CricBol.com – – latest cricket news, analysis and match updates – Page 21 – A community of cricket fans from around the world

Misbah-ul-Haq becomes the oldest captain to hit a Test ton

Pakistan Tour of England 2016, England and Wales Cricket Board, Pakistan Cricket Board, England vs Pakistan, ENGvsPAK, ENGvPAK, Test Cricket, Alastair Cook, Misbah ul haq, Cook, Root, Hales, Younis, Misbah, Azhar Ali, Anderson, Broad, Finn, Amir, Wahab, Yasir, Mickey Arthur, Trevor Bayliss

Pakistan skipper Misbah-ul-Haq became the oldest captain to score a ton in Test cricket on Thursday. He achieved the feat in the first Test against England at Lord’s on Thursday when he made 110 not out in the first day’s play. Misbah was 42 years 47 days when he achieved this milestone. The previous oldest skipper was Australia’s Bob Simpson who made a century at the age of 41 years and 359 days when he cracked 100 against India in 1977-78.

Misbah steered the ball to the deep point off Adam Vince to reach his first Test ton on English soil. He celebrated it in some unique style, first pumping himself with his bat and then saluting the crowd and his teammates who cheered for him loudly at the Lord’s balcony. Misbah then did the unthinkable by doing a series of push-ups, possibly implying that he still has it in him to play international cricket despite being in early 40s.

Misbah came to the crease at 77/3 when Azhar Ali fell for 7. He combined with Younis Khan (33) to put up 57-run partnership for the fourth wicket. He then had 148-runpartnership for the fifth wicket with Asad Shafiq (73). Pakistan ended day 1 at 282/6.

Pakistan opted to bat first on winning the toss. Mohammad Hafeez was the other notable contributor for the day with his fluent looking 40.

I CAN’T SEE PAKISTAN WINNING A MATCH SAYS SIR IAN BOTHAM

Pakistan tour of England 2016, England and Wales Cricket Board, Pakistan Cricket Board, England vs Pakistan, ENGvsPAK, Test Cricket, Test, Cook, Misbah, Cook, Root, Stokes, Azhar, Misbah, Younis, Anderson, Broad, Stokes, Amir, Rahat, Yasir, Trevor Bayliss, Mickey Arthur

Former England’s legendary Test cricketer Sir Ian Botham said that the current England team is the best in the world right now. According to him, England deserves to be ranked no.1 instead of languishing in its present position at number four. “England are the best side in the world right now and certainly the most feared – they proved it against Australia and then beat South Africa on their own soil,” Botham was quoted as saying by Sky Sports.

Pakistan speedster Mohammad Amir had already sent some warning to the English batsmen with his performance in the warm-up match but Botham doesn’t feel that they would be able to pull off a win against the hosts. “It will be an exciting series but I can’t see Pakistan winning a match,” Botham said.He is also happy to see Joe Root batting at no.3 and said that it is the position at which all the best players of their respective teams’ bat. “I’ve no problem with Joe batting at three. All the best batsmen in world cricket bat at three – look at Ricky Ponting and Viv Richards,” Botham said. “Joe is the best batsman in the world right now, and I’m sure he’ll be fine with moving up the order,” Ian Botham concluded.

David Saker appointed as the Fast bowling coach of Australia

David Saker, Darren Lehman, Craig McDermott, Cricket Australia, Bowling Coach, Cricket, Sports, Australia

Cricket Australia, on Thursday (July 14), appointed David Saker as the full-time fast bowling coach of their national side, the slot was left vacant by Craig McDermott following an unsuccessful ICC World Twenty20 campaign in India earlier this year.

Saker, who was England’s pace bowling coach between 2010 and 2015, led the Victorian Bushrangers to the Sheffield Shield title last season, and also coached the Melbourne Renegades. Saker will replace Allan Donald, who is currently filling in the role of Australia’s fast bowling coach on the tour of Sri Lanka, for the tour of South Africa starting late in September.

“The opportunity to work with Australia’s best cricketers and coaches is one that I simply couldn’t pass up and I am incredibly excited,” Saker was quoted as saying by the Sydney Morning Herald. “With two day-night Tests against South Africa and Pakistan this summer, it’s a great time to enter the Australian set-up.

