June 21, 2017 issue
Cricket
India by 180 runs
Pakistan produced an incredible display to thrash fierce rivals India and win the Champions Trophy at The Oval on Sunday.
Fakhar Zaman hit a spectacular century to propel Pakistan to 338-4 in the scorching south London sunshine.
Mohammad Amir then tore through the India top order to help reduce the defending champions to 54-5.
India eventually limped to 158, Pakistan winning by 180 runs to take their first global 50-over title since 1992.
That Pakistan lifted the trophy was surprising enough – at eighth in the world they began as the lowest-ranked team in the tournament – but it is the way they demolished the strong favourites will live long in the memory.
Firstly Fakhar flayed the ball all around the The Oval, a maiden century coming in his fourth ODI after Pakistan were invited to bat.
And then Amir, in the same city in which he committed the spot-fixing offences that led to a five-year ban, found precious movement to destroy the vaunted India batting line-up.
The rest of the Pakistan attack were irresistible, backed up by excellent fielding, all in front of a vibrant, raucous and enthusiastic capacity crowd.
A quarter-of-a-century ago, Pakistan came from the brink of elimination to win the World Cup, inspired by captain Imran Khan telling them to "fight like cornered tigers".
Here, they recovered from a humbling defeat by India in their opening game with similar tenacity.
Fakhar was installed at the top of the order, man of the tournament Hasan Ali fronted a talented pace attack and energetic captain Sarfraz Ahmed marshalled a team that grew in confidence and momentum.
World number one South Africa were beaten in the rain before Pakistan edged past Sri Lanka to reach the last four. England, the much-fancied hosts, were brushed aside in Cardiff before the incredible performance in the final – their biggest margin of victory over India in an ODI.
Though Fakhar had illuminated The Oval, there was a suspicion that Pakistan's total was within reach of India's stellar batting. That was until Amir got to work.
Rohit Sharma was pinned lbw by the third ball of the innings, only for Azhar Ali to spill a straightforward first-slip chance off India captain and master run-chaser Virat Kohli.
However, from the very next ball, Kohli was squared up and athletically held at point by Shadab Khan, before Shikhar Dhawan edged behind.
After Yuvraj Singh was given lbw on review to leg-spinner Shadab and MS Dhoni holed out off the pace of Hasan, the contest was as good as done.
Hardik Pandya's six-hitting in a 43-ball 76 always seemed likely to be in vain. It was not long after he was run out that last man Jasprit Bumrah flapped at Hasan – and the Pakistan celebrations begun.
India, favouring a chase, gave up the chance to bat first on a run-filled surface and were made to pay by left-hander Fakhar.
He was reprieved on three, caught behind off a Bumrah no-ball, and went on to carve, slice and belt his way to a 92-ball century.
Fakhar shared an opening stand of 128 with Azhar Ali and, after a mix-up that saw Azhar run out, sprang to life. At one point, he took 32 runs in the space of eight legal deliveries.
When Fakhar miscued the impressive Bhuvneshwar Kumar to a back-tracking Ravindra Jadeja at point, India pulled themselves back into contention.
Mohammad Hafeez made an unbeaten 57 from 37 balls and Babar Azam 46 from 52, but India's canny death bowling seemed to have kept them in contention.
As it turned out, Pakistan had far too many for them.
Fakhar Zaman hit a spectacular century to propel Pakistan to 338-4 in the scorching south London sunshine.
Mohammad Amir then tore through the India top order to help reduce the defending champions to 54-5.
India eventually limped to 158, Pakistan winning by 180 runs to take their first global 50-over title since 1992.
That Pakistan lifted the trophy was surprising enough – at eighth in the world they began as the lowest-ranked team in the tournament – but it is the way they demolished the strong favourites will live long in the memory.
Firstly Fakhar flayed the ball all around the The Oval, a maiden century coming in his fourth ODI after Pakistan were invited to bat.
And then Amir, in the same city in which he committed the spot-fixing offences that led to a five-year ban, found precious movement to destroy the vaunted India batting line-up.
The rest of the Pakistan attack were irresistible, backed up by excellent fielding, all in front of a vibrant, raucous and enthusiastic capacity crowd.
