The crescent moon for the month of Ramadan has been sighted by the Ruhat-e-Hilal committee on Wednesday. The first day of Ramdan will be on Thurday.
The announcement was made by Mufti Muneeb-ur Rehman, the chairman of the Ruhat-e-Hilal Committee.
The sighting has been verified in different parts of the country.
Moon sighted for the month of Ramazan: Ruhat-e-Hilal
ramadan in pakistan +
ramadan moon
The crescent moon for the month of Ramadan has been sighted by the Ruhat-e-Hilal committee on Wednesday. The first day of Ramdan will be on Thurday.
The announcement was made by Mufti Muneeb-ur Rehman, the chairman of the Ruhat-e-Hilal Committee.
The sighting has been verified in different parts of the country.
Mohammad Irfan, the fast bowler from Pakistan, has reached an agreement with Kolkata Knight Riders to play for them in IPL 2011, though only after the BCCI approves the deal. Irfan shot to prominence after an impressive debut season in Pakistan and was nearly selected in their World Twenty20 squad in May.Irfan, a left-arm fast bowler who is nearly seven foot tall, is among the tallest cricketers in the world and he impressed Kolkata with performances on a development tour of Sri Lanka with them. He had been recommended to the franchise by Wasim Akram, Kolkata's bowling consultant. As Irfan is not yet a Pakistan international, he does not need to go through an auction process and can be signed directly by a franchise."I have signed for KKR for the fourth edition of IPL," Irfan told The Express Tribune. "I was called by them to Sri Lanka on the recommendation of Wasim Akram and they were impressed by my performance in the three matches. I played two Twenty20s and a one-day match against a side that included a number of Sri Lankan international and A team players."However, that Irfan and Kolkata have a Memorandum of Understanding, which will only become a contract once approval from the BCCI is forthcoming. This may not be as straightforward as it sounds, given the difficulties Pakistan players have had with the IPL. In the league's first season in 2008, a number of players from Pakistan appeared in the tournament, but deteriorating political ties between the two countries in the aftermath of the terror attacks in Mumbai in November that year meant no Pakistani played in the last two seasons of the IPL.The PCB decided against sending their players in 2009 but their absence from 2010 was more contentious and troubled. The Pakistan players were cleared to be part of the auction pool but none of the franchises even bid for any of them, ostensibly concerned about player availability because of strained ties between the two governments. Pakistan was upset, however, because their players had been granted the requisite visas, as well as no-objection certificates, from the PCB and cast doubts on the reasons behind the boycott.
If approved, Irfan's contract is understood to be for one year and worth $75,000, with an additional $2000 for every game he appears in. Irfan will also have to get an NOC from the PCB as per IPL regulations and likely rom the Pakistan government as well.Irfan's rise is one of the more unique stories in Pakistan cricket. He is a product of rural Pakistan, from the town of Gaggu Mandi, which produced another former quick, Mohammad Zahid. He was working in a plastic pipe factory and playing club cricket when a fan-forum cricket website - which heard Irfan's name while talking to Nadeem Iqbal, former fast bowler and now coach in Multan - pushed for his introduction to Aaqib Javed at the National Cricket Academy in Lahore.Aaqib was enthused by what he saw and soon after, Irfan debuted for Khan Research Laboratories. He took nine wickets in his second game and ended the season with an impressive 43 in ten games. He came close to national selection when he was named as a replacement for one of the injured seamers for the 2010 World Twenty20, but his name was withdrawn in a typically confused muddle: captain Shahid Afridi and coach Waqaar Younis were keen on taking him along and announced his inclusion, before PCB chairman Ijaz Butt overrode the decision, claiming procedures had been violated in the call-up.
Pakistan's Mohammad Irfan in line for IPL contract
Mohammaad Irfan +
Mohammaad Irfan crickter +
Mohammaad Irfan IPL
Mohammad Irfan, the fast bowler from Pakistan, has reached an agreement with Kolkata Knight Riders to play for them in IPL 2011, though only after the BCCI approves the deal. Irfan shot to prominence after an impressive debut season in Pakistan and was nearly selected in their World Twenty20 squad in May.Irfan, a left-arm fast bowler who is nearly seven foot tall, is among the tallest cricketers in the world and he impressed Kolkata with performances on a development tour of Sri Lanka with them. He had been recommended to the franchise by Wasim Akram, Kolkata's bowling consultant. As Irfan is not yet a Pakistan international, he does not need to go through an auction process and can be signed directly by a franchise.
