|
|
|
| April 10, 2003 | Thursday | Safar 7, 1424 |
History favours Pakistan in Sharjah final: 2000th ODI being played today
SHARJAH (United Arab Emirates), April 9: Pakistan will have history firmly on their side in the Sharjah Cup final on Thursday, having not lost a one-dayer to Zimbabwe for four-and-a-half years.
Pakistan have won the last 12 decisive encounters and only lost twice in 31 games against the Zimbabweans.
The sides met in the World Cup last month but rain washed out the game in Bulawayo, leading to Zimbabwe surprisingly reaching the Super Six round ahead of Pakistan and England.
Both sides have since seen a major change in personnel, with Zimbabwe losing key batsman Andy Flower through retirement.
“The tournament has been a learning process for us,” captain Heat Streak said. “A victory in the final will certainly the boost the morale of players ahead of the our tour of England later this month.”
Grant Flower, Andy’s brother and now the team’s leading batsman, crossed the 6,000-run mark in one-dayers during the event.
“We have not been in many finals of late, but I feel we have it in us to win this one,” Flower said.
Both World Cup semifinalists Sri Lanka and Kenya were knocked out of the Sharjah Cup in the first round.
Pakistan dropped eight senior players, including Wasim Akram, Waqar Younis, Saeed Anwar, Inzamam-ul-Haq and Shoaib Akhtar after the World Cup.
New skipper Rashid Latif said: “Give us another six to eight months, we will build a very strong team.”
All-rounder Abdul Razzaq and stylish batsman Younis Khan, rested against Kenya on Tuesday, are set to return to the playing XI on Thursday.
Statistically, this match also reaches a significant milestone as it will be the 2000th encounter in the history of One-day Internationals after Australia and England figured in the first such international at Melbourne on Jan 5, 1971. The 1000th limited-overs match was played between England and the West Indies at The Oval on May 26, 1995.
Teams (from):
PAKISTAN: Rashid Latif (captain), Taufiq Umar, Mohammad Hafeez, Yousuf Youhana, Younis Khan, Faisal Iqbal, Misbah-ul-Haq, Abdul Razzaq, Shoaib Malik, Mohammad Sami, Umar Gul, Rana Naveed-ul-Hasan, Danish Kaneria, Naved Latif, Mohammad Zahid.
ZIMBABWE: Heath Streak (captain), Craig Wishart, Douglas Marillier, Gavin Rennie, Grant Flower, Dion Ebrahim, Tatenda Taibu, Andy Blignaut, Sean Ervine, Ray Price, Douglas Hondo, Travis Friend, Mluleki Nkala, Stuart Matsikenyeri.
Umpires: Billy Doctrove (West Indies) and Arani Jayaprakash (India).
TV umpire: Kevan Barbour (Zimbabwe).
Match referee: Ahmed Ebrahim (Zimbabwe).—Reuters
|
|
|
|