A quarter-of-a-century ago, Pakistan came from the brink of elimination to win the World Cup, inspired by captain Imran Khan telling them to "fight like cornered tigers".
Here, they recovered from a humbling defeat by India in their opening game with similar tenacity.
Fakhar was installed at the top of the order, man of the tournament Hasan Ali fronted a talented pace attack and energetic captain Sarfraz Ahmed marshalled a team that grew in confidence and momentum.
World number one South Africa were beaten in the rain before Pakistan edged past Sri Lanka to reach the last four. England, the much-fancied hosts, were brushed aside in Cardiff before the incredible performance in the final – their biggest margin of victory over India in an ODI.
Though Fakhar had illuminated The Oval, there was a suspicion that Pakistan's total was within reach of India's stellar batting. That was until Amir got to work.
Rohit Sharma was pinned lbw by the third ball of the innings, only for Azhar Ali to spill a straightforward first-slip chance off India captain and master run-chaser Virat Kohli.
However, from the very next ball, Kohli was squared up and athletically held at point by Shadab Khan, before Shikhar Dhawan edged behind.
After Yuvraj Singh was given lbw on review to leg-spinner Shadab and MS Dhoni holed out off the pace of Hasan, the contest was as good as done.
Hardik Pandya's six-hitting in a 43-ball 76 always seemed likely to be in vain. It was not long after he was run out that last man Jasprit Bumrah flapped at Hasan – and the Pakistan celebrations begun.
India, favouring a chase, gave up the chance to bat first on a run-filled surface and were made to pay by left-hander Fakhar.
He was reprieved on three, caught behind off a Bumrah no-ball, and went on to carve, slice and belt his way to a 92-ball century.
Fakhar shared an opening stand of 128 with Azhar Ali and, after a mix-up that saw Azhar run out, sprang to life. At one point, he took 32 runs in the space of eight legal deliveries.
When Fakhar miscued the impressive Bhuvneshwar Kumar to a back-tracking Ravindra Jadeja at point, India pulled themselves back into contention.
Mohammad Hafeez made an unbeaten 57 from 37 balls and Babar Azam 46 from 52, but India's canny death bowling seemed to have kept them in contention.
As it turned out, Pakistan had far too many for them.
The Champions Trophy that concluded with Pakistan upsetting India at The Oval on Sunday (June 18) could be the last edition of the tournament if a series of proposed changes are ratified at the International Cricket Council's Annual General Meeting in London this week. Among the proposals that are due to be discussed are the scrapping of the Champions Trophy, a move towards holding the World Twenty20 every two years as well as the hosting of a Test Championship final every four years.
The 2017 Champions Trophy could rightly be seen as a success. The short, sharp nature of the competition has always been popular, good crowds attended all but one of the 15 matches, an India-Pakistan final ensured that broadcasters saw a return on investment and Pakistan's remarkable turnaround provided a compelling narrative.
However, it's reported that there are concerns among ICC decision makers about the tournament becoming too similar to the World Cup, now that the latter has been reduced to 10 teams. It is also widely acknowledged that England, with its large population of expats, is the only country where grounds can sell out for Champions Trophy games between neutral sides.
Abolishing the Champions Trophy is also the only way to accommodate the World Twenty20 every two years – something the ICC are keen on because of the tournament's ability to generate income and showcase the better Associate sides – as well as some sort of Test Championship finale. The plan in its current form would see the ICC hosting one major event each year. A four-year cycle would include two World Twenty20 events, a 50-over World Cup and a Test Championship finale.
The Test Championship has been spoken about for some time – and was originally slated to happen in 2017 until broadcasters pulled the plug and called for the Champions Trophy to be reinstated in its place. The ICC's attempts to find a workable model for a Test league have hit numerous obstacles over the past 18 months, but could now be getting closer.
At the ICC meeting in April, members realised that the number of domestic Twenty20 leagues made it impossible to play a nine-team Test championship – with Zimbabwe dropping into a sub-category with Ireland and Afghanistan – over a two-year cycle. They subsequently tried to put together a 10-team competition, with two groups of five, but found that was unlikely to fit into a two-year cycle either.