"I have signed for KKR for the fourth edition of IPL," Irfan told The Express Tribune. "I was called by them to Sri Lanka on the recommendation of Wasim Akram and they were impressed by my performance in the three matches. I played two Twenty20s and a one-day match against a side that included a number of Sri Lankan international and A team players."
However, that Irfan and Kolkata have a Memorandum of Understanding, which will only become a contract once approval from the BCCI is forthcoming. This may not be as straightforward as it sounds, given the difficulties Pakistan players have had with the IPL. In the league's first season in 2008, a number of players from Pakistan appeared in the tournament, but deteriorating political ties between the two countries in the aftermath of the terror attacks in Mumbai in November that year meant no Pakistani played in the last two seasons of the IPL.
The PCB decided against sending their players in 2009 but their absence from 2010 was more contentious and troubled. The Pakistan players were cleared to be part of the auction pool but none of the franchises even bid for any of them, ostensibly concerned about player availability because of strained ties between the two governments. Pakistan was upset, however, because their players had been granted the requisite visas, as well as no-objection certificates, from the PCB and cast doubts on the reasons behind the boycott.
If approved, Irfan's contract is understood to be for one year and worth $75,000, with an additional $2000 for every game he appears in. Irfan will also have to get an NOC from the PCB as per IPL regulations and likely rom the Pakistan government as well.
Irfan's rise is one of the more unique stories in Pakistan cricket. He is a product of rural Pakistan, from the town of Gaggu Mandi, which produced another former quick, Mohammad Zahid. He was working in a plastic pipe factory and playing club cricket when a fan-forum cricket website - which heard Irfan's name while talking to Nadeem Iqbal, former fast bowler and now coach in Multan - pushed for his introduction to Aaqib Javed at the National Cricket Academy in Lahore.
Aaqib was enthused by what he saw and soon after, Irfan debuted for Khan Research Laboratories. He took nine wickets in his second game and ended the season with an impressive 43 in ten games. He came close to national selection when he was named as a replacement for one of the injured seamers for the 2010 World Twenty20, but his name was withdrawn in a typically confused muddle: captain Shahid Afridi and coach Waqaar Younis were keen on taking him along and announced his inclusion, before PCB chairman Ijaz Butt overrode the decision, claiming procedures had been violated in the call-up.
Man Throws Shoes At Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari zardari boot + zardari joota
A suicide bomber attacked a vehicle carrying the Chief of Pakistan’s Frontier Constabulary in Peshawar on Wednesday, killing him and two others. Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan claimed responsibility for the attack.
Rescue workers frantically tried to extinguish fires that engulfed several cars in the minutes after the attack near a major market in the city.
Sifwat Ghayur, the head of the Frontier Constabulary, was killed in the attack along with his driver and bodyguard, said Abdul Rahman Khan, a local police officer. The explosion also injured 14 other people, he said.
Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan claimed responsibility for the killing and threatened more such assassinations.
“We killed him, he was our target... all such officers who are active against us will suffer the same fate,” Azam Tariq, a spokesman for Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan, told AFP by telephone.
“He was conducting different operations against us...one of our fidayee (suicide attackers) has done this job,” he added.
It was unclear whether the suicide bomber attacked on foot or was in a vehicle, said Khan.
The attack comes as the northwest, which has been plagued by violence at the hands of the Pakistani Taliban, is trying to get back on its feet after heavy monsoon rains a week ago triggered devastating floods that have killed 1,500 people.
Chief of Frontier Constabulary killed in suicide attack
A suicide bomber attacked a vehicle carrying the Chief of Pakistan’s Frontier Constabulary in Peshawar on Wednesday, killing him and two others. Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan claimed responsibility for the attack.Rescue workers frantically tried to extinguish fires that engulfed several cars in the minutes after the attack near a major market in the city.
Sifwat Ghayur, the head of the Frontier Constabulary, was killed in the attack along with his driver and bodyguard, said Abdul Rahman Khan, a local police officer. The explosion also injured 14 other people, he said.
Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan claimed responsibility for the killing and threatened more such assassinations.
“We killed him, he was our target... all such officers who are active against us will suffer the same fate,” Azam Tariq, a spokesman for Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan, told AFP by telephone.
“He was conducting different operations against us...one of our fidayee (suicide attackers) has done this job,” he added.
It was unclear whether the suicide bomber attacked on foot or was in a vehicle, said Khan.
