5 Best Players in Side
1) Sami
2) Zafar
3) Zia
4) Imam
5) Ghulam
Definitely won't make it
Saif
Raza
Showing posts with label youth. Show all posts
Showing posts with label youth. Show all posts
Wednesday, 26 February 2014
Saturday, 15 February 2014
Sami Aslam’s 64
Sami Aslam notched up 64 against India at the Under 19 World
Cup in Dubai today. Pakistan were chasing a record target in Under 19 World Cup
history against the arch rivals which no side had chased against them before in
the competition’s long history given the frequency of the event as one held
every 2 years. A lot of hopes were pinned on their star performer at the under
19 international level over the last 3 years.
Aslam started watchfully and at one stage was 4 from 24
deliveries, but imperatively this showed his ability to withstand pressure when
runs were not flowing, when bowlers were on top, when he was put under a
stranglehold in terms of scoring and his refusal to panic in difficulty;
knowing he can battle through an examining patch and safely escape unharmed,
with an opportunity to cash in more favourably later on.
Sami drove gloriously soon after which was just the
confidence booster he needed to get his innings going after circumspect play
following impressive new ball bowling from the Indians.
Not the most muscular of players, Sami swept to good effect
against the spinners and chipped balls into vacant spaces.
He was controlling the innings and appeared to be the
difference between the two closely matched sides before an unfortunate run out
cost his team dearly as Sami departed in frustrating fashion given how calmly
he had played and his importance to the team. India knew the significance of
the wicket, celebrating ecstatically. Sami known to be on the reserved side in demeanour;
gave his batting partner who sold him a stern piece of his mind as he began to
trudge off.
Tuesday, 3 December 2013
U19 Tri Series in UAE This Year
Triangular series in UAE arranged this month. Pakistan won the last tri series they played at this level with 6 consecutive victories in England this August. UAE and England will be the other participants.
Saturday, 5 October 2013
Raza Hasan Player Factfile Author: Maaz; Views: 1164; Comments: ; Date: 1-10-2012, 02:32;
He was Pakistan’s joint leading wicket taker at the 2010 Under-19 World Cup in New Zealand with 9 wickets from 6 internationals at the age of just 17
He was selected for Pakistan ‘A’ vs. England ‘A’ in the UAE for a 3 match 50 over series in February of the same year, taking 3 3 wicket hauls in the series, majority of his wickets were either bowled or LBW
He was on Pakistan’s tour of England in 2010 for the final 3 test matches after Danish Kaneria was axed from the squad for a poor performance at Trent Bridge
He was selected for the Asian Games in China in November of the same year and had tournament figures of 7-48 in Twenty20 matches
He has played in 5 domestic 20/20 competitions, winning the competition 3 times with 2 different sides, Rawalpindi Rams and Sialkot Stallions respectively
He was the leading wicket taker in the Faysal Bank Super 8s at Rawalpindi in March of this year with 12 wickets in 5 matches
He was the man-of-the-match in the Faysal Bank Twenty20 Cup final in October 2011 against his former team Rawalpindi Rams
He was one of the top 3 leading wicket takers in the inaugural Faysal Bank Twenty20 Super 8s edition, best remembered for bowling a magical super over in a tied final between Rawalpindi Rams and Karachi Dolphins
He has played 2 seasons of league cricket in England for Budleigh Salterton in 2010 Whitmore in 2012, both times having a highly impressive season
He was selected for Pakistan ‘A’ to play in a 3 day match against England in January this year and scored a half century against the number 1 ranked attack
He was selected for Pakistan ‘A’ vs. England ‘A’ in the UAE for a 3 match 50 over series in February of the same year, taking 3 3 wicket hauls in the series, majority of his wickets were either bowled or LBW
He was on Pakistan’s tour of England in 2010 for the final 3 test matches after Danish Kaneria was axed from the squad for a poor performance at Trent Bridge
He was selected for the Asian Games in China in November of the same year and had tournament figures of 7-48 in Twenty20 matches
He has played in 5 domestic 20/20 competitions, winning the competition 3 times with 2 different sides, Rawalpindi Rams and Sialkot Stallions respectively
He was the leading wicket taker in the Faysal Bank Super 8s at Rawalpindi in March of this year with 12 wickets in 5 matches
He was the man-of-the-match in the Faysal Bank Twenty20 Cup final in October 2011 against his former team Rawalpindi Rams
He was one of the top 3 leading wicket takers in the inaugural Faysal Bank Twenty20 Super 8s edition, best remembered for bowling a magical super over in a tied final between Rawalpindi Rams and Karachi Dolphins
He has played 2 seasons of league cricket in England for Budleigh Salterton in 2010 Whitmore in 2012, both times having a highly impressive season
He was selected for Pakistan ‘A’ to play in a 3 day match against England in January this year and scored a half century against the number 1 ranked attack
Thursday, 22 August 2013
Saturday, 27 April 2013
ICC U19 CWC Final 2012 Author: Maaz; Views: 449; Date: 23-08-2012, 04:35;
Pre Tournament Prediction
As I correctly predicted in my ‘6 to watch thread’ prior to the world cup, Australia and India will reach the final and compete for the title at the 2012 edition of the under-19 world cup in Queensland. Now that is a reality and one of the previous 3 teams to win the trophy twice or more will lift it again. Will Australia win their 4th title and successfully defend their crown? Or will India join Australia by winning a 3rd title and therefore become the joint winner of the highest number of u-19 titles with the current champions?
