May 02, 2007	Wednesday	Rabi-us-Sani 14, 1428

Please Visit our Sponsor (Ads open in separate window)

LAHORE, May 1: Except for Mohammad Hafeez, Imran Nazir and Mohammad Yousuf all the other batsmen failed to click as A. H. Kardar XI furnished an easy five-wicket win against Hanif Mohammad XI in the first limited overs practice match at the Gaddafi Stadium here on Tuesday.

Hafeez made a 55-ball 62 with 10 boundaries, while Imran Nazir hit 44 off 56 deliveries including eight fours as A. H. Kardar XI, led by Yousuf, achieved the 171-run target off 32.4 overs while losing five wickets, including three retired dismissals.

Hafeez joined Imran Nazir after opener Salman Butt earned a three-ball duck, caught by wicket-keeper Zulqarnain Haider off Mohammad Asif. Hafeez and Imran Nazir added 109 runs for the second wicket. As the target came within A. H. Kardar XI’s reach due to their valuable knocks, both Hafeez and Imran Nazir opted to retire. Then Yousuf came to the crease to score 25 off 34 balls before retiring too. Kamran Akmal (9 not out) and Abdul Razzaq (3 not out) completed the task.

Asif conceded 33 runs for one wicket off his seven overs while left-arm spinner Abdur Rehman took 1-27.

Earlier, no batsmen produced a significant knock as Hanif Mohammad XI could not last for full 50 overs and were dismissed for 170 in 46.5 overs. And had the innings top scorer Asif not made 36, his team would have been bundled out earlier.

Openers Imran Farhat and Hasan Raza both got ducks while Pakistan’s newly appointed captain Shoaib Malik (5) and Abdur Rehman (8) could not impress at all. Taufiq Umar (28), Riffatullah Mohmand (23), Yasir Hameed (24) and Mohammad Sami (13) also had short stays at the wicket.

Umar Gul (2-27), Razzaq (2-28), Hafeez (2-33) and Salman (2-22) shared wickets among them evenly.

Asim Kamal and Faisal Iqbal did not play the first match due to fitness problems.

The second practice match will be played on Thursday.

Summarised scores:

HANIF MOHAMMAD XI: 170 in 46.5 overs (Mohammad Asif 36, Taufiq Umar 28, Riffatullah Mohmand 23, Yasir Hameed 24, Zulqarnain Haider 17, Mohammad Sami 13, Abdur Rehman 8, Shoaib Malik 5, Imran Farhat 0, Hasan Raza 0; Tahir Khan 6; Umar Gul 2-27, Abdul Razzaq 2-28, Mohammad Hafeez 2-33, Salman Butt 2-22, Rao Iftikhar 1-19, Shabbir Ahmed 0-22, Mohammad Khalil 0-17); A. H. KARDAR XI: 171-5 in 32.4 overs (Salman Butt 0, Mohammad Hafeez 62 retired out, Imran Nazir 44 retired out, Mohammad Yousuf 25 retired out, Naved Latif 11, Kamran Akmal 9 not out, Abdul Razzaq 3 not out; Mohammad Asif 1-33, Abdur Rehman 1-27, Mohammad Sami 0-33, Tahir Khan 0-35, Mohammad Irshad 0-32, Imran Farhat 0-7).