The attack comes as the northwest, which has been plagued by violence at the hands of the Pakistani Taliban, is trying to get back on its feet after heavy monsoon rains a week ago triggered devastating floods that have killed 1,500 people.
Rescue workers have recovered the dead bodies of at least 45 people from the wreckage of an Airblue passenger plane which crashed in the Margalla Hills in Islamabad on Wednesday, an official said.
“So far, 45 to 50 bodies have been collected…we have not found any survivors,” Ramzan Sajid, a spokesman for Islamabad's Capital Development Authority (CDA) told Reuters.
For information regarding passengers who were on board the plane, people can contact the Crisis Management Cell at 051-9211223-4.
At least 157 people were on board the ABQ-202, a civil aviation official said.
The 157 included 151 passengers and six crew members, an official said.
Rescue workers arrived at the scene and managed to pull out four injured passengers from under the rubble. Meanwhile, the plane’s black box was also recovered, the Civil Aviation Authority said.
Interior Minister Rehman Malik said five injured people were recovered from the site and were rushed to a hospital for treatment.
Earlier, Imtiaz Inayat, a senior Islamabad municipal official, told a private television channel that up to five bodies had been recovered from the site of the crash.
“Several bodies are lying in the area. Four or five bodies have been taken,” Inayat said.
Separately, Imtiaz Elahi, chairman of the Capital Development Authority, said: We have sent fire engines to the site, so far five dead bodies have been recovered.
The total number of survivors was not immediately known, another local administration official said.
“Rescue teams have reached the area. They are fully equipped. They are scanning the entire area. Those wounded or survivors are being provided assistance and arrangements have been made to take them to hospitals.
“We are trying to get details about the passengers. It's a big tragedy. It's really a big tragedy,” he said.
Mubarik Shah, a spokesman for the Civil Aviation Authority, said: We are gathering information. We have no more details.
However, a rescue team that accessed the wreckage of the crashed saw no sign of survivors, a rescue official said.
“I along with four other police and rescue officials reached the crash site. The debris of the plane was scattered there in raging fire. The plane had struck a ridge which fell on the wreckage,” official Arshad Javed said.
“All we could see were charred hands or feet. I collected two heads, two legs and two hands in a bag."
The plane was flying from Karachi to Islamabad and the exact cause of the crash was not immediately clear.
The aircraft had lost contact with the control tower during the crash which occurred amid thick fog and heavy rainfall in Islamabad.
Guards with the forestry service said they had found some wreckage and seen some bodies, police official Mohammad Saeed said. The army said it was sending special troops to the area to help out along with helicopters.
At the Benazir Bhutto International Airport, hundreds of friends and relatives of those on board the flight swarmed ticket counters desperately seeking information. A large cluster of people also surrounded the list of passengers on the flight, which was posted near the Airblue ticket counter.
''Nobody is guiding anyone. People are running from one counter to another,'' said Arshad Mahmood, whose brother, Maulana Nawabul Hasan, a prayer leader in a town near Islamabad, was on the flight.
One Saqlain Altaf told a private television news channel that he was on a family outing in the hills when he saw the plane, looking unsteady in the air.
''The plane had lost balance, and then we saw it going down,'' he said, adding he heard the crash.
Thick clouds of smoke were rising from the Margalla Hills.
Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani ordered authorities to control the fire immediately and rescue passengers.
The government declared a day of national mourning and called off a cabinet meeting that was scheduled for today.
Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani and the cabinet “expressed grief and sorrow over the tragic incident” and offered prayers for passengers who were killed, Gilani's office said in a statement.
Raheel Ahmed, a spokesman for Airblue, said an investigation would be launched, but that for now the focus was to find survivors. The plane was no more than eight years old, and it had no known technical issues, Ahmed said. He added that to his knowledge, the pilots had not sent any emergency signals.
Airblue flies within Pakistan as well as internationally to the United Arab Emirates, Oman and the United Kingdom.
The only previous recorded accident for Airblue, a carrier that began flying in 2004, was a tailstrike in May 2008 at Quetta airport by one of the airline's Airbus 321 jets.
There were no casualties and damage was minimal, according to the US-based Aviation Safety Network.The airliner began operations in 2004 with a fleet of Airbus A320 and A321 aircraft, the company said on its website.
The plane that crashed on Wednesday was also built by Airbus, the European planemaker said.
“We regret to confirm there has been an accident with an Airbus aircraft and we will provide more information when we have more confirmed data available,” Airbus spokesman Stefan Schaffrath said.