Setting the Scene
Australia comes into this final, undefeated in the tournament, winning all 5 of their games in to the road to the final. India did have a slip up against West Indies in the group, but narrowly scraped through against Pakistan and New Zealand in the knock out encounters. Will Unmukt Chand join Virat Kohli and Mohammad Kaif as a national under-19 world cup winning captain for the men in blue? I feel he won’t and am standing by my pre tournament favourites, Australia who have looked the most convincing outfit on show, but he has done well to lead India this far and can be proud of his and his teams efforts. India have won the quadrangular series and Asia Cup this year, the world cup will be the icing on the cake.
Word on Pakistan
Just a brief word on Pakistan who was one of the other contenders for the title, but were eliminated at the quarter final stage. It’s the first time since 2007 that they have been knocked out at a men’s ICC tournament finals without reaching the final 4/semi finals including World Cup, WT20 and Champions Trophy. It is their worst position in their last 5 editions, even though they haven’t played that badly, winning the initial pool and losing by 1 wicket in the quarter final. A 7th place finishing just like their men’s hockey team in 2012 games is not a good consolation prize either. However, many of their players like Sami, Captain Babar and Imam are young enough to play in the 2014 edition in the UAE and will be backing themselves to go further in more familiar territory to them.
Statistics
Last 4 U19 CWC finals have been won by the side batting first
In 6 televised matches in the tournament, barring obvious mismatches, no side has scored 250 and only 2 sides have scored above 200, on both occasions winning totals.
In 7 of the 9 televised matches in the tournament, the side that has won the toss have elected to field first.
Low Scoring Thrillers
Low scoring thrillers have been a common theme associated with this world cup. Batting has been tough and slow going. This is better than high scoring run feats where batting is straightforward, encouraging explosiveness and innovation and emphasis is on damage limitation with the ball. This is a better evenly contested intriguing battle between bat and ball where the ability to survive and deny is impressive as is the ability to score batting attackingly as well. Batsmen have their work cut and the classical batting virtues find an important place. Bowlers have assistance and how well they can extract it and make the most of it is the challenge. Every wicket, partnership, defensive block, run scored seems so significant. This is one day cricket at its best.
Tournament Highlights
0/2 in the first 5 deliveries of the Pakistan-India quarter final with Sandeep Sharma finding the edge of Aslam and Haq to nick off in the slip cordon without troubling the scorers. Dream start for India.
Conway of Australia who has only played one game in the tournament so far getting a hat-trick in the pool match against Nepal with all 3 deliveries hitting the stumps to give the batsmen the death rattle.
New Zealannd scoring 18 of the final over against West Indies in the quarter final to secure their spot in the final 4.
Recommendations
Earlier in the year so the players who are 19 during the course of the year have maximum chance of playing in the tournament. This one was held out of season as well.
More television exposure for all teams. Perhaps cover more than one game per day. Some teams get to play 2 pool games live whereas others don’t get any depending on the group they are in. Unfair to the fans of certain countries who want to see the next generation of their cricketers in action and this is one of the few opportunities they get to do so.
If they are only covering 1 game per day in the pool games, make sure they are not one sided mismatches.
Show matches from more than just 1 ground live throughout the tournament.
Limited international cricket to be played while it’s on, it is a major ICC tournament and deserves every opportunity of becoming a hit.
William Bosisto
No one has impressed me as much in the tournament as he has. Bosisto is a clinical finisher, always having that ability to be there at the end and see his side through. He gives the hosts plenty of assurance in the batting department. He has only been dismissed once in the tournament and that was run out with the game virtually over with Australia only requiring one scoring shot to get home with wickets in hand during the semi final after he had done the bulk of the work. The Australian captain is a reliable banker and tough cookie to dislodge at the crease, averaging 179 after 5 innings. Moreover, sharp mover in the field who sets high standards and leads by example.
As a batsman you have to be prepared to use your feet to him and try to adjust his length. He works batsmen over if they are trying to play defensively or just nudge him way. If you take him on and try to put him under pressure, he may lose the rhythm and confidence. If you are going to treat him respectfully and see him off you have to make sure you concentrate hard for each over and negotiate tightly. He is hard to get away as he does not give you much pace to work with.