Another scheduling meeting was billed to take place yesterday (June 20), with a push to see whether a championship could be played on a three-year cycle. It will also be discussed whether there should be a 9-3 split or a 10-2 split. It is understood that Zimbabwe Cricket have registered their objection to being demoted – particularly without being given some sort of opportunity to qualify. If a qualifying period was created to decide which teams would be included in the new league, and an opportunity for future promotion was also pencilled in, they would have fewer concerns.
One issue that could put a spanner in the works is that India is already scheduled to host the Champions Trophy in 2021. With a Test league unable to start until at least 2019, ruling out a final in 2021, axing the Champions Trophy could leave a space in the calendar. The various challenges mean that a definitive roadmap for international cricket – and especially bilateral cricket – is unlikely to be completed in the coming days, a source confirmed.
Other matters up for discussion at the chief executives meeting yesterday and the board meeting today include the new ICC constitution and a reworked revenue distribution model.
The 2017 Champions Trophy could rightly be seen as a success. The short, sharp nature of the competition has always been popular, good crowds attended all but one of the 15 matches, an India-Pakistan final ensured that broadcasters saw a return on investment and Pakistan's remarkable turnaround provided a compelling narrative.
However, it's reported that there are concerns among ICC decision makers about the tournament becoming too similar to the World Cup, now that the latter has been reduced to 10 teams. It is also widely acknowledged that England, with its large population of expats, is the only country where grounds can sell out for Champions Trophy games between neutral sides.
Abolishing the Champions Trophy is also the only way to accommodate the World Twenty20 every two years – something the ICC are keen on because of the tournament's ability to generate income and showcase the better Associate sides – as well as some sort of Test Championship finale. The plan in its current form would see the ICC hosting one major event each year. A four-year cycle would include two World Twenty20 events, a 50-over World Cup and a Test Championship finale.
The Test Championship has been spoken about for some time – and was originally slated to happen in 2017 until broadcasters pulled the plug and called for the Champions Trophy to be reinstated in its place. The ICC's attempts to find a workable model for a Test league have hit numerous obstacles over the past 18 months, but could now be getting closer.
At the ICC meeting in April, members realised that the number of domestic Twenty20 leagues made it impossible to play a nine-team Test championship – with Zimbabwe dropping into a sub-category with Ireland and Afghanistan – over a two-year cycle. They subsequently tried to put together a 10-team competition, with two groups of five, but found that was unlikely to fit into a two-year cycle either.
Another scheduling meeting was billed to take place yesterday (June 20), with a push to see whether a championship could be played on a three-year cycle. It will also be discussed whether there should be a 9-3 split or a 10-2 split. It is understood that Zimbabwe Cricket have registered their objection to being demoted – particularly without being given some sort of opportunity to qualify. If a qualifying period was created to decide which teams would be included in the new league, and an opportunity for future promotion was also pencilled in, they would have fewer concerns.
One issue that could put a spanner in the works is that India is already scheduled to host the Champions Trophy in 2021. With a Test league unable to start until at least 2019, ruling out a final in 2021, axing the Champions Trophy could leave a space in the calendar. The various challenges mean that a definitive roadmap for international cricket – and especially bilateral cricket – is unlikely to be completed in the coming days, a source confirmed.
Other matters up for discussion at the chief executives meeting yesterday and the board meeting today include the new ICC constitution and a reworked revenue distribution model.
from WI tour
The decision to rest Rohit Sharma from India's upcoming limited-overs tour of the West Indies was a "smart" one, according to the captain Virat Kohli, who stressed the need to monitor the opener's fitness after a "massive hip surgery".
India are going to the Caribbean for five ODIs and a T20 international immediately after the Champions Trophy, and Kohli said Rohit had been left out of the squad with the view of ensuring his fitness for bigger assignments – tours to Sri Lanka and South Africa – later in the year.
"Rohit has come back and really had a full IPL season, which has been hectic," Kohli said after India won the semi-final against Bangladesh on Thursday; the squad had been announced by the BCCI during the course of the game. "They [Mumbai Indians] reached the final, so he got lesser rest than anyone else. Plus he had a massive hip surgery, so muscles around that area are always vulnerable, and today also he felt a bit of stiffness in his right knee.