According to the latest available data published by Airbus, Airblue operates six aircraft from its A320 family of short-haul and medium-haul aircraft seating up to 185 passengers.
Forty-five people were killed when a passenger plane belonging to Pakistan International Airlines crashed near Multan in 2006.
At least 45 killed in passenger plane crash in Islamabad
Rescue workers have recovered the dead bodies of at least 45 people from the wreckage of an Airblue passenger plane which crashed in the Margalla Hills in Islamabad on Wednesday, an official said.
“So far, 45 to 50 bodies have been collected…we have not found any survivors,” Ramzan Sajid, a spokesman for Islamabad's Capital Development Authority (CDA) told Reuters.
For information regarding passengers who were on board the plane, people can contact the Crisis Management Cell at 051-9211223-4.
At least 157 people were on board the ABQ-202, a civil aviation official said.
The 157 included 151 passengers and six crew members, an official said.
Rescue workers arrived at the scene and managed to pull out four injured passengers from under the rubble. Meanwhile, the plane’s black box was also recovered, the Civil Aviation Authority said.
Interior Minister Rehman Malik said five injured people were recovered from the site and were rushed to a hospital for treatment.
Earlier, Imtiaz Inayat, a senior Islamabad municipal official, told a private television channel that up to five bodies had been recovered from the site of the crash.
“Several bodies are lying in the area. Four or five bodies have been taken,” Inayat said.
Separately, Imtiaz Elahi, chairman of the Capital Development Authority, said: We have sent fire engines to the site, so far five dead bodies have been recovered.
The total number of survivors was not immediately known, another local administration official said.
“Rescue teams have reached the area. They are fully equipped. They are scanning the entire area. Those wounded or survivors are being provided assistance and arrangements have been made to take them to hospitals.
“We are trying to get details about the passengers. It's a big tragedy. It's really a big tragedy,” he said.
Mubarik Shah, a spokesman for the Civil Aviation Authority, said: We are gathering information. We have no more details.
However, a rescue team that accessed the wreckage of the crashed saw no sign of survivors, a rescue official said.
“I along with four other police and rescue officials reached the crash site. The debris of the plane was scattered there in raging fire. The plane had struck a ridge which fell on the wreckage,” official Arshad Javed said.
“All we could see were charred hands or feet. I collected two heads, two legs and two hands in a bag."
The plane was flying from Karachi to Islamabad and the exact cause of the crash was not immediately clear.
The aircraft had lost contact with the control tower during the crash which occurred amid thick fog and heavy rainfall in Islamabad.
Guards with the forestry service said they had found some wreckage and seen some bodies, police official Mohammad Saeed said. The army said it was sending special troops to the area to help out along with helicopters.
At the Benazir Bhutto International Airport, hundreds of friends and relatives of those on board the flight swarmed ticket counters desperately seeking information. A large cluster of people also surrounded the list of passengers on the flight, which was posted near the Airblue ticket counter.
''Nobody is guiding anyone. People are running from one counter to another,'' said Arshad Mahmood, whose brother, Maulana Nawabul Hasan, a prayer leader in a town near Islamabad, was on the flight.
One Saqlain Altaf told a private television news channel that he was on a family outing in the hills when he saw the plane, looking unsteady in the air.
''The plane had lost balance, and then we saw it going down,'' he said, adding he heard the crash.
Thick clouds of smoke were rising from the Margalla Hills.
Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani ordered authorities to control the fire immediately and rescue passengers.
The government declared a day of national mourning and called off a cabinet meeting that was scheduled for today.
Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani and the cabinet “expressed grief and sorrow over the tragic incident” and offered prayers for passengers who were killed, Gilani's office said in a statement.
Raheel Ahmed, a spokesman for Airblue, said an investigation would be launched, but that for now the focus was to find survivors. The plane was no more than eight years old, and it had no known technical issues, Ahmed said. He added that to his knowledge, the pilots had not sent any emergency signals.
Airblue flies within Pakistan as well as internationally to the United Arab Emirates, Oman and the United Kingdom.
The only previous recorded accident for Airblue, a carrier that began flying in 2004, was a tailstrike in May 2008 at Quetta airport by one of the airline's Airbus 321 jets.
There were no casualties and damage was minimal, according to the US-based Aviation Safety Network.
The airliner began operations in 2004 with a fleet of Airbus A320 and A321 aircraft, the company said on its website.
