England win toss, bat on flat Abu Dhabi track

ABU DHABI: England captain Alastair Cook won the toss and chose to bat in the first day-night international against Pakistan at Abu Dhabi Stadium here on Monday.

Routed 3-0 in the preceding Tests by Pakistan, England brought in new faces in Steven Finn, Samit Patel and Ravi Bopara for the four-match one-day series.

Pakistan kept the same combination which beat Afghanistan by seven wickets in the only one-day played in Sharjah on Friday, resisting the temptation to play left-arm spinner Abdul Rehman.

Teams:

Pakistan: Misbah-ul-Haq (capt), Younis Khan, Shahid Afridi, Mohammad Hafeez, Imran Farhat, Umar Akmal, Asad Shafiq, Umar Gul, Saeed Ajmal, Wahab Riaz, Shoaib Malik.

England: Alastair Cook (capt), James Anderson, Ravi Bopara, Stuart Broad, Steven Finn, Craig Kieswetter, Eoin Morgan, Samit Patel, Kevin Pietersen, Graeme Swann, Jonathan Trott.

Umpires: Simon Taufel (AUS) and Ahsan Raza (PAK)
TV umpire: Kumara Dharmasena (SRI)
Match referee: Jeff Crowe (NZL)

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Ponting may replace injured Clarke as captain

SYDNEY: Australia captain Michael Clarke will miss Friday’s tri-series one-day international against Sri Lanka with a hamstring injury, Cricket Australia said on Monday.

Clarke strained his right hamstring while fielding during Australia’s four-wicket ODI loss to India in Adelaide on Sunday.

The Australia skipper said scans on Monday revealed that the injury was not too serious.

“I have a grade one hamstring strain so will be out of Friday’s game,” Clarke posted on Twitter.

Australia will name a replacement captain on Tuesday for the Sydney ODI against Sri Lanka, with wicketkeeper and vice-captain Brad Haddin and ex-skipper Ricky Ponting in the frame.

Regular vice-captain Shane Watson only returned to club cricket last weekend after a six-week absence with a calf injury.

While Clarke said he hoped to return for Sunday’s one-dayer against India in Brisbane, team physiotherapist Alex Kountouris was non-committal.

“(He) sustained a low grade right hamstring strain,” Kountouris said in a statement.

“I will assess him later this week and decide on his availability for the game in Brisbane on Sunday.”Selectors face several decisions in choosing their next one-day squad, with Clarke’s injury and wicketkeeper Brad Haddin’s future key discussion points.

Haddin missed Australia’s initial three matches of the tri-series, with selectors saying he was rested as Matthew Wade took his spot.

Australia’s batting line-up also faces scrutiny with newcomer Peter Forrest making 66 on debut in Sunday’s defeat by India to bolster his chances of remaining in the squad.

“I know the selectors are meeting today so I’ll be sitting by my phone tomorrow (Tuesday) hoping to get a call,” Forrest told reporters in Brisbane on Monday.

“Yesterday was a great day and one I’m not going to forget.

“It was nice to contribute but it would have been a lot nicer had I got 80 plus or a hundred and got the side to a win.”

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Probables for Olympics to be finalised next week, says Bajwa

KARACHI: Probables for the Olympic Games will be finalised in a week’s time, secretary of the Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) Asif Bajwa told reporters on Friday.

“We would be holding extensive training camps for the players before finalising the squad for the Olympics,” he said.

“Our focus is to provide maximum training and coaching to help players remove their deficiencies.

“The probables need to harness their skills and improve in various areas of the game,” Bajwa emphasised.

Commenting on the selection of veteran forward Rehan Butt, the PHF official said the selectors and chief coach were evaluating his form and fitness in order to decide his fate.

He said the PHF was planning longer camps for the probables in Europe and elsewhere. “We would also be trying to arrange matches for them ahead of the Olympics,” he stated.

Meanwhile, chief selector Hanif Khan said they would be picking around 30 to 35 probables from which the national squad would be chosen.

“Personally, I want long training camps for the players which will help them improve their scoring power, defence and stamina,” Hanif underlined.

“It’s important to work on the grey areas of the team. We will not comprise on fitness of the players,” Hanif stated.

It is interesting to recall that Pakistan’s chief coach Michel Van Den Heuvel wanted more international exposure for the players prior to the London extravaganza.

After arriving here to witness the National Hockey Championship, Heuvel had said that Pakistan needed to play around 20 to 25 international games to be in better shape for the Olympics.—APP

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