Eng. v. Pak. - ODI Series

[Northern Pie]

Gough recalled to new-look one-day squad
Andrew Miller - May 29, 2003

England's selectors ushered in a new era of one-day cricket today, with one notable exception, as a new-look 15-man squad was announced for the NatWest Challenge against Pakistan, and the NatWest Series involving Zimbabwe and South Africa.

With the 2007 World Cup firmly in mind, six new names have been included in the squad. Some of them are not entirely unfamiliar – Anthony McGrath and Robert Key played against Zimbabwe in last week's Lord's Test, while Richard Johnson might have made his England debut as long ago as 1995, had injury not intervened. The others are Kabir Ali and Rikki Clarke, who were fringe members of the squad during the winter, and Jim Troughton, the highly rated Warwickshire batsman, whose inclusion was almost as inevitable as James Anderson's recent Test debut.

Anderson is there as well, of course. But with a new captain in Michael Vaughan, and the wise old heads of Nasser Hussain, Alec Stewart, Nick Knight and Andy Caddick all in retirement, the selectors have returned to the man who can never say die, Darren Gough. His return to form and fitness after a chronic knee injury is a triumph of will, and he will be able to impart all his know-how to Anderson, but Gough will be 36 by the next World Cup. One imagines he is strictly short-term cover, but then, with Gough, you never can tell.

"The bulk of this squad is under thirty years of age and has been chosen with the next World Cup firmly in mind," said David Graveney, England's chairman of selectors. "Darren Gough's inclusion is clearly an exception to this rule. But he is a proven match-winner who was badly missed during the World Cup and his inclusion will add experience to our bowling attack. As well as providing a strike bowling capacity, we also believe Darren can play an important role in passing on advice to the younger bowlers within the squad."

Craig White and Paul Collingwood have been ruled out through injury, but even a broken thumb couldn't prevent Chris Read earning his recall at the expense of Stewart and ahead of James Foster. Andrew Flintoff is also included despite his shoulder problems, while Solanki's return will give Ian Botham plenty to wax about during his commentary stints. Solanki was tried and discarded in 2000, but confirmed his recall with a coruscating innings for Worcestershire in the C&G Trophy yesterday.

Graham Thorpe was another man who declared that he is ready and willing to return to England colours, but even a timely hundred at Taunton yesterday couldn't sway the selectors. With Thorpe, there is too much emotional baggage attached, and Gough's selection was the final nail in his coffin. For now, at least.

Adam Hollioake's international career can also be assumed to be over, after a semi-return to the fold over the winter, but his Surrey team-mate and last season's Young Cricketer of the Year, Clarke, is just setting out. One man who has missed out this time is Will Jefferson, Essex's lofty opening batsman, but his fielding is not yet considered up to scratch at international level.

England ODI squad Michael Vaughan (capt), Marcus Trescothick, Robert Key, Jim Troughton, Andrew Flintoff, Vikram Solanki, Anthony McGrath, Rikki Clarke, Chris Read (wk), Richard Johnson, Ashley Giles, Kabir Ali, Darren Gough, James Anderson, Steve Harmison.

[Donny]

Good to see Goughy back, m8.

[couragous cloke]

Im really looking forward to seeing this series to "my" surprise. after seeing some inspirational adds im going for the POMS! good to see Goughy back! looking forward to Aktar and Michael Vaughn Fighting it out.

[Donny]

Ready for the Challenge
The Wisden Preview by Freddie Auld - June 16, 2003

The times they are a-changin'. Well, they are in English cricket, anyway. The inaugural NatWest Challenge, a three-match ODI series between England and Pakistan that starts on June 17, closely follows a new Test ground and the innovative Twenty20 Cup.

Indeed, the NatWest Challenge is a new, fresh start in every sense, both on and off the pitch. After poor World Cup campaigns, both sides are in a transitional phase. Since England's trouncing of Pakistan under the lights in Cape Town back in February, the two squads have shuffled in new, younger faces anxious to make their mark in international cricket – and there are two new captains on show as well.

After his rise to the top in Test cricket, Michael Vaughan was rewarded with the captaincy of the ODI team, a form of the game that he has yet to master. You can argue that not a lot of thought has gone into that, but Vaughan will have puzzled long and hard about how he is going to lead his young troops over the top and towards the holy grail of the 2007 World Cup. And that future starts here, with this mini-series against Pakistan.