"There is no doubt about Rohit's ability and what he brings to the team. We need to protect him going further, because latter half of the year we have massive tours coming up, and his batting contribution will be a huge factor for us. So we want him to be careful because after a massive surgery you do need to be careful. If you push yourself a little too hard then it snaps again, you're out for seven, eight months."
Rohit suffered his injury during the home ODIs against New Zealand in October last year, and missed home series against England, Bangladesh and Australia. He returned to action during the IPL and led Mumbai Indians to the title, and made his India comeback in the ongoing Champions Trophy.
His unbeaten 123 off 129 balls in the semi-final against Bangladesh vaulted Rohit to second place in the list of highest run-scorers in the tournament - 304 runs in four innings at a strike rate of 87.60.
India are going to the Caribbean for five ODIs and a T20 international immediately after the Champions Trophy, and Kohli said Rohit had been left out of the squad with the view of ensuring his fitness for bigger assignments – tours to Sri Lanka and South Africa – later in the year.
"Rohit has come back and really had a full IPL season, which has been hectic," Kohli said after India won the semi-final against Bangladesh on Thursday; the squad had been announced by the BCCI during the course of the game. "They [Mumbai Indians] reached the final, so he got lesser rest than anyone else. Plus he had a massive hip surgery, so muscles around that area are always vulnerable, and today also he felt a bit of stiffness in his right knee.
"There is no doubt about Rohit's ability and what he brings to the team. We need to protect him going further, because latter half of the year we have massive tours coming up, and his batting contribution will be a huge factor for us. So we want him to be careful because after a massive surgery you do need to be careful. If you push yourself a little too hard then it snaps again, you're out for seven, eight months."
Rohit suffered his injury during the home ODIs against New Zealand in October last year, and missed home series against England, Bangladesh and Australia. He returned to action during the IPL and led Mumbai Indians to the title, and made his India comeback in the ongoing Champions Trophy.
His unbeaten 123 off 129 balls in the semi-final against Bangladesh vaulted Rohit to second place in the list of highest run-scorers in the tournament - 304 runs in four innings at a strike rate of 87.60.
washed out
It was a frustrating and futile wait for the officials, media and the teams, especially Afghanistan seeking to become the first associate team to win an ODI series against West Indies, as the final ODI was washed out at the Darren Sammy Cricket Ground last Wednesday night (June 14) without a ball being bowled as the three match series ended 1-all.
Despite torrential overnight rain which continued for most of the day, Afghanistan would be the happier of the teams as they became the first associate team not to suffer a series loss against the West Indies.
The 50-over contest, set to commence 2:30pm was delayed due to a wet outfield and persistent drizzle and when the skies cleared and the covers were removed from the square, play was scheduled to begin at 4:45pm and the overs reduced to 43 per side.
However, the rain returned and although the contest could have started not later than 8:15pm with a 20 overs affair, the rain did not stop and the match was called off at 7:10pm.
Afghanistan became the first team ranked lower than West Indies to beat them in an ODI in their own back yard when they pulled off a 63-run victory in the opening game on June 9 before West Indies won by four wickets on June 11 to level the series.
Eighteen-year-old leg-spinner Rashid Khan befuddled the West Indies and grabbed 7-18, the fourth best figures recorded in the 44-year history of ODI cricket and the most wickets by any bowler in the three-match series even with the final game being abandoned.
Khan whose next assignment is suiting up for the Guyana Amazon Warriors in this year’s CPL, was predictably named Man-of-the-Series for his 10 wickets in two matches.
Meanwhile, West Indies coach Stuart Law, during a pre-match interview with the host broadcaster, was very frank in his assessment of the WI team. He said his players were actually less experienced than the opposition's – an Associate Member – in ODI cricket and also admitted that West Indies were in a great struggle to climb up the rankings and gain automatic qualification for the 2019 World Cup.