Team of the Tournament
Bancroft
Azam
Baba
Foakes
Bosisto ©
Turner
De Kock (WK)
Dockrell
Topley
Singh H
Sharma
How Final Will Be Decided?
First hour of play will be crucial. It’s important with the helpful conditions and 2 new white balls at each end not to lose wickets at the top and battle through the early patches without self destructing. Batting becomes easier to expand your range of shots and score the longer you spend in the middle. Batsmen have to be prepared to graft, grind and play the waiting game up top. Bowlers need to get the ball in the right areas and ensure they do the basics well enough and examine the batsmen consistently enough as the pitch has enough in it for them to get the breakthroughs and put the opposition under pressure. The Australian seam attack vs. the Indian top order will be the deciding factor and go a long way in determining who lifts the biggest under-age group sporting crown on the planet.
As I correctly predicted in my ‘6 to watch thread’ prior to the world cup, Australia and India will reach the final and compete for the title at the 2012 edition of the under-19 world cup in Queensland. Now that is a reality and one of the previous 3 teams to win the trophy twice or more will lift it again. Will Australia win their 4th title and successfully defend their crown? Or will India join Australia by winning a 3rd title and therefore become the joint winner of the highest number of u-19 titles with the current champions?
Setting the Scene
Australia comes into this final, undefeated in the tournament, winning all 5 of their games in to the road to the final. India did have a slip up against West Indies in the group, but narrowly scraped through against Pakistan and New Zealand in the knock out encounters. Will Unmukt Chand join Virat Kohli and Mohammad Kaif as a national under-19 world cup winning captain for the men in blue? I feel he won’t and am standing by my pre tournament favourites, Australia who have looked the most convincing outfit on show, but he has done well to lead India this far and can be proud of his and his teams efforts. India have won the quadrangular series and Asia Cup this year, the world cup will be the icing on the cake.
Word on Pakistan
Just a brief word on Pakistan who was one of the other contenders for the title, but were eliminated at the quarter final stage. It’s the first time since 2007 that they have been knocked out at a men’s ICC tournament finals without reaching the final 4/semi finals including World Cup, WT20 and Champions Trophy. It is their worst position in their last 5 editions, even though they haven’t played that badly, winning the initial pool and losing by 1 wicket in the quarter final. A 7th place finishing just like their men’s hockey team in 2012 games is not a good consolation prize either. However, many of their players like Sami, Captain Babar and Imam are young enough to play in the 2014 edition in the UAE and will be backing themselves to go further in more familiar territory to them.
Statistics
Last 4 U19 CWC finals have been won by the side batting first
In 6 televised matches in the tournament, barring obvious mismatches, no side has scored 250 and only 2 sides have scored above 200, on both occasions winning totals.
In 7 of the 9 televised matches in the tournament, the side that has won the toss have elected to field first.
Low Scoring Thrillers
Low scoring thrillers have been a common theme associated with this world cup. Batting has been tough and slow going. This is better than high scoring run feats where batting is straightforward, encouraging explosiveness and innovation and emphasis is on damage limitation with the ball. This is a better evenly contested intriguing battle between bat and ball where the ability to survive and deny is impressive as is the ability to score batting attackingly as well. Batsmen have their work cut and the classical batting virtues find an important place. Bowlers have assistance and how well they can extract it and make the most of it is the challenge. Every wicket, partnership, defensive block, run scored seems so significant. This is one day cricket at its best.
Tournament Highlights
0/2 in the first 5 deliveries of the Pakistan-India quarter final with Sandeep Sharma finding the edge of Aslam and Haq to nick off in the slip cordon without troubling the scorers. Dream start for India.
Conway of Australia who has only played one game in the tournament so far getting a hat-trick in the pool match against Nepal with all 3 deliveries hitting the stumps to give the batsmen the death rattle.
New Zealannd scoring 18 of the final over against West Indies in the quarter final to secure their spot in the final 4.
Recommendations
Earlier in the year so the players who are 19 during the course of the year have maximum chance of playing in the tournament. This one was held out of season as well.
More television exposure for all teams. Perhaps cover more than one game per day. Some teams get to play 2 pool games live whereas others don’t get any depending on the group they are in. Unfair to the fans of certain countries who want to see the next generation of their cricketers in action and this is one of the few opportunities they get to do so.
If they are only covering 1 game per day in the pool games, make sure they are not one sided mismatches.
Show matches from more than just 1 ground live throughout the tournament.
Limited international cricket to be played while it’s on, it is a major ICC tournament and deserves every opportunity of becoming a hit.
