Pakistani Crickete Players: 2015

Saturday 31 January 2015

Saeed Ajmal

Saeed Ajmal Biography

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Saeed Ajmal is one of the late bloomers who has developed into one of the most pivotal spin bowlers for Pakistan during the last couple of years. Armed with a mesmerizing doosra and a big heart, Ajmal is one of the best spinners in the country and has shown his mettle on the international stage as well.

He made his debut in the Asia Cup of 2008 against India and he impressed with the amount of spin that he generated. It was in the T20 format of the game where Ajmal showed his class. He demonstrated it during the 2009 T20 WC in England. Bamboozling the batsmen with his off-spin and doosra, he finished the tournament as the joint second highest wicket taker with 12 wickets. His exploits, along with Shahid Afridi's all-round brilliance helped Pakistan win the trophy.

His excellent showing in the T20 WC earned him a spot in the Test squad for the tour to Sri Lanka. He excelled immediately by picking up 14 wickets in three matches. He had an excellent time in the Champions Trophy in South Africa and continued with his excellent showing in the ODI series against New Zealand at Abu Dhabi.

In 2009, the ICC called him for suspect action, but he was soon cleared from it and he continued to trouble the batsmen, with his bagful of tricks.

He continued to excel in the shorter format of the game. He picked up 4/26 to knock South Africa out of the competition in the 2010 T20 WC. However, the semi-final against Australia was a nightmarish experience. Michael Hussey stamped his authority and clouted him for three sixes in the final over bowled by him to win a cliff-hanger. Ajmal was heart-broken but moved on and continued to be consistent.

In Tests, he picked up his first five wicket haul against England at Birmingham in 2010 when he picked up 5/82. He contributed with the bat by scoring a fifty that was punctuated by the ball hitting more of his body than the bat. He had a good ODI series which followed but was surprisingly picked for only three matches in the 2011 World Cup. He made the West Indies clueless in the quarter-final and in the semi-final troubled Sachin Tendulkar to a great extent without any luck. Ajmal has grown from strength to strength and had an outstanding Test series in the West Indies. In the two match series, he picked up 20 wickets, including his first ever 10 wicket haul at Guyana.

He ripped through the England strong batting order in 2012, which Pakistan won 3-0 by taking 24 wickets in 3 games at an average of 14.70. Ajmal was signed by Adelaide Strikers for the 2012 Big Bash League in Australia. He continued his golden run with the ball and was one of the leading wicket takers in ODIs in 2013. Ajmal had a fantastic start to 2014 as he picked up 11 wickets in the Asia Cup, including three crucial ones in the final against Sri Lanka but ended up on the losing side. Ajmal had a mixed 2014 T20 WC, he picked up 4 wickets in 4 games but was expensive in the crucial match against West Indies. In the end, Pakistan lost that game and failed to qualify for the semi-finals.

With his unreadable doosra and variations in flight, Ajmal is currently one of the most feared spinners of his time.

Saeed Ajmal

Mohammad Irfan

Mohammad Irfan biography

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Perhaps the tallest bowler in the international circuit, his exact height has been an issue that has been disputed, but there is no question that he remains the tallest bowler at the moment. Born on June 6, 1982 in Guggu Mandi, which also produced another tall Pakistani bowler, Mohammad Zahid, Irfan manages to get extra bounce from even the most placid of tracks.

Coming from a traditional farming family, Irfan once even gave up playing cricket to support his family. But as luck would have it, he was noticed by Aaqib Javed, who summoned him to National Academy in Lahore. An excellent season for the Khan Research Laboratories saw him being picked for the England tour in 2010.

Irfan failed to make an impression on his debut, an ODI at Chester-le-Street and was promptly axed from the side. He had to wait until the end of 2012 for his second chance, and since his return to the Pakistan squad for the short tour of India, has become the lynch-pin of the Pakistani bowling line-up.

Irfan made his Test debut at Cape Town during the South Africa tour in 2013. His height, the pace and the bounce with which he delivers have made him a hot prospect for Pakistan. His lean structure also makes him prone for injuries though. He is currently recovering from a hip injury, which forced him to miss the series against Sri Lanka in the UAE in 2013-14.