“Having reflected on the role and spoken to my family, I feel that it is the next logical career step for me and that I can add more value at the national level, particularly next year with the ICC Champions Trophy in the UK and when England tour for the 2017-18 Ashes.

“I’ve thoroughly enjoyed the past year with the Bushrangers and will miss the squad, especially as we managed to retain the Sheffield Shield. I have no doubt I’ll still be regular contact with many of the players I’ve coached when they play at the national level,” he added.

Australian head Coach Darren Lehmann also welcomed Cricket Australia’s move to appoint David Saker as the bowling Coach. Lehmann was quoted as saying by Cricket Australia, “David’s experience working around the world with international teams will be invaluable, especially as we work toward the upcoming Indian Test series and the Ashes,”

“His technical expertise in all facets of the game is a real bonus and very important when working with the young group we have. We spoke with a lot of people about this role and really took our time deciding what direction we wanted to go. David’s appointment gives us good clarity in our senior coaching group. What impressed me most about David was his vision of where he is heading as a coach and also where he wants to take our young group of bowlers and players. He and I have always had robust discussions about the good of Australian cricket, he is passionate and I appreciate that. I love his attitude and he will bring great energy to our group.” Lehman added.

Snorkeling, Diving, Yoga Keep the Indian Cricketers Fresh in the Caribbean

Board of Control for Cricket in India, West Indies Cricket Board, India's Tour of West Indies 2016, West Indies vs India, WICB, BCCI, WIvsIND, Virat Kohli, Jason Holder, Murali Vijay, Kohli, Rahane, Darren Bravo, Samuels, Ramdin, Ishant, Umesh, Ashwin, Jerome Taylor, Fidel Edwards, Kemar Roach, Phil Simmons, Anil Kumble, Sanjay Banger, Abhay Sharma

The Indian cricket team is taking full advantage of the Caribbean sea and its beaches ahead of their second warm-up match at St Kitts from Thursday, the Kohli led side has mixed business and pleasure in equal measure. The first match, a two-day affair, ended in a draw.

Team India are to play a three-day warm-up match from Thursday and Kumble has set a strict routine for the young team. According to a report in the Indian Express, Kumble, known for his strong work ethics, has also set a code of conduct that includes a 50$ fine for late comers. Kumble has also charted an enjoyable course that will keep the team healthy in mind and body ahead of the gruelling four-Test series starting in Antigua on July 21.

A 4-0 win in the West Indies could propel India to the top spot in Tests and put them in a good space for the home winter, where they will play 13 Tests against the likes of England, Australia and New Zealand.

Team India boys are busy with some adventure sports like snorkeling and diving.

#TeamIndia enjoy Snorkeling and Diving at St. Nevis. WATCH THE FULL VIDEO – https://t.co/a4bxBqIxMi #WIvIND pic.twitter.com/yn9W3H1DBG

— BCCI (@BCCI) July 13, 2016

Rohit Sharma is using his day-off for some serious yoga activities.

VIDEO: #TeamIndia batsman @ImRo45 talks about his Yoga session, recovery regime and more https://t.co/TzP4nfhyb5 pic.twitter.com/ehXQ5jj1yr

— BCCI (@BCCI) July 13, 2016

SOURAV GANGULY DID A SALMAN KHAN SAYS VIRENDER SEHWAG

Sourav Ganguly, Virender Sehwag, Board of Control for Cricket in India, India, England

No one can forget the iconic moment when former Indian skipper Sourav Ganguly waved his T-shirt on the Lord’s balcony following India’s win in the NatWest Series in 2002. Although Sourav Ganguly maintained it was done in the heat of the moment, it is widely believed it was an answer to Andrew Flintoff’s topless act which the England all-rounder did in India after his team won a match and levelled the ODI series 3-3. Today marks the 14^th anniversary of that historic win, and undoubtedly cricketers who were part of that win could not stop but remember the victory fondly. Virender Sehwag, who scored 45 in the final, was on the balcony when Ganguly and the others celebrated the victory.