William Bosisto
No one has impressed me as much in the tournament as he has. Bosisto is a clinical finisher, always having that ability to be there at the end and see his side through. He gives the hosts plenty of assurance in the batting department. He has only been dismissed once in the tournament and that was run out with the game virtually over with Australia only requiring one scoring shot to get home with wickets in hand during the semi final after he had done the bulk of the work. The Australian captain is a reliable banker and tough cookie to dislodge at the crease, averaging 179 after 5 innings. Moreover, sharp mover in the field who sets high standards and leads by example.
Harmeet Singh
Has bowled beautifully in the competition. He is a classical left arm spinner, using the art of flight and guile. He gives the ball a tweak and is unafraid to give the ball some extra air and try to deceive the batsmen in the flight. He genuinely bowls at a slower pace, looking to beat the batsmen in the air and get some turn. This is encouraging and unique in an era where darting the ball in is a norm for spinners. Harmeet has been a treat to watch. He also has a good arm ball.
As a batsman you have to be prepared to use your feet to him and try to adjust his length. He works batsmen over if they are trying to play defensively or just nudge him way. If you take him on and try to put him under pressure, he may lose the rhythm and confidence. If you are going to treat him respectfully and see him off you have to make sure you concentrate hard for each over and negotiate tightly. He is hard to get away as he does not give you much pace to work with.
Team of the Tournament
Bancroft
Azam
Baba
Foakes
Bosisto ©
Turner
De Kock (WK)
Dockrell
Topley
Singh H
Sharma
How Final Will Be Decided?
First hour of play will be crucial. It’s important with the helpful conditions and 2 new white balls at each end not to lose wickets at the top and battle through the early patches without self destructing. Batting becomes easier to expand your range of shots and score the longer you spend in the middle. Batsmen have to be prepared to graft, grind and play the waiting game up top. Bowlers need to get the ball in the right areas and ensure they do the basics well enough and examine the batsmen consistently enough as the pitch has enough in it for them to get the breakthroughs and put the opposition under pressure. The Australian seam attack vs. the Indian top order will be the deciding factor and go a long way in determining who lifts the biggest under-age group sporting crown on the planet.
Day 5 at U19 CWC 2012 Author: Maaz; Views: 1117; Date: 15-08-2012, 06:14;
There was no televised fixture on day 5 of the 2012 under-19 World Cup, but there were 3 matches played. The talking point is that in all likelihood Sri Lanka are eliminated from the tournament after finishing on just 2 points from their 3 fixtures. If Bangladesh beat Namibia tomorrow they are through to the quarter final, the first one against Australia on the 19th. Ireland won in Group ‘A’ against Nepal. George Dockrell was once again outstanding and led from the front as the Irish captain was adjudged MOM in a low scoring encounter for his 4 economical wickets. Nepal will play against England in the final televised pool fixture at the Tony Ireland stadium tomorrow. Group ‘D’ was always likely to be the group of death with 3 full member countries including a talented Bangladeshi side and we have seen that here with Sri Lanka eliminated earlier than many expected.
7 Key Names at 2012 U19 WC Author: Maaz; Views: 406; Date: 3-07-2012, 05:32;
Background
The 9th youth World Cup will be held in Australia from the 11th-26th August 2012. The format is the standard one which has been used for this competition for some time with 4 initial groups of 4 teams followed by the knock outs starting with quarter finals, semi finals & a final. Specific matches are televised, including the ones from the semi final stage onwards. There is also 3rd & 4th place play offs & 5th & 6th place play offs once a side has been eliminated. Over the years many players have represented their countries at the under-19 level that have gone on to make their name at the very top level. Examples include Mushtaq Ahmed, Inzamam ul Haq, Owais Shah, Graeme Swann, Mohammad Kaif, Yuvraj Singh, Virat Kohli, and Hashim Amla to name a few who have made the transition. From the previous tourney names such as Mitchell Marsh, Ben Stokes, Hammad Azam, Danny Briggs amongst others have gone on to be awarded international caps, although that has been restricted to limited over matches. Below are 7 players that are worth keeping a close eye on in the forthcoming youth world cup.
7 To Keep an Eye On
Chand - INDIA
Highly rated talented top order batsmen & also holds the responsibility of skippering the Indian u-19 national side. Chand led India to the quadrangular series win against Australia in Australia in April where England & New Zealand also competed. Despite losing all 3 group matches in a 4 team competition, India went on to win the competition by winning the semi final & final. In both the semi final & final Chand won the player of the match award & led from the front when it really mattered. During the Asia Cup, Chand scored 121 in the final against Pakistan in a difficult chase & was adjudged the player of the match, carrying the innings through till the 50th over in a 280+ chase during a tied encounter. No stranger when it comes to playing in front of the cameras as Chand has played for the Daredevils in the IPL which should give him an advantage going into the youth world cup. With the world cup also happening in Australia, Chand will be full of confidence knowing he has performed in this part of the world already this year.