Irfan returned to the ODI side in August 2014 against Sri Lanka. Since then, he has played Australia and New Zealand, leading the attack with success. He will Misbah's go-to man in the 2015 World Cup in Australia, a place where Irfan will enjoy bowling because of the bounce he generates. Muhammad Irfan is upcoming left arm fast bowler who also declared tallest international cricketer of the world with the height of 7.1″ feet.

Muhammad Irfan surprised every one in the India tour 2012 with his pace and line or length. No Indian batsmen feel easy to play against him.

Irfan was play 2 ODI’s back in 2010 against England but not impress the selectors and cricket fans.

Waseem Akram, Ravi Shastri and other experts who working as a commentator praised about his talent.

He born in a small town in Gaggu Mandi which near Vehari. He played from KRL department and represent Multan Region in domestic circuit.

He made his debut in Feb 12, 2010 against Lahore Eagles and he impressed every one from his match and his match figure was 20 Runs in 8 overs and took 1 wicket. Shoaib Akhter was also played that match from KRL side.

Now time will tell how much talent inside him. Our best wishes with him.

Mohammad Irfan

Misbah ul Haq

Misbah ul Haq Biogpraphy

source link (google.pk)

Misbah-ul-Haq will be forever remembered by cricket fans for his audacious paddle scoop that cost Pakistan the inaugural T20 WC against India. That one moment of madness from him, ensured that he will forever be castigated for his mistake, despite having taken his side so close to the target when there seemed to be no hope.

A very dour and dull batsman, Misbah first caught the attention of the selectors in 2002 when he made truckloads of runs in the domestic scene. He played well in the tri-nation tournament in Nairobi, but subsequently his form deserted him and he was soon sidelined from the national side.

With the departure of Inzamam, and with the solid weight of domestic and county runs behind his name, Misbah made another comeback into the national team in 2007. He finished as Pakistan's best player in the T20 WC in 2007 and carried that form to India where he made a couple of hundreds and finished with 464 runs in the three match test series.

More than the number of runs, it was the cool and calm manner that he negotiated all that India threw at him that impressed everybody. Suddenly he was proclaimed to to be the natural successor to Inzamam and a future captain. 2008 began with some high points for Misbah as he was elevated to the post of Vice - Captain of the Pakistan team and was awarded a Grade A Contract. But his form slumped dramatically and he was axed from the side from all three formats of the game. He didn't feature in the disastrous trip to England in 2010 and was made captain of the Test side against South Africa in late 2010.

Misbah led the side to a 0-0 draw against the Proteas and then achieved a 1-0 series victory when Pakistan toured New Zealand in early 2011. He was again roundly criticised for his painfully slow innings during the World Cup semi-final loss to India, but he choose not to respond to any of those criticisms. After Afridi's axing as the ODI skipper, Misbah was given the ODI reigns as well. Misbah was a part of the Royal Challengers of Bangalore during the inaugural edition of the IPL. In 2012, he was the captain of the Pakistan team, which completed a clean sweep (3-0) against the then No.1 Test side England.

Misbah had a fantastic 2012/2013 domestic season. He led his team the Faisalabad Wolves to the Championship title and eventually qualifying them for the Champions League T20. Misbah won all domestic tournaments (Twenty20, first-class and list-A) in the season 2012/13.

Misbah's captaincy came under serious scrutiny after Pakistan lost the ODI series against South Africa in the UAE. However, the PCB backed him up and declared him to be the captain until the 2015 World Cup. Pakistan took their revenge against the Proteas by churning out a brilliant performance in South Africa soon after it. Pakistan took the series 2-1 becoming the first sub-continent team to beat South Africa in a bilateral ODI series at home. This historic win won Misbah many accolades across the country. Pakistan replicated their strong performance against Sri Lanka winning the ODI series comfortably and squaring the Test series 1-1, where Misbah played a crucial role in the third Test. He was a stand-out in 2013, scoring over 1000 runs in a calendar year.