The plane that crashed on Wednesday was also built by Airbus, the European planemaker said.
“We regret to confirm there has been an accident with an Airbus aircraft and we will provide more information when we have more confirmed data available,” Airbus spokesman Stefan Schaffrath said.
According to the latest available data published by Airbus, Airblue operates six aircraft from its A320 family of short-haul and medium-haul aircraft seating up to 185 passengers.
Forty-five people were killed when a passenger plane belonging to Pakistan International Airlines crashed near Multan in 2006.
LAHORE: The journalists observing across the country observing black day to protest the resolution passed in the Punjab Assembly against the media on Friday.
The journalists’ bodies organized protest gatherings at various cities and towns and took out protest rallies.
The protesting journalists were carrying placards with slogans against media and provincial government.
On the other hand, Judicial Activism Panel (JAP) has warned it will give a call of long march till Jati Umrah if resolution will not be withdrawn in next 48 hours.
In a statement, JAP said speaker Punjab Assembly should resign for his biased character and Chief Minister Punjab also resigned because the resolution against media tabled in his presence in the assembly. It also demanded arrest of fake degrees makers.
Journalists across the country observing black day
LAHORE: The journalists observing across the country observing black day to protest the resolution passed in the Punjab Assembly against the media on Friday.The journalists’ bodies organized protest gatherings at various cities and towns and took out protest rallies.
The protesting journalists were carrying placards with slogans against media and provincial government.
On the other hand, Judicial Activism Panel (JAP) has warned it will give a call of long march till Jati Umrah if resolution will not be withdrawn in next 48 hours.
In a statement, JAP said speaker Punjab Assembly should resign for his biased character and Chief Minister Punjab also resigned because the resolution against media tabled in his presence in the assembly. It also demanded arrest of fake degrees makers.
Thousands of people defied a curfew across Indian-controlled Kashmir to pray in small mosques and in open fields Friday, as government forces arrested dozens of suspected separatists in an attempt to stem civil unrest.Police fired tear gas to disperse nearly 4,000 protesters chanting, "India go back. We want freedom," in Baramulla, a town north of the main city of Srinagar.Authorities clamped a curfew over Kashmir on Wednesday in hopes of quelling weeks of violent anti-Indian street protests that left 15 people dead at the hands of security forces, according to residents.
Fearing that crowds leaving traditional Friday afternoon prayers could turn violent, authorities did not allow residents to enter the main mosques in Srinagar or other major towns, a police officer said. The officer spoke on condition of anonymity because government policy barred him from speaking to reporters.However, authorities did not stop residents from gathering at smaller mosques, where anti-India slogans were broadcast over public address systems, the officer said.Thousands of people came out from their homes and held streets protests in Baramulla, Kupwara and Budgam towns, police said.Authorities arrested 60 suspected separatist activists during overnight raids by police and paramilitary soldiers that were aimed at ending the nearly three weeks of protests.At least 30 activists who had participated in recent street demonstrations were arrested in Anantnag, 35 miles (55 kilometers) south of Srinagar, said a police officer who also spoke on condition of anonymity.He said at least 30 others were arrested in Srinagar and other towns in Kashmir.Tens of thousands of troops patrolled the region's streets, while shops and schools were closed. Streets ringed with barbed wire were deserted, and the region's nearly 60 newspapers were unable to publish for a second day Friday.Despite the curfew, the All Parties Hurriyat Conference, an umbrella organization of separatist groups, called for more protests.The tension in the Himalayan region — divided between India and Pakistan — was reminiscent of the late 1980s, when protests against Indian rule sparked an armed conflict that has killed more than 68,000 people, mostly civilians, over the past two decades.The government's decision to send the army to quell the current protests was intended to prevent them from spiraling out of control and igniting another insurgency.The Indian army is ubiquitous in Kashmir, but its operations are usually aimed at combating insurgents and it has not been used in crowd control since major street protests in 1990.India and Pakistan have fought two wars over the region. India regularly accuses Pakistan of sending insurgents over the heavily militarized frontier to stir trouble and has blamed the current protests on Pakistan-based militants bent on destabilizing India, a charge Islamabad denies.Kashmiri separatists are demanding independence from Hindu-majority India or a merger with Muslim-majority Pakistan.
Police arrest 60 anti-India protesters in Kashmir
Thousands of people defied a curfew across Indian-controlled Kashmir to pray in small mosques and in open fields Friday, as government forces arrested dozens of suspected separatists in an attempt to stem civil unrest.