Aslam - PAKISTAN
Reliable left handed opening batsmen. Sami was the Player of the tournament during the triangular series in South Africa earlier in the year & carried the bat with an unbeaten double century during a televised match vs. British Universities in Lahore in April. The 16 year old made his first youth ODI century in his 2nd international, in alien conditions & never looked back since. Aslam has formed a mouth watering opening partnership with captain Babar Azam with both tipped to make it to the top level in the not too distant future. The opening combination is an area where Pakistan will be relying heavily on & has been the key to their success in under-19 cricket in recent times. Sami’s batting inspiration is Suresh Raina. In the recent Under 19 Asia Cup in Malaysia Sami Aslam was the player of the tournament & also got the award for the best batsmen in the tournament, memorably scoring back to back centuries against India in his first 2 games against them, including in the final where he was awarded the player of the match award alongside Chand. Might only be 16 on paper, but one of the key names on the team sheet, achieving 6 man of the match awards during his first 6 months as an under 19 international cricketer. From an interview I conducted with him he came across as an ambitious & confident person in general. On a technical note, Aslam has a range of scoring shots & has the capabilities to build an innings from what was mentioned in the same interview. We will see how accurate his self-assessment is, but if his record is anything to go by it seems like he has a steady head on his shoulders, fully aware of his strengths & overall game plan. Away from the field of play, Sami is still carrying on with his studies at GC University, taking challenging subjects & despite missing large parts of the year to cricket he manages to perform well in examinations. This shows he is a well-polished individual which is something Pakistan players traditionally lack, barring a few exceptions & therefore is clearly one that needs to be taken care of in order to be the best possible sporting role model down the line that he can be. There is little doubting that he will play for the national senior side within the next 5-7 years if not sooner.
Topley - ENGLAND
Left arm fast bowler with a gigantic height of around 6’8. Reece plays club cricket for Colchester & has represented Essex at first class cricket, making his county debut last season at the age of 17. He was once struck brutally in the face to a KP straight drive when netting as a net bowler in his early teens. As a result Reece was out of action for some time, but recovered well & in April 2011, Paul Grayson, the Essex coach, confidently handed him over the chance to debut. Reece didn’t disappoint, but academic commitments limited his chance to play on a regular basis.
De Kock - SOUTH AFRICA
I have been in touch with quite a few of the Pakistani U-19 players & all of them rate this South African captain, wicket keeper & destructive hard hitting opener highly. During the triangular series earlier in the year De Kock dispatched the Pakistani bowlers all over the park in some of the games. The wicket keeper batsman has played quite a lot domestically already in South Africa with a promising start to his career. Sounds like an exciting prospect & a dangerous one too.
Cummins - AUSTRALIA
Surely you have heard of him? Cummins got an early test debut at 18 last year during the tour of South Africa. He bowled with heart & hit the winning runs during the 2nd test of the series where Michael Clarke’s side bounced back to level proceedings. A handy lower order basher as well, scoring a half century in 24 deliveries during the course of the quadrangular series in Australia in April. Batsmen will have their work cut out to handle his pace, movement & bounce on pitches he is familiar bowling on.
Dockrell - IRELAND
The Irish left arm spinner who has been an integral part & a front line performer for the senior side over the years. Dockrell possesses a wealth of experience for someone of his age, travelling & performing all around the world in a variety of competitions at the international level. Logically, he was the obvious choice to lead the Irish under 19 side while he is still eligible to represent them. George who plays for Somerset has all the craft, guile & subtle variations to keep things tight & get breakthroughs in the middle passages. George has voiced aspirations to play test cricket for England down the line.
Kraig - WEST INDIES
He was found wanting at test level, regularly troubled in the corridor of uncertainty by Ben Hilfenhaus’s outswingers, but he would have learnt plenty from the initial taster of international cricket. To his credit, he did show us glimpses of his potential. It is debatable as to whether he was thrown into the deep end too early in the piece. One moment that will last in his memory is knocking over the man universally known as the ‘Wall’ in his penultimate test series as a player by disturbing his furniture as a bowler. Kraig is primarily in the team as a top order batsmen, but also useful in other aspects of the game. West Indies youth side could really benefit from his presence & will be looking for him to put in exceptional performances. At this level he is capable of dominating & stealing the headlines as a more recognised name.