The top eight sides on September 30 will be locked in to play the showpiece event in England – and with Bangladesh making the semi-final of the Champions Trophy and Pakistan going one better to secure a spot in the final, they will likely widen the gap between themselves and the No. 9 ranked West Indies. The international teams that don't make the cut must then participate in a gruelling qualifying tournament in April 2018, when 10 contenders, including the best of the Associate nations, fight for two spots.
"But we can't be focussed on that," Law said. "We have to be up for this contest, and then the next series against India. If we can win a couple of games, and then a couple against England, I'm sure we can climb the ladder. Whether or not we get direct entry into the World Cup, I'm not sure."
Windies had begun the series on 79 points. Even if they had won last Wednesday's washed out game, they still would have lost a point.
Despite torrential overnight rain which continued for most of the day, Afghanistan would be the happier of the teams as they became the first associate team not to suffer a series loss against the West Indies.
The 50-over contest, set to commence 2:30pm was delayed due to a wet outfield and persistent drizzle and when the skies cleared and the covers were removed from the square, play was scheduled to begin at 4:45pm and the overs reduced to 43 per side.
However, the rain returned and although the contest could have started not later than 8:15pm with a 20 overs affair, the rain did not stop and the match was called off at 7:10pm.
Afghanistan became the first team ranked lower than West Indies to beat them in an ODI in their own back yard when they pulled off a 63-run victory in the opening game on June 9 before West Indies won by four wickets on June 11 to level the series.
Eighteen-year-old leg-spinner Rashid Khan befuddled the West Indies and grabbed 7-18, the fourth best figures recorded in the 44-year history of ODI cricket and the most wickets by any bowler in the three-match series even with the final game being abandoned.
Khan whose next assignment is suiting up for the Guyana Amazon Warriors in this year’s CPL, was predictably named Man-of-the-Series for his 10 wickets in two matches.
Meanwhile, West Indies coach Stuart Law, during a pre-match interview with the host broadcaster, was very frank in his assessment of the WI team. He said his players were actually less experienced than the opposition's – an Associate Member – in ODI cricket and also admitted that West Indies were in a great struggle to climb up the rankings and gain automatic qualification for the 2019 World Cup.
The top eight sides on September 30 will be locked in to play the showpiece event in England – and with Bangladesh making the semi-final of the Champions Trophy and Pakistan going one better to secure a spot in the final, they will likely widen the gap between themselves and the No. 9 ranked West Indies. The international teams that don't make the cut must then participate in a gruelling qualifying tournament in April 2018, when 10 contenders, including the best of the Associate nations, fight for two spots.
"But we can't be focussed on that," Law said. "We have to be up for this contest, and then the next series against India. If we can win a couple of games, and then a couple against England, I'm sure we can climb the ladder. Whether or not we get direct entry into the World Cup, I'm not sure."
Windies had begun the series on 79 points. Even if they had won last Wednesday's washed out game, they still would have lost a point.
two India ODIs
West Indies have named an unchanged 13-man squad for the first two ODIs of a five-match series against India, opting for continuity after the 1-1 result against Afghanistan.
Fast bowler Shannon Gabriel was unavailable as he continues his rehabilitation from an injury that kept him out of the series against Afghanistan, meaning the hosts will be without their premier fast bowler for their most important series this season. The reasons for its importance are not just pragmatic – India brings the most lucrative TV revenues – but also cricketing. West Indies are ranked ninth in the ICC ODI table, with only the top eight guaranteed qualification for the World Cup in 2019. The drawn series against Afghanistan did not help, and this series could represent their last realistic chance to avoid playing a potentially awkward qualifying tournament, where the top two teams will go through to the tournament in England.
India arrive in the Caribbean off the back of a Champions Trophy run where they just finished playing the finals against Pakistan. The first ODI is on Friday (June 23) at Queen's Park Oval in Trinidad and Tobago.