The England squad includes six uncapped players, as such stalwarts as Nick Knight, Andrew Caddick and Nasser Hussain all retired from one-day cricket after the World Cup. However, Vaughan's captaincy has begun with one familiar theme – injuries. Richard Johnson has been forced to pull out with knee trouble, while Chris Read has not quite recovered from a broken thumb, although he is expected to be fit in time for Tuesday's first match at Old Trafford. And to make things worse, Anthony McGrath (one of those six newcomers) is now a doubt after colliding with an advertising board in England's warm-up match against Wales.

England won that game by an unconvincing eight runs, but a win's a win, something which Vaughan has taken heart from, citing it as "perfect preparation": "It was a tough game in front of a lively crowd and that is exactly what we are going to get on Tuesday night against a very good Pakistan side."

He was also pleased how the younger players settled in: "I didn't look round and see them looking dazed and bewildered – that's important when tense situations arrive. You do have to try and enjoy it and stay calm."

But while the new boys such as Jim Troughton and Read will want to prove their worth in the team, so will one experienced old stager. Darren Gough's inclusion was as much a surprise as a masterstroke. Vaughan insisted on his inclusion, and he will not only provide friendly advice and the odd history lesson to the younger players, but if he can stay fit, he is still England's best bowler at the death.

For Pakistan, the ins and outs after the World Cup were as dramatic as their demise in the competition. Waqar Younis has been dumped, Wasim Akram finally retired, and there's no room for Inzamam-ul-Haq, Saeed Anwar, Shahid Afridi and Saqlain Mushtaq. As a result, there are eight new faces in the inexperienced squad, led by Rashid Latif in his second stint as captain.

The new players include Misbah-ul Haq, a middle-order batsman whose prolific domestic form earned him a spot, and Bilal Asad, who is a useful allrounder with the bonus of experience in English league cricket. And backing the rapid new-ball pair of Mohammad Sami and Shoaib Akhtar will be Shabbir Ahmed and Umer Gul – both exciting youngsters with genuine pace.

Another one to look out for is Mohammad Hafeez, a genuine allrounder, who immediately made his mark in the recent one-day tournament in Sharjah with a half-century and two wickets against Sri Lanka. Before he left for the tour, he claimed: "I am going to England with an aim to become man of the series." No shortage of confidence there, then. And Javed Miandad, the coach, adds: "The confidence Hafeez exudes is remarkable, and to add to his batting and bowling skills, he is an excellent fielder and is very confident."

Miandad took over the reins after the World Cup – his fourth stint in charge – and has since masterminded Pakistan to a win in the Sharjah Cup in April, and to the final of last month's one-day tournament in Sri Lanka. Rashid Latif has urged his batsmen to take a leaf out of Miandad's illustrious book: "The coach was a great batsman in the past and we are trying to play the same as Miandad's type of innings, building one rather than batting hard and trying to score at six and seven an over."

He added: "Cricket has changed since the World Cup. Only one team, Australia, play aggressively in the first 15 overs. Others try to keep wickets in hand and are happy with 45 or 50 runs in the first 15 overs – then you can make 280."

Since arriving in England, Pakistan have won three out of four warm-up games, completing their preparations with a convincing five-wicket victory over Leicestershire on Saturday. So England would be wise not to take them lightly.

"Three big games are coming," Latif concluded. "England are a very young and talented side, but we have some exciting players and that is why we will play hard, tough cricket against them."

Vaughan, likewise, has no doubt what is expected of his players. "We want to win," he said. "I know we're all looking ahead to 2007 and we're trying to peak then, but the guys have been selected because they're good enough to win games for England now. We're inexperienced, and experience in one-day cricket especially is a key ingredient, but I do expect us to win these games."

England squad Marcus Trescothick, Michael Vaughan (capt), Robert Key, Jim Troughton, Vikram Solanki, Andrew Flintoff, Anthony McGrath, Rikki Clarke, Chris Read (wk), Ashley Giles, Darren Gough, Kabir Ali, James Anderson, Steve Harmison.
Pakistan squad Imran Nazir, Mohammad Hafeez, Abdul Razzaq, Yousuf Youhana, Younis Khan, Misbah-ul-Haq, Rashid Latif (capt & wk), Azhar Mahmood, Shoaib Malik, Bilal Asad, Yasir Hameed, Mohammad Sami, Shoaib Akhtar, Shabbir Ahmed, Umar Gul, Danish Kaneria.