Prediction
I expect Australia, Pakistan, India & South Africa to win their respective groups during the preliminary stages & therefore win an easier quarter final tie. Barring South Africa who I feel will be beaten by England via A2 v D1; I see the following teams making the final 4. Any of these 4 teams can go on to lift the title; there isn’t much to choose between them. All of these 4 teams are the only 4 holders of this trophy & I suspect one of them will go on to lift it again. If I had to choose I would say that Australia & India will make the final with Pakistan coming home with victory in the 3rd place play off. What the Pakistanis have going in their favour is they have members in their squad who played in the last one of these World Cups in New Zealand 2.5 years ago who would have learnt plenty from the experience & would be determined to go one better this time around from being finalists. Australia as defending champions, hosts & the most successful side in this competition with 3 of the 8 titles going to them are the favourites. It would be unfair to dismiss West Indies & Bangladesh who are two tough teams at this level & both cannot afford to be underestimated. West Indies were 3rd place winners in the last one whereas Bangladesh defeated England 5-2 when they came over for a tour not so long ago.
The 9th youth World Cup will be held in Australia from the 11th-26th August 2012. The format is the standard one which has been used for this competition for some time with 4 initial groups of 4 teams followed by the knock outs starting with quarter finals, semi finals & a final. Specific matches are televised, including the ones from the semi final stage onwards. There is also 3rd & 4th place play offs & 5th & 6th place play offs once a side has been eliminated. Over the years many players have represented their countries at the under-19 level that have gone on to make their name at the very top level. Examples include Mushtaq Ahmed, Inzamam ul Haq, Owais Shah, Graeme Swann, Mohammad Kaif, Yuvraj Singh, Virat Kohli, and Hashim Amla to name a few who have made the transition. From the previous tourney names such as Mitchell Marsh, Ben Stokes, Hammad Azam, Danny Briggs amongst others have gone on to be awarded international caps, although that has been restricted to limited over matches. Below are 7 players that are worth keeping a close eye on in the forthcoming youth world cup.
7 To Keep an Eye On
Chand - INDIA
Highly rated talented top order batsmen & also holds the responsibility of skippering the Indian u-19 national side. Chand led India to the quadrangular series win against Australia in Australia in April where England & New Zealand also competed. Despite losing all 3 group matches in a 4 team competition, India went on to win the competition by winning the semi final & final. In both the semi final & final Chand won the player of the match award & led from the front when it really mattered. During the Asia Cup, Chand scored 121 in the final against Pakistan in a difficult chase & was adjudged the player of the match, carrying the innings through till the 50th over in a 280+ chase during a tied encounter. No stranger when it comes to playing in front of the cameras as Chand has played for the Daredevils in the IPL which should give him an advantage going into the youth world cup. With the world cup also happening in Australia, Chand will be full of confidence knowing he has performed in this part of the world already this year.
Aslam - PAKISTAN
Reliable left handed opening batsmen. Sami was the Player of the tournament during the triangular series in South Africa earlier in the year & carried the bat with an unbeaten double century during a televised match vs. British Universities in Lahore in April. The 16 year old made his first youth ODI century in his 2nd international, in alien conditions & never looked back since. Aslam has formed a mouth watering opening partnership with captain Babar Azam with both tipped to make it to the top level in the not too distant future. The opening combination is an area where Pakistan will be relying heavily on & has been the key to their success in under-19 cricket in recent times. Sami’s batting inspiration is Suresh Raina. In the recent Under 19 Asia Cup in Malaysia Sami Aslam was the player of the tournament & also got the award for the best batsmen in the tournament, memorably scoring back to back centuries against India in his first 2 games against them, including in the final where he was awarded the player of the match award alongside Chand. Might only be 16 on paper, but one of the key names on the team sheet, achieving 6 man of the match awards during his first 6 months as an under 19 international cricketer. From an interview I conducted with him he came across as an ambitious & confident person in general. On a technical note, Aslam has a range of scoring shots & has the capabilities to build an innings from what was mentioned in the same interview. We will see how accurate his self-assessment is, but if his record is anything to go by it seems like he has a steady head on his shoulders, fully aware of his strengths & overall game plan. Away from the field of play, Sami is still carrying on with his studies at GC University, taking challenging subjects & despite missing large parts of the year to cricket he manages to perform well in examinations. This shows he is a well-polished individual which is something Pakistan players traditionally lack, barring a few exceptions & therefore is clearly one that needs to be taken care of in order to be the best possible sporting role model down the line that he can be. There is little doubting that he will play for the national senior side within the next 5-7 years if not sooner.
Topley - ENGLAND
Left arm fast bowler with a gigantic height of around 6’8. Reece plays club cricket for Colchester & has represented Essex at first class cricket, making his county debut last season at the age of 17. He was once struck brutally in the face to a KP straight drive when netting as a net bowler in his early teens. As a result Reece was out of action for some time, but recovered well & in April 2011, Paul Grayson, the Essex coach, confidently handed him over the chance to debut. Reece didn’t disappoint, but academic commitments limited his chance to play on a regular basis.