Police fired tear gas to disperse nearly 4,000 protesters chanting, "India go back. We want freedom," in Baramulla, a town north of the main city of Srinagar.
Authorities clamped a curfew over Kashmir on Wednesday in hopes of quelling weeks of violent anti-Indian street protests that left 15 people dead at the hands of security forces, according to residents.
Fearing that crowds leaving traditional Friday afternoon prayers could turn violent, authorities did not allow residents to enter the main mosques in Srinagar or other major towns, a police officer said. The officer spoke on condition of anonymity because government policy barred him from speaking to reporters.
However, authorities did not stop residents from gathering at smaller mosques, where anti-India slogans were broadcast over public address systems, the officer said.
Thousands of people came out from their homes and held streets protests in Baramulla, Kupwara and Budgam towns, police said.
Authorities arrested 60 suspected separatist activists during overnight raids by police and paramilitary soldiers that were aimed at ending the nearly three weeks of protests.
At least 30 activists who had participated in recent street demonstrations were arrested in Anantnag, 35 miles (55 kilometers) south of Srinagar, said a police officer who also spoke on condition of anonymity.
He said at least 30 others were arrested in Srinagar and other towns in Kashmir.
Tens of thousands of troops patrolled the region's streets, while shops and schools were closed. Streets ringed with barbed wire were deserted, and the region's nearly 60 newspapers were unable to publish for a second day Friday.
Despite the curfew, the All Parties Hurriyat Conference, an umbrella organization of separatist groups, called for more protests.
The tension in the Himalayan region — divided between India and Pakistan — was reminiscent of the late 1980s, when protests against Indian rule sparked an armed conflict that has killed more than 68,000 people, mostly civilians, over the past two decades.
The government's decision to send the army to quell the current protests was intended to prevent them from spiraling out of control and igniting another insurgency.
The Indian army is ubiquitous in Kashmir, but its operations are usually aimed at combating insurgents and it has not been used in crowd control since major street protests in 1990.
India and Pakistan have fought two wars over the region. India regularly accuses Pakistan of sending insurgents over the heavily militarized frontier to stir trouble and has blamed the current protests on Pakistan-based militants bent on destabilizing India, a charge Islamabad denies.
Kashmiri separatists are demanding independence from Hindu-majority India or a merger with Muslim-majority Pakistan.
Pakistan captain Shahid Afridi has rallied his players to carry forward their consistency in the Twenty20s against Australia to the two-Test series that begins at Lord's on July 13. After getting hammered by Australia in all formats of the game earlier this year and in the World Twenty20 in the Caribbean, Pakistan hit back by winning both the Twenty20s at Edgbaston to get their England tour off to a resounding start."I think now that we have regained our winning habit we must work harder to maintain it and make winning a habit," Afridi told a Pakistani sports channel. "I knew sooner or later we will win back-to-back matches because we have been performing well since the Twenty20 World Cup but missed out in close matches."Twenty20 cricket has suited Pakistan both technically and temperamentally and their crowning moment was the World Twenty20 title win in 2009 in England. However, their form in Tests hasn't been up to the mark, having been beaten 3-0 by Australia away, and drawing a three-Test series in New Zealand 1-1 before that. Afridi, whose leadership has won himself admirers, is determined to reverse that trend in the longer format."There is a difference and we have to be aware of this," Afridi said. "But the good thing is that a win is a win in any form of the game and this series win should serve a confidence booster for us ahead of the Tests."
The coach Waqar Younis agreed that the team can take a lot of confidence into the Test series. "I think these two wins are really going to help us to get into the momentum," Waqar said. "Test matches are a different ball game fair enough, but with victory behind you it always helps."With senior players Mohammad Yousuf and Younis Khan missing the tour despite their bans being lifted by the PCB, Afridi threw his weight behind the younger players to fill the gap. Yousuf hasn't yet come out of retirement while Younis was left out due to disciplinary reasons."Obviously we will miss their experience. I wanted them in the team for this tour and I tried my best to see they were in the team but for different reasons this couldn't happen and it is unfortunate," Afridi said. "But one has to manage with the available resources so right now I am focusing completely on the team I have, on the new players because they are the ones who will fight for Pakistan in the Test matches and I retain confidence they can do this."