[Donny]

England won the toss and are 2/96 after 15 overs. New opener Solanki made 36 at run a ball. Vaughan is batting strongly on 26 from 26.

[HAL]

What's your favorite part of England? Im sure its a nice one, being new and all. . . . .

[M@®©]

Pakistan won but they did need 1 run off 2 overs and they did there best to lose it


http://collingwood.rules.it/

[Donny]

Good bowling kept England to 9/204. Flintoff made a slow 39. Shoaib Malik took 3/26 from 10 overs.

A solid 69 from Hafeez set up the Pakistan victory. They won with 4 balls to spare. Gough bowled well for 2/38 and Anderson took 3 wickets but went for 59.

[Donny]

New kids off the blocks
The Wisden Verdict by Steven Lynch - June 17, 2003

It was a day for the new boys at Old Trafford. England blooded three brand-new one-day players, and while Pakistan had no actual debutants, their team bore little resemblance to the one that went through the motions in the World Cup.

England's new men were Rikki Clarke, Anthony McGrath and Jim Troughton. The jury's out on two of them: Troughton hit one beautiful boundary in his 6 before falling to his very next ball, and Clarke bagged a second-ball duck before collecting a first-ball wicket later on with a fairly ordinary delivery. But McGrath, who obviously enjoyed confounding the nay-sayers at Test level, did the double by playing a mature innings-stretching knock after wickets tumbled. McGrath milked 33 from 75 balls, and did his best to nudge England towards 200.

Vikram Solanki, not quite new but fresh enough to count as such, smacked one luscious straight four followed by a six in the same direction that reminded you why Ian Botham makes all that fuss about him, and his 36 in as many balls hinted at better things to come.

On the other side Mohammad Hafeez was a dead ringer for Saqlain Mushtaq with the ball, and did a passable impersonation of Mushtaq Mohammad with the bat.

But the unofficial award for new man of the match goes to another Pakistani. Mohammad Sami has been in and out of the Pakistan team as Wasim Akram and Waqar Younis have come and gone. Now they seem to have gone for good (not that you'd bet on that), and with Shoaib Akhtar suspended, Sami had his chance.

And he took that first opportunity to imprint himself on English watchers. Small and wiry, with an appearance and run-up like Aqib Javed of not-so-distant memory, Sami skipped up to the crease, all big hair and arms, and whirred the ball down at a stunning rate. He looks like a fifth-former, but the speedo was touching 96mph. He wiped out Marcus Trescothick with a peach from the McGrath manual (that's Glenn, not Anthony), and threatened until near the end of his spell, when he went for a few.

With the Lowryesque Umar Gul gangling in at the other end, Pakistan might just make up for the loss of Wasim and Waqar's 918 one-day wickets rather quicker than they expected.

[couragous cloke]

i saw the game last night, mind u i had no school.

anyway i was intrigued by one thing. this game was played in england and the crowd made 10 times asmuch noise when pakistan done something, rather than england, bloody england fans are all a bunch of goodie goodie two shoes.

pretty close game in the end, i thought goffy bowled well but anderson got hammered.

good to see someone attemp to take the place of shaib Aktar when it comes to fast bowling, Mohammad Sami does get soem reasonable pace aswell, which surprised me because of his body weight and shape, good on the fella, i advise him to change the hair style though.

[Donny]

Jimmy Anderson took a hat trick as he helped limit Pakistan to 185 from 44 overs. Youhana was 75 n.o. and Gough took 2/28.

[Donny]

From I@n S

What a great return for Gough. And how about the Anderson hat trick? The 1st in ODI's for England.
WELL DONE ENGLAND Future of young guns looks good

[Donny]

The English batsmen treated the Pakistan bowlers with contempt as they slammed 3/189 in only 22 overs !!

Trescothick led the way with 86 from only 55 balls. He put on 109 in 11 overs with Solanki (40 n.o.) and Flintoff finished with a flurry of fours to hit 26 in 13 balls.

Akhtar's first 2 overs went for 20 runs and overall he took 2/69 from 9. Mamood's 3 overs went for 35.

[I@n S]

oh you moved it into here. oh good cause I didn't notice this topic untill i posted mine

[HAL]

Yeah. . . . . Do you mind if I tell other people: I@n S said I moved it into here .