There is always a cloud hanging around Misbah's captaincy, let it be for being criticized after not winning the 2014 Asia Cup final, or the first two ODIs against Australia in the UAE. Misbah even sat out the third game against Australia, just to take break and to think about his captaincy future. All the questions were answered, when he led Pakistan to a 2-0 Test win against Australia and levelled the Test series 1-1 versus New Zealand. Though he lost the ODI series to the Black Caps, the selectors showed faith in him and named as the skipper for the upcoming World Cup. As soon as the squad was announced for the 2015 World Cup, Misbah decided that he will retire after the mega event. This is what he had to say, \"It would be icing on the cake if I retire with a World Cup win and I will do my best to do that. I've thought about this for a long time. The World Cup is an important event and I want to finish on a winning note.\"

Interesting fact: Misbah is astute in managing this most unpredictable team in the cricketing world owing to a Master's degree in business management.

Misbah went past Wasim Akram becoming the player to have the most ODI runs to his name without scoring a century.

Misbah also is the most successful Pakistan Test captain, he went past Imran Khan, who had 13 wins under his name.

Misbah equalled t

he record for the fastest hundred in Tests, he got it in 56 balls and holds it along with Sir Viv Richards. The feat was achieved against Australia at Abu Dhabi.

Misbah ul Haq

Mohammad Amir

Mohammad Amir Biography

source link (google.pk)

Mohammad Amir, a left-arm pace bowler, reveres Wasim Akram. Over 2007 and 2008, he also emerged, improbably young still, as a hot pace prospect. Even before he went to England on an U-19 tour, he had been picked out as a special talent by Akram himself at a pace camp he oversaw in Lahore in May 2007. By 2010, he had become the hottest pace bowling prospect around the world - but within months his career was in ruins following charges of spot-fixing.The 20-year old, appearing in his first television interview on the 'Geo Super channel' on Tuesday, insisted he has learnt from his mistakes.

"No one can understand the hurt I go through today when I watch the Pakistan team playing anywhere. I want to be with them. But there is nothing I can do now except to keep my chin up and hope for the best. It is a huge punishment to realise that I had the world at my feet and I messed it all up because of one mistake," the left-arm pacer said.

"I don't know what is going to happen but I am targeting a return to cricket in 2015. I have nets in my home and I go to the gymnasium. So I am keeping myself motivated. I know I can achieve anything with hard work," he added.

The youngster also asserted that before the spot-fixing scandal, he had never been involved in any kind of corruption.

"Even in 2010 what happened was that I was forced into a trap to avoid an unpleasant situation. Some people see it as greed, maybe it was that. But apart from that incident, I played honestly," he said.

Amir, however, declined to blame his former captain Salman Butt, who also served a jail sentence for his involvement in the scandal, or anyone else for his predicament.

"It was my mistake for whatever reasons and I regret it completely and I have apologised for it to my people. But now I want to move on and start a new life," he said.

"I don't want to indulge in any blame game or mud-slinging because already the image of Pakistan cricket has been damaged a lot because of this controversy. I think it is time we let it cool down and move on. No one can change anything and I can't change what I or my family has gone through," Amir added.

Amir is presently serving a five-year ICC ban for his role in the scandal that broke out on Pakistan's tour to England.

Amir and teammates, Butt and Mohammad Asif were all banned by the ICC anti-corruption tribunal in early 2011 and in November the same year, they were given different jail sentences by a crown court for cheating and corruption under British laws.

Their bans became applicable from September 2010 when they were first suspended after the fourth Test at Lord's between Pakistan and England in which Amir and Asif bowled deliberate no-balls.

Amir said he wants to make amends for letting his people down.

"I want to do a lot for Pakistan whenever I come back. I know I can give a lot of joy and pride to my countrymen If I get a chance again," he said.

"Frankly speaking I don't want to see any other player go through what I have gone through. I died when the police handcuffed me. I have conveyed to the PCB and ICC I am available to them in any manner they want to use me to send out a message to others that corruption does pay," he added.

The youngster, who completed 50 Test wickets in 14 Tests, said he was happy the ICC was using his videos to educate players in the cricket world and especially in the youth World Cup.

Amir also denied allegations that he accumulated wealth and purchased property of millions due to his corrupt practices when he was playing.

"Whatever is reported in the media is not necessary true. When we won the T20 World Cup in 2009 I earned around 13 million rupees with which I purchased a home and car. I earned in millions from other endorsements and logo sponsorship deals.