De Kock - SOUTH AFRICA
I have been in touch with quite a few of the Pakistani U-19 players & all of them rate this South African captain, wicket keeper & destructive hard hitting opener highly. During the triangular series earlier in the year De Kock dispatched the Pakistani bowlers all over the park in some of the games. The wicket keeper batsman has played quite a lot domestically already in South Africa with a promising start to his career. Sounds like an exciting prospect & a dangerous one too.
Cummins - AUSTRALIA
Surely you have heard of him? Cummins got an early test debut at 18 last year during the tour of South Africa. He bowled with heart & hit the winning runs during the 2nd test of the series where Michael Clarke’s side bounced back to level proceedings. A handy lower order basher as well, scoring a half century in 24 deliveries during the course of the quadrangular series in Australia in April. Batsmen will have their work cut out to handle his pace, movement & bounce on pitches he is familiar bowling on.
Dockrell - IRELAND
The Irish left arm spinner who has been an integral part & a front line performer for the senior side over the years. Dockrell possesses a wealth of experience for someone of his age, travelling & performing all around the world in a variety of competitions at the international level. Logically, he was the obvious choice to lead the Irish under 19 side while he is still eligible to represent them. George who plays for Somerset has all the craft, guile & subtle variations to keep things tight & get breakthroughs in the middle passages. George has voiced aspirations to play test cricket for England down the line.
Kraig - WEST INDIES
He was found wanting at test level, regularly troubled in the corridor of uncertainty by Ben Hilfenhaus’s outswingers, but he would have learnt plenty from the initial taster of international cricket. To his credit, he did show us glimpses of his potential. It is debatable as to whether he was thrown into the deep end too early in the piece. One moment that will last in his memory is knocking over the man universally known as the ‘Wall’ in his penultimate test series as a player by disturbing his furniture as a bowler. Kraig is primarily in the team as a top order batsmen, but also useful in other aspects of the game. West Indies youth side could really benefit from his presence & will be looking for him to put in exceptional performances. At this level he is capable of dominating & stealing the headlines as a more recognised name.
Prediction
I expect Australia, Pakistan, India & South Africa to win their respective groups during the preliminary stages & therefore win an easier quarter final tie. Barring South Africa who I feel will be beaten by England via A2 v D1; I see the following teams making the final 4. Any of these 4 teams can go on to lift the title; there isn’t much to choose between them. All of these 4 teams are the only 4 holders of this trophy & I suspect one of them will go on to lift it again. If I had to choose I would say that Australia & India will make the final with Pakistan coming home with victory in the 3rd place play off. What the Pakistanis have going in their favour is they have members in their squad who played in the last one of these World Cups in New Zealand 2.5 years ago who would have learnt plenty from the experience & would be determined to go one better this time around from being finalists. Australia as defending champions, hosts & the most successful side in this competition with 3 of the 8 titles going to them are the favourites. It would be unfair to dismiss West Indies & Bangladesh who are two tough teams at this level & both cannot afford to be underestimated. West Indies were 3rd place winners in the last one whereas Bangladesh defeated England 5-2 when they came over for a tour not so long ago.
Sunday, 21 April 2013
Pakistan's Under 19 2012 Team | Players Part 1 Author: Maaz; Views: 1571; Date: 13-01-2012, 14:10;
Sami Aslam: Sami is an attacking left handed batsman who likes to get after the bowling. He was the leading run scorer in the national one day U19 competition where NBP were finalists at the back end of last year.Sami idolises India’s Suresh Raina and likes to pull and drive and generally favours the mid wicket region as his front line scoring option. Although he’s performed well at the youth level, Sami does not have any domestic experience as of yet. Sami was also selected and part of the U19 academy colts team in 2009 which was a team consisting of some of the finest youngsters across the country. Sami has been one of the stand out performers in the youth circuit in recent years. Sami scored a match winning century in his 2nd youth ODI in alien conditions to him which is a reflection of the damage he can do. Age:16.
Fawad Khan: A promising left arm spinner from Karachi who was the leading wicket taker in both the shorter and longer formats of the game in the U19 departmental season. Potentially, another Raza Hasan in the making? His figures make impressive reading.
Zia ul Haq: Played a few FC encounters for PIA who won the 2011/12 Quaid E Azam Trophy Division 1 after beating ZTBL under lights at the NSK in the televised final with the pink ball. A promising left arm fast bowler who takes the new ball and tries to get the early breakthroughs. Zia is a strike bowler for Babar Azam. Age: 18.
Umer Waheed: The vice captain of the side that was part of the Rawalpindi team who won the U19 title in 2011 during the regional one day competition. A talented batsmen and vice captain who is rated in a fairly high regard. He bats in the middle order and made a noteworthy unbeaten half century on his youth ODI debut recently against Zimbabwe.
