I am keen to stay in one piece and am fit and raring to go.”

During their 1984-85 tour of India, David Gower’s Englishmen lost first by an innings to the Under-25 side before going down in the first Test by eight wickets. This was after a unique `blackwash’ at home against West Indies in the summer. The side was hastily branded as the weakest English team to visit the sub-continent and only the margin of the Indian victory in the series was being debated. By the end of the five match series though, England had astonishingly won the contest by two matches to one, becoming the only team to come from behind to win a Test series in India – a honour they retain even now.

In the first place, there was a sense of complacency in the Indian ranks. This was something that Sunil Gavaskar’s team, 17 years ago, were also guilty of and they paid the price. The Indian squad this time was luckier in that they did not pay the ultimate price. But this overconfident attitude has allowed the visitors to come back into the series.

Memories of what happened 17 years ago come to mind now after England had the slight edge in the exchanges in the drawn second Test at Ahmedabad. After all, they did gain a sizeable first innings lead of 116 runs and frequently put India under pressure, even to the extent of setting the home team a formidable target of 374 in the fourth innings.This, coming from a rag tag outfit that had lost the first Test at Mohali only a week ago by ten wickets in four days, must be regarded as a commendable feat. Indeed, going into the final day, England looked the only team with a chance of victory after dominating the game for long periods over the four days preceding it. Hopes of a second successive clean sweep over England in this country have now vanished and the series remains alive, which may be the best thing to happen to what initially appeared to be a lop sided contest.How did this transformation come about? How did a side, branded the weakest English team to come to India, come up with the kind of heart-warming performance that moved Nasser Hussain to say, “We have got a lot of belief in our team and this was an exceptional effort”?After all, the players were much the same, and if anything, the home team had been strengthened by the inclusion of Javagal Srinath and Virender Sehwag. The answers to these questions are not hard to find.In the first place, there was a sense of complacency in the Indian ranks. This was something that Sunil Gavaskar’s team, 17 years ago, were also guilty of and they paid the price. The Indian squad this time was luckier in that they did not pay the ultimate price. But this overconfident attitude has allowed the visitors to come back into the series. The Indians were guilty of a lot of poor cricket. The fielding was sub-standard, the catching abysmal and there was a touch of indiscipline in the batting and the bowling.That said, one must credit the Englishmen with learning from the mistakes they made at Mohali. There was no doubt that the batsmen tackled the spinners in a more positive manner. Mark Butcher, Marcus Trescothick, Craig White and Nasser Hussain were ready to attack the bowling instead of being content with just playing from the crease. The bowlers, like they did at Mohali, again stuck to their plan and if they performed better, it was also because the fielding standards were a notch higher. Ashley Giles showed that he could be a tricky customer. Hussain, as he did in the first Test, put the Indian batsmen under pressure with his 7-2 offside field. Sachin Tendulkar got away with some innovative strokes on the leg side but the others were found wanting. There be no doubt, Hussain is a thinking captain, who relies much on strategy and tactical moves. But unlike at Mohali, the captain this time was not let down by his batsmen and bowlers. Indeed, so rejuvenated were the squad that they even made light of Graham Thorpe’s last minute withdrawal.The Indians finally drew the match comfortably, thanks to Tendulkar and Laxman, Kumble and Harbhajan and, Das and Dasgupta, to keep their lead in a series that they cannot now lose. There is little doubt that India is the stronger outfit but the problem is they are not playing up to potential. They can redeem their reputation, slightly dented by events at Ahmedabad, by winning at Bangalore and for this, the return of Sarandeep Singh is a must. Three spin bowlers on a pitch likely to aid turn and bounce, will not only be an attacking move but could also be a winning combination. If that means dropping a batsman, so be it. After all, isn’t it better to win a series 2-0 rather than 1-0? But then the selectors may adopt the safe approach and reckon that a 1-0 victory is better than sharing a series 1-1.