"Today cricket pays a lot and players don't need to fall into any trap of corruption."

He also made it clear that he was not paying anything to his legal team.

"They are assisting me and fighting my case on legal aid under British laws. And when I requested for legal aid I had to submit all my bank statements, tax returns and details of assets to seek legal aid so I have nothing to hide from anyone."

Amir also admitted that education was necessary for sportspersons in any game.

"Today I regret I couldn't continue my higher education but once I get this ban out of the way I will try to complete my college education age is on my side."

Mohammad Amir

Asad Shafiq

Asad Shafiq Biography

source link (oogle.com.pk)

Full name Asad Shafiq Born January 28, 1986, Karachi, Sind Current age 24 years 356 days Batting style Right-hand bat Bowling style Legbreak Fielding position Wicketkeeper Asad Shafiq Picture Major teams Pakistan, Karachi Blues, Karachi Dolphins, Karachi Whites, Karachi Whites,...
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Asad Shafiq is a Pakistani international cricketer. A right-hand batsman and occasional leg-break bowler, he made his One Day International debut against Bangladesh in the Asia Cup on 21 June 2010.[1] He has played for Karachi Whites, Karachi Blues, Karachi Dolphins, Karachi Zebras, North West Frontier Province and Sind.
Major Team: Pakistan, Karachi Blues, Karachi Dolphins, Karachi Whites, Karachi Whites, Karachi Zebras, North West Frontier Province, North West Frontier Province Panthers, Pakistan A, Pakistan Cricket Academy, Sind, Sind Dolphins
Playing Roll: Wicket Keeper
Batting Style: Right
Bowling Style: Legbreak
Major teams Pakistan, Karachi Blues, Karachi Dolphins, Karachi Whites, Karachi Whites, Karachi Zebras, North West Frontier Province, North West Frontier Province Panthers, Pakistan A, Pakistan Cricket Academy, Sind, Sind Dolphins
Asad Shafiq Profile
A right-hand top order batsman, Asad Shafiq is a product of the Karachi tape ball circuit. He stormed the first-class scene in his debut season in 2007-08, scoring a double-hundred. He fell short of thousand runs that season, but attained the milestone two seasons later, when he scored 1244 runs in 12 games at 49.76. He made an impact as a limited-overs player in 2008-09, when he scored 379 runs in seven games at 54.14. The national selectors had earmarked him as one for the future in meetings and he was rewarded him with a call-up for the Asia Cup in 2010.
Sind
Current age 25 years 60 days
Major teams Pakistan, Karachi Blues, Karachi Dolphins, Karachi Whites, Karachi Whites, Karachi Zebras, North West Frontier Province, North West Frontier Province Panthers, Pakistan A, Pakistan Cricket Academy, Sind, Sind Dolphins
Playing role Middle-order batsman
Batting style Right-hand bat
Bowling style Legbreak
Fielding position Wicketkeeper
A right-hand top order batsman, Asad Shafiq is a product of the Karachi tape ball circuit. He stormed the first-class scene in his debut season in 2007-08, scoring a double-hundred.
He is a product of tape ball cricket.
In his debut first-class season, scored a double hundred.
Made his ODI debut in June 2010, scoring his first half-century in his third match against England at Leeds.
Debuted in Test cricket in 2010, scoring 61 and 83 in his first two innings.
Profile
A right-hand top order batsman, Asad Shafiq is a product of the Karachi tape ball circuit. He stormed the first-class scene in his debut season in 2007-08, scoring a double-hundred. He fell short of thousand runs that season, but attained the milestone two seasons later, when he scored 1244 runs in 12 games at 49.76. He made an impact as a limited-overs player in 2008-09, when he scored 379 runs in seven games at 54.14. The national selectors had earmarked him as one for the future in meetings and he was rewarded him with a call-up for the Asia Cup in 2010.
Cricinfo Staff June 2010
He fell short of thousand runs that season, but attained the milestone two seasons later, when he scored 1244 runs in 12 games at 49.76. He made an impact as a limited-overs player in 2008-09, when he scored 379 runs in seven games at 54.14.

The national selectors had earmarked him as one for the future in meetings and he was rewarded him with a call-up for the Asia Cup in 2010.
Cricinfo Staff June 2010