Usman Qadir: The exciting and experienced member of the squad, son of Abdul Qadir whose surname is enough to frighten many batsmen out there. Usman is following the family traditions as his elder brother; Imran Qadir has represented Pakistan U15 in youth world cups as has Salman Qadir at U19 level who was a member of the WC winning side in Bangladesh in 2004, also one of his elder brothers. The Family tradition runs in the blood. Usman was part of the Pakistan side that were runners up in the U15 World Cup in the West Indies in 2008 and they also won the knock out tournament prior to the World Cup in the West Indies. He was extremely impressive at the youth levels that they wanted to include him for the academy and “A” side when he was just 16 believe it or not, however his father recommended it would be best for him to concentrate on the youth levels competing against people his own age at the time.
Fawad Khan: A promising left arm spinner from Karachi who was the leading wicket taker in both the shorter and longer formats of the game in the U19 departmental season. Potentially, another Raza Hasan in the making? His figures make impressive reading.
Zia ul Haq: Played a few FC encounters for PIA who won the 2011/12 Quaid E Azam Trophy Division 1 after beating ZTBL under lights at the NSK in the televised final with the pink ball. A promising left arm fast bowler who takes the new ball and tries to get the early breakthroughs. Zia is a strike bowler for Babar Azam. Age: 18.
Umer Waheed: The vice captain of the side that was part of the Rawalpindi team who won the U19 title in 2011 during the regional one day competition. A talented batsmen and vice captain who is rated in a fairly high regard. He bats in the middle order and made a noteworthy unbeaten half century on his youth ODI debut recently against Zimbabwe.
Usman Qadir: The exciting and experienced member of the squad, son of Abdul Qadir whose surname is enough to frighten many batsmen out there. Usman is following the family traditions as his elder brother; Imran Qadir has represented Pakistan U15 in youth world cups as has Salman Qadir at U19 level who was a member of the WC winning side in Bangladesh in 2004, also one of his elder brothers. The Family tradition runs in the blood. Usman was part of the Pakistan side that were runners up in the U15 World Cup in the West Indies in 2008 and they also won the knock out tournament prior to the World Cup in the West Indies. He was extremely impressive at the youth levels that they wanted to include him for the academy and “A” side when he was just 16 believe it or not, however his father recommended it would be best for him to concentrate on the youth levels competing against people his own age at the time.
Also, Usman is a member of the Asian Games Squad which toured China in 2010 to claim the bronze medal and a member of the under 25 victorious SAARC team 2011 who claimed the title in the Maldives. Yet to make a first class debut, but has played 3 List A fixtures for ZTBL in 2010. Usman’s best performance up till now will be the 7 wickets he claimed aged 15 in 2009 in an under 16 regional final held in Lahore including a hat trick as his mixture of leg breaks, googlies and flippers bamboozled the opposition. Usman was Pakistan’s joint leading wicket taker at the 2010 Under 19 World Cup in New Zealand alongside his fellow spin partner, Raza Hasan. The Pakistan side were runners up so he is a member of the squad who has been to a global World Cup before and will be looking to go one better later this year in Queensland when it happens all again.
A bowling action not to dissimilar to his father with the juggling of balls from hands giving the batsmen the stare before he starts his run, the bouncy action of arms and legs angling in to the stumps from a wide on angle and high arm release to conclude although from my observations his bowling action is even more reminiscent to Mushtaq Ahmed with the jump and high arm release with both hands high up in the air like a windmill. Usman is also a handy left handed batsman which was evident in a 40 he made in one of his first List A innings in 2010. Junior Qadir enjoys those cover drives and likes watching Gilly, the famous Australian batsmen wicket keeper as one of his favourite players, although primarily he is in the team for his leg spin bowling. Recently, he skippered NBP U19 to the departmental one day final and was also part of the NBP squad which won the Ramadan tournament in Karachi organised by Moin Khan. In closing, one of the bigger recognised names in the squad who will have an enormous part to play in 2012. Age: 18.
Babar Azam: Captain and star player. Has played FC level for ZTBL and done impressively. The captain has captained the nation at U15 level in the past and now 4 years later is taking it to the next level. Babar is a technically well equipped opening batsmen, athletic fielder and occasional off spinner. He is a cousin of Umar Akmal, Adnan Akmal and Kamran Akmal. He was even selected for Pakistan “A” when Afghanistan toured for 3 50 over matches in the latter half of May in 2011 and impressed scoring a half century in one of the televised matches. Babar was Pakistan’s leading run scorer in the 2010 Under 19 World Cup at the age of just 15 including scoring a century in his first youth world cup match against the potent bowling attack of the West Indies who went on to reach the final 4 during the competition. Babar models AB, the South African Limited Overs captain with his splendid commitment as a fielder and enterprising stroke play with the bat.
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