Referring to Ganguly’s topless act, Sehwag, who has become an active user of Twitter, tweeted about the famous win and compared Ganguly’s act like to that of Salman Khan, as the bollywood star Salman Khan is famous for removing his shirt. Virender Sehwag tweeted :

14 years ago on this day we won the NatWestSeries & @SGanguly99 did a Salman Khan & won everyone's hearts.#NewIndia pic.twitter.com/drP7wfSjOa

— Virender Sehwag (@virendersehwag) July 13, 2016

MS Dhoni’s biopic to reveal his first Lady Love

Dhoni, Board of Control for Cricket in India, Cricket Australia, India, Australia

MS Dhoni’s biopic directed by Neeraj Pandey promises to reveal many untold stories from Dhoni’s life. MS Dhoni has been efficient in keeping his public away from private life, and this is the major reason why fans are so excited about his biopic. A source from MS Dhoni’s biopic’s production team revealed a part of the movies which is about MS Dhoni’s first love. Source said Mahendra Singh Dhoni was in his early 20s, dreaming of finding a place in the India XI, he met and fell in love with a girl called Priyanka Jha. He was still in his early 20s at the time, but he knew he had found his Miss Right and wanted to spend the rest of his life with her.

But while he won laurels, tragedy struck and his girl was killed in an accident. He was shattered when he returned home to learn the ‘secret’ and was in mourning for a year.

Neeraj Pandey had taken Dhoni’s consent to incorporate this track in the film as this girl’s entry and exit marked a turning point in his life. And after some deliberation, he agreed that this important chapter in his life needed to be told to the world.

England vs Pakistan 1st Test Preview: England will be full of confidence at Lord’s

The last time Pakistan came out to Lord’s, the match ended with three Pakistani players (Mohammad Amir, Mohammad Asif and Salman Butt) being sent into the cricketing gallows. However, after almost half a dozen years have passed since that incident, both teams will be raring to lock horns against each other. The occasion will also be massive with the first Test scheduled to be played at the Mecca of Cricket Lord’s.

England are fresh from having dominated Sri Lanka in the recently concluded series but Pakistan has a bowling attack to be wary of. It will be interesting to see if Pakistan batsmen support the act of their bowlers and if they do, we might well be in for a surprise. In a nutshell, a mouthwatering encounter is certainly on the cards.

Pitch Conditions:

The 8-foot slop, the pavilion of the Lord’s cricket ground, are just a few reasons which make playing a Test match at Lord’s all the more special. However, as far as the wicket is concerned, it is common that the Day 1 wicket will perhaps be a difficult strip to bat on. Spin will play it’s part in the following days (Day 4 & 5).

Team Analysis:

England:

England will be full of confidence at Lord’s after their 2-0 series win over Sri Lanka which showed the English team’s dominance over the longest format of the game in home conditions. Although it won’t be the similar story against Pakistan because of Pakistan’s much superior bowling attack in compare to the Lankans.

While the spotlight will be on most players in the England side, eyes will most certainly be on James Vince and Gary Ballance. Although Vince failed to make an impact in the Test series against the Lankans, the all-rounder will be counting on his limited-overs’ form to help him cement a spot in the Test side. Nick Compton’s unexpected ‘break’ from cricket means that Gary Ballance will take his place.

In absence of James Anderson, Alastair Cook will be hoping that Stuart Broad recreates his Trent Bridge heroics. The skipper also confirmed that Jake Ball will make his Test debut with this game and the Nottinghamshire pacer after an impressive county season with 31 wickets at an average of 23.94 so far would certainly want to impress on debut.

Pakistan:

Playing in a rare Test series in England, Pakistan will certainly be hoping to erase the heartache of the 2010 tour. With a new wave of players in the squad and a new coach in Mickey Arthur, the tourists certainly look to be on the trail to redemption.

The spotlight with less doubt will certainly be on Mohammad Amir. The 24-year old left-arm pacer, who was one of the few implicated in the scandal in 2010 will be hoping to make a good comeback. However, Amir has already earned the reputation of being a fearsome bowler courtesy of his performances in limited-overs’ cricket since his comeback.

Shan Masood, the new opener for Pakistan will be hoping to make a mark for himself on the international stage.