West Indies squad: Jason Holder (capt), Devendra Bishoo, Jonathan Carter, Roston Chase, Miguel Cummins, Shai Hope (wk), Alzarri Joseph, Evin Lewis, Jason Mohammad, Ashley Nurse, Kieran Powell, Rovman Powell, Kesrick Williams
Fast bowler Shannon Gabriel was unavailable as he continues his rehabilitation from an injury that kept him out of the series against Afghanistan, meaning the hosts will be without their premier fast bowler for their most important series this season. The reasons for its importance are not just pragmatic – India brings the most lucrative TV revenues – but also cricketing. West Indies are ranked ninth in the ICC ODI table, with only the top eight guaranteed qualification for the World Cup in 2019. The drawn series against Afghanistan did not help, and this series could represent their last realistic chance to avoid playing a potentially awkward qualifying tournament, where the top two teams will go through to the tournament in England.
India arrive in the Caribbean off the back of a Champions Trophy run where they just finished playing the finals against Pakistan. The first ODI is on Friday (June 23) at Queen's Park Oval in Trinidad and Tobago.
West Indies squad: Jason Holder (capt), Devendra Bishoo, Jonathan Carter, Roston Chase, Miguel Cummins, Shai Hope (wk), Alzarri Joseph, Evin Lewis, Jason Mohammad, Ashley Nurse, Kieran Powell, Rovman Powell, Kesrick Williams
gaining Test status
The world of Test cricket is set to welcome two new entrants for the first time since the 1930s. As the International Cricket Council (ICC) began its annual conference on Monday in London, Ireland and Afghanistan look all set to become the No 10 and 11 Test-playing nations.
Both the rapidly-improving teams are likely to be clubbed with Zimbabwe in what will be a 'tier 2' of Test cricket, with the top team from this group likely to get a promotion to play against the `big boys' in tier 1. "We are optimistic. We've completed all the criteria and already submitted our application," Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) chairman Atif Mashal told TOI from The Oval in London.
"It'll be a great thing for Afghanistan cricket and their war-torn country. This will bring a lot of joy and happiness to the people there. The players will be looking forward to this. It'll be a challenge for them to make a mark at the Test level," said former India opener and current Afghanistan coach Lalchand Rajput.
The 55-year-old Mumbaikar has just returned home after accompanying the team for a tour to the West Indies, where Afghanistan recorded their maiden ODI win over that Test-playing nation. "West Indies is one of the best teams in the shorter format of the game, and it's a Test-playing nation. Beating them in the first game gave us a lot of self-belief that we belong at this level," said Rajput.
On July 11, Afghanistan are also all set to make their `debut' at Lord's when they play their first game at cricket's traditional home – a one-dayer against an MCC side led by Brendon McCullum, which will also include recently-retired Pakistan greats Misbah-ul-Haq and Younis Khan, besides Sri Lankan legend Kumar Sangakkara. "It's a great opportunity for us. Every cricketer dreams to play at Lord's. Playing against some of the best players of the world, and that too at a historic venue like Lord's will certainly give our cricketers the impetus to perform well," said Rajput.
Both the rapidly-improving teams are likely to be clubbed with Zimbabwe in what will be a 'tier 2' of Test cricket, with the top team from this group likely to get a promotion to play against the `big boys' in tier 1. "We are optimistic. We've completed all the criteria and already submitted our application," Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) chairman Atif Mashal told TOI from The Oval in London.
"It'll be a great thing for Afghanistan cricket and their war-torn country. This will bring a lot of joy and happiness to the people there. The players will be looking forward to this. It'll be a challenge for them to make a mark at the Test level," said former India opener and current Afghanistan coach Lalchand Rajput.
The 55-year-old Mumbaikar has just returned home after accompanying the team for a tour to the West Indies, where Afghanistan recorded their maiden ODI win over that Test-playing nation. "West Indies is one of the best teams in the shorter format of the game, and it's a Test-playing nation. Beating them in the first game gave us a lot of self-belief that we belong at this level," said Rajput.
On July 11, Afghanistan are also all set to make their `debut' at Lord's when they play their first game at cricket's traditional home – a one-dayer against an MCC side led by Brendon McCullum, which will also include recently-retired Pakistan greats Misbah-ul-Haq and Younis Khan, besides Sri Lankan legend Kumar Sangakkara. "It's a great opportunity for us. Every cricketer dreams to play at Lord's. Playing against some of the best players of the world, and that too at a historic venue like Lord's will certainly give our cricketers the impetus to perform well," said Rajput.