Afridi wants Pakistan to replicate T20 form in Tests
Pakistan captain Shahid Afridi has rallied his players to carry forward their consistency in the Twenty20s against Australia to the two-Test series that begins at Lord's on July 13. After getting hammered by Australia in all formats of the game earlier this year and in the World Twenty20 in the Caribbean, Pakistan hit back by winning both the Twenty20s at Edgbaston to get their England tour off to a resounding start."I think now that we have regained our winning habit we must work harder to maintain it and make winning a habit," Afridi told a Pakistani sports channel. "I knew sooner or later we will win back-to-back matches because we have been performing well since the Twenty20 World Cup but missed out in close matches."
Twenty20 cricket has suited Pakistan both technically and temperamentally and their crowning moment was the World Twenty20 title win in 2009 in England. However, their form in Tests hasn't been up to the mark, having been beaten 3-0 by Australia away, and drawing a three-Test series in New Zealand 1-1 before that. Afridi, whose leadership has won himself admirers, is determined to reverse that trend in the longer format.
"There is a difference and we have to be aware of this," Afridi said. "But the good thing is that a win is a win in any form of the game and this series win should serve a confidence booster for us ahead of the Tests."
The coach Waqar Younis agreed that the team can take a lot of confidence into the Test series. "I think these two wins are really going to help us to get into the momentum," Waqar said. "Test matches are a different ball game fair enough, but with victory behind you it always helps."
With senior players Mohammad Yousuf and Younis Khan missing the tour despite their bans being lifted by the PCB, Afridi threw his weight behind the younger players to fill the gap. Yousuf hasn't yet come out of retirement while Younis was left out due to disciplinary reasons.
"Obviously we will miss their experience. I wanted them in the team for this tour and I tried my best to see they were in the team but for different reasons this couldn't happen and it is unfortunate," Afridi said. "But one has to manage with the available resources so right now I am focusing completely on the team I have, on the new players because they are the ones who will fight for Pakistan in the Test matches and I retain confidence they can do this."
Australia's Test vice-captain Michael Clarke believes Pakistan's fast bowlers will be a handful during the upcoming Test series, on the evidence of their strong performances in the two Twenty20s at Edgbaston. The Australians found Mohammad Aamer and Umar Gul difficult prospects during the Twenty20s and both men are in the Test squad, where they will be joined by Mohammad Asif.Add the coaching expertise of Waqar Younis and the swing of the red Duke ball, and the attack could cause problems in English conditions. Australia found the curving ball hard to counter during their 2005 Ashes defeat and they again failed to win last year, which means they haven't triumphed in a Test series in England since 2001."They're going to be tough opposition in the Test match," Clarke said of Shahid Afridi's men. "They're going to have a very good attack, so our batters have to be at our best with the Duke ball that I'll imagine they'll get to swing, in conditions where, if it's overcast, it's going to be quite tough. I think we're in for a really good Test series."If it's overcast here, I think they'll swing the ball nicely and they've got some pace as well. I think the Duke will help them. Conditions play a big part in England as to how much swing there is. If it's overcast there's generally a bit of swing the whole day. Hopefully the sun's out."
On Thursday, Australia will play with the red Duke for the first time on the tour when they begin a two-day warm-up match against Derbyshire. It will be a good opportunity for the selectors to see Ben Hilfenhaus, Australia's best exponent of swing, in action after his seven-month lay-off due to knee tendonitis.At the same time, Pakistan will be honing their skills with a tour game against Leicestershire. The first Test begins at Lord's next Tuesday, before the teams move on to Headingley for the second Test beginning on July 21.
Clarke predicts tough Tests against Pakistan seamers
Australia's Test vice-captain Michael Clarke believes Pakistan's fast bowlers will be a handful during the upcoming Test series, on the evidence of their strong performances in the two Twenty20s at Edgbaston. The Australians found Mohammad Aamer and Umar Gul difficult prospects during the Twenty20s and both men are in the Test squad, where they will be joined by Mohammad Asif.
Add the coaching expertise of Waqar Younis and the swing of the red Duke ball, and the attack could cause problems in English conditions. Australia found the curving ball hard to counter during their 2005 Ashes defeat and they again failed to win last year, which means they haven't triumphed in a Test series in England since 2001.
"They're going to be tough opposition in the Test match," Clarke said of Shahid Afridi's men. "They're going to have a very good attack, so our batters have to be at our best with the Duke ball that I'll imagine they'll get to swing, in conditions where, if it's overcast, it's going to be quite tough. I think we're in for a really good Test series.