Date & Time: 14th July, 11:00 Local | 10:00 GMT |15:30 IST

Venue: Lord’s- ‘The Home of Cricket’

Probable XI

England (Probables): Alastair Cook (C), Alex Hales, Joe Root, James Vince, Gary Ballance, Jonny Bairstow (wk), Moeen Ali, Chris Woakes, Stuart Broad, Steven Finn, Jake Ball.

Pakistan (Probables): Mohammad Hafeez, Shan Masood, Younis Khan, Azhar Ali, Misbah-Ul-Haq, Sarfaraz Khan (wk), Asad Shafiq, Yaseer Shah, Mohammad Amir, Wahab Riaz, Imran Khan.

VIRENDER SEHWAG TWEETS ABOUT DRINKING ‘GANNE KA JUICE’ AFTER 10 YEARS

Sehwag, Board of Control for Cricket in India, Cricket, India

Virender Sehwag is getting popular with his funny tweets, these days. Virender Sehwag, who has taken up commentary after his retirement, keeps sending interesting and funny tweets, specially when he wishes his former teammates on their birthdays. Sehwag has very quickly established a name for himself as a Hindi commentator. During the ICC World T20 2016, Sehwag got into a brilliant partnership with Shoaib Akhtar and entertained the ‘Hindi watching’ audience in India. Just like his batting, Sehwag gave many cracking moments from the commentary box with mic in his hands. We hope the Nawab of Najafgarh will keep entertaining us with his wit and sense of humour.

On 7th July, Sehwag shared of him drinking ‘ganne ka juice’ (sugarcane juice), with a message:

Cheers friends,tday I had Ganne ka Juice aftr more than 10yrs on my way to @SehwagSchoolSIS#OnTheRocks #FeelHaiBoss pic.twitter.com/XL18UZ3lkO

— Virender Sehwag (@virendersehwag) July 7, 2016

PAKISTAN WILL BACK MOHAMMAD AMIR SAYS WAHAB RIYAZ

Pakistan’s speedster Wahab Riaz has insisted Mohammad Amir has the support of all his team-mates as he prepares to make his return to Test Cricket at Lord’s on Thursday. Mohammad Amir’s career came to a dramatic halt during a Test against England at Lord’s in 2010, when he and Mohammad Asif were caught bowling no-balls to order on the instructions of captain Salman Butt as part of a tabloid newspaper sting operation.

Riaz, who made his Test debut at The Oval six years ago and also played in the controversial match at Lord’s, said Amir could handle being in the spotlight this week. “I think he will deal with all those things, He is ready to answer with his performance and that is what counts,” Wahab Riyaz said.

Riyaz further went on to say that, “No-one is reluctant, We all take him as our young brothe. He is a part of our family. We are all behind him.”

“I want him to take five wickets in this Test match to get his name back and to get his image back which has been spoilt. If you make a mistake it doesn’t mean that you are out of (excluded from) this world,” Wahab Riyaz concluded.

AMIR DESERVES A SECOND CHANCE BELIEVES SACHIN TENDULKAR

Master Blaster Sachin Tendulkar also joined the debate on Mohammad Amir. The 43-year-old Indian batsman is also expecting the Pakistan-England series to be a real clash and he feels some good cricket will be seen throughout the series. “It’s going to be great series. It is their batting which will be tested in English conditions and pitches. If Pakistan bats well in the series then they have a bowling attack that can trouble England. It’s going to good comparative series.” said master blaster Sachin Tendulkar.

When Sachin Tendulkar was asked about Mohammad Amir, he said, “He is a good bowler and I think he has skills. There is no doubt that he will do some damage to the England side.” “ICC penalized him and now the ICC has allowed him to play so there should not be any problem with the cricketers on this decision. It was the job of the ICC and he feels that they made the right decision. Amir has the ability that if he is bowling with a clear mind and is not under pressure than expect some good performances from him.” Sachin Tendulkar added.

Sachin Tendulkar also spoke about Alastair Cook’s milestone of 10,000 runs. “Alastair Cook has been a great role-model for all cricket fans, I still remember his first Test that he played against us at Nagpur, since then, he is doing exceedingly well and I want to wish him all the very best and congratulate for whatever he achieve in his life. He has been a great cricketer,” Sachin Tendulkar said.