Amir could get good news in January: Sethi

Pakistan's cricket acting chairman said Wednesday he was optimistic the game's governing body would relax the five-year ban imposed on young paceman Mohammad Amir for spot-fixing.

Amir, now 21, was banned along with team-mates Salman Butt and Mohammad Asif for deliberately bowling no-balls in return for the promise of money during the 2010 Lord's Test against England.

All three players also served jail terms in Britain on charges of violating the Gambling Act.

The International Cricket Council (ICC) said Saturday that Amir's case would be reviewed after a revised anti-corruption code was adopted.

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) in July had asked the ICC to relax the conditions of Amir's ban to let him train atthe national academy and play first-class matches.

The ICC will review the new code at a meeting in January and PCB chairman Najam Sethi said he was optimistic for Amir.

“We hope good news will come in January,” Sethi told reporters at Lahore airport on his return from the ICC meeting.

“I think Amir should get permission to play first-class cricket because he has served four of the five-year ban.”

Sethi said Amir's ban was harsh and the PCB has argued he should be given credit for admitting his guilt and taking part in ICC anti-corruption efforts.

“He is a very young cricketer and there is big support and sympathy for him,” said Sethi.

Amir was just 18 at the time of the incident and widely regarded as one of the best young bowling talents in the game.

He took six wickets in the fateful Lord's Test and was declared man-of-the-series in Pakistan's 3-1 series defeat.

Last week Amir told AFP he was dying to return to the game.

“I am desperate to return to the game I love and hope to get some relaxation in the ban,” he said.

South Africa extends advantage after Tahir wrecks Pakistan

Top-ranked South Africa was eyeing a big first innings lead after legspinner Imran Tahir's five-wicket haul helped the Proteas bowl out Pakistan for 99 on the first day of the second and final test on Wednesday.

Captain Graeme Smith led from the front and was unbeaten on 67 off 138 balls with four boundaries as South Africa finished day one at 128-3. Nightwatchman Dale Steyn was with him on 3.

Tahir's 5-32 were backed up by fast bowler Steyn's 3-38, as they spearheaded knocking over Pakistan in just 2 hours, 40 minutes.

Tahir didn't figure in the Proteas' seven-wicket loss at Abu Dhabi last week, but struck three times in the space of 11 deliveries before lunch, and added two more as most of the batsmen attempted expansive shots.

Tahir, drafted after 11 months out, looked pumped up while playing a test for the first time against his country of birth. He replaced left-armer Robin Peterson, who couldn't make an impact in the first test last week.

Steyn passed a fitness test on his right hamstring and was quick to make an impact after Pakistan captain Misbah-ul-Haq won the toss and elected to bat first.

Dale Steyn showed why he is rated the No. 1 test bowler by setting the tone when he had Khurram Manzoor caught off the second ball. The ball swung away from Manzoor whose expansive drive flew to Faf du Plessis at gully.

South Africa's seamers seemed to have learnt from the seven-wicket drubbing in Abu Dhabi where they bowled too short of a length. Instead Steyn, Vernon Philander and Morne Morkel all bowled at fuller lengths and pinned down Pakistan to just 27 runs in the first hour.

Shan Masood (21) and Azhar Ali (19) shared a 38-run stand but both looked edgy against the seamers before South Africa struck in quick succession in the last half an hour before lunch. Pakistan dipped to 60-6 at the break.

Left-hander Masood, who made an impressive 75 in his debut test at Abu Dhabi, played on Tahir while attempting to drive off the front foot; captain Misbah couldn't read Tahir's googly as he tried to play across the line and was adjudged lbw on 2, while Adnan Akmal played on the legspinner before he'd scored with Pakistan losing three wickets at the same total of 60.

Tahir grabbed two more wickets soon after the break to surpass his previous best of 3-55 against Australia at Johannesburg in 2011.

No. 9 Babar top-scored with 25 not out and featured in a 33-run last-wicket stand with Junaid Khan, who made 4.

So much was Pakistan's frustration after being shot out under 100 for the second time this year that it wasted both television reviews inside the first five overs – both against lanky Mohammad Irfan.

Alviro Petersen added salt in the wounds and struck the 2.16-meter (7-foot-1) paceman for three successive fours before he was trapped leg before wicket in Babar's first over.

Dean Elgar, who replaced Hashim Amla, added 54 with Smith but offered a tame catch at short leg off Ajmal. However, soon after, Smith wiped off Pakistan's sorry score with a straight boundary off the offspinner that also raised his half century off 103 balls.

Jacques Kallis' run of poor form continued as he made 7 before Ajmal had him lbw. Kallis scored only 5 and 0 in the first test.

South Africa brought in Elgar after Hashim Amla flew back home to be with his pregnant wife after the first-test defeat last week.

The Proteas are aiming to preserve their seven-year unbeaten record of not losing a test series away from home since Sri Lanka beat them 2-0 in 2006.

Saeed Ajmal will be the key in the two-Test series

Rival captains Misbah-ul-Haq and Graeme Smith both agreed Pakistani off-spinner Saeed Ajmal will be the key in the two-Test series starting here on Monday.

Ajmal, who turns 36 on the first day of the match, took 24 wickets when Pakistan humbled then world number one England 3-0 in the United Arab Emirates last year.

But Misbah urged his wily spinner to lift his game.

“I think it (bowling to South Africans) will be a big challenge for Ajmal,” said Misbah at the unveiling of the trophy for the series.

Misbah conceded South Africans play Ajmal better than English batsmen.

“He (Ajmal) was new to England and that's why they struggled against him. South Africans have played him more, so it's a big challenge for Ajmal and he will have to lift his bowling because he is up against a team who plays him well,” said Misbah.

Excluding his ten wickets on a spin-friendly Cape Town pitch earlier this year, Ajmal has only four wickets in four Tests against South Africa.

Smith