"If it's overcast here, I think they'll swing the ball nicely and they've got some pace as well. I think the Duke will help them. Conditions play a big part in England as to how much swing there is. If it's overcast there's generally a bit of swing the whole day. Hopefully the sun's out."
On Thursday, Australia will play with the red Duke for the first time on the tour when they begin a two-day warm-up match against Derbyshire. It will be a good opportunity for the selectors to see Ben Hilfenhaus, Australia's best exponent of swing, in action after his seven-month lay-off due to knee tendonitis.
At the same time, Pakistan will be honing their skills with a tour game against Leicestershire. The first Test begins at Lord's next Tuesday, before the teams move on to Headingley for the second Test beginning on July 21.
Pakistan 162 for 9 (Kamran Akmal 33, O'Keefe 3-29, Nannes 3-30) beat Australia 151 (D Hussey 33, Mohammad Aamer 3-27) by 11 runs
If Pakistan are a confidence team, their Twenty20 efforts over the past two days augur well for next week's first Test. A day after they ended their 12-match losing stretch against Australia across all formats, Mohammad Aamer helped them begin their own winning streak with an 11-run victory that brought 2-0 series triumph. Tests are a very different story, but their Twenty20 form has given the group a spark.There was a distinct sense of déjà vu after Monday's game; again there was a big crowd of Pakistan fans, again Pakistan scored around the 160 mark and again Australia's batsmen were tied down and couldn't lift their tempo for a successful chase. The last pair was left needing 19 from the final over and despite a six from Dirk Nannes, they came up short.
Aamer helps Pakistan to 2-0 Twenty20 win
Pakistan 162 for 9 (Kamran Akmal 33, O'Keefe 3-29, Nannes 3-30) beat Australia 151 (D Hussey 33, Mohammad Aamer 3-27) by 11 runsIf Pakistan are a confidence team, their Twenty20 efforts over the past two days augur well for next week's first Test. A day after they ended their 12-match losing stretch against Australia across all formats, Mohammad Aamer helped them begin their own winning streak with an 11-run victory that brought 2-0 series triumph. Tests are a very different story, but their Twenty20 form has given the group a spark.
There was a distinct sense of déjà vu after Monday's game; again there was a big crowd of Pakistan fans, again Pakistan scored around the 160 mark and again Australia's batsmen were tied down and couldn't lift their tempo for a successful chase. The last pair was left needing 19 from the final over and despite a six from Dirk Nannes, they came up short.
Muttiah Muralitharan, the leading wicket-taker in Tests and ODIs, will retire from Test cricket after the first Test against India in Galle, which begins on July 18. While he will not play the subsequent tri-series, and will pick and choose which ODIs to play in, Murali will be available for selection if the team needs him for the 2011 World Cup, which Sri Lanka is co-hosting.Cricinfo has learnt that Murali met Aravinda de Silva, the chairman of selectors, and captain Kumar Sangakkara over the weekend to discuss his future. He was asked to consider playing the full series against India, but he was unsure about being at his best if bowled heavily throughout the series.
Galle Test to be Muralitharan's last
Muttiah Muralitharan, the leading wicket-taker in Tests and ODIs, will retire from Test cricket after the first Test against India in Galle, which begins on July 18. While he will not play the subsequent tri-series, and will pick and choose which ODIs to play in, Murali will be available for selection if the team needs him for the 2011 World Cup, which Sri Lanka is co-hosting.
Cricinfo has learnt that Murali met Aravinda de Silva, the chairman of selectors, and captain Kumar Sangakkara over the weekend to discuss his future. He was asked to consider playing the full series against India, but he was unsure about being at his best if bowled heavily throughout the series.
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LOS ANGELES: "The Twilight Saga: Eclipse" the latest in the teen vampire movie franchise, sank its fangs into a hefty 69-million dollar share of box office receipts, making it the top weekend earner, industry estimates showed on Sunday.
The teen goth romance flick, which opened Wednesday, so far has racked up projected ticket sales of 161.7 million dollars in North America, according to box office tracker Exhibitor Relations.
In second place was the debut of "The Last Airbender," based on a popular television series in which beings are endowed with magical powers allowing them to control air, earth, water and fire.
'Twilight' eclipses weekend box office competition
The teen goth romance flick, which opened Wednesday, so far has racked up projected ticket sales of 161.7 million dollars in North America, according to box office tracker Exhibitor Relations.
In second place was the debut of "The Last Airbender," based on a popular television series in which beings are endowed with magical powers allowing them to control air, earth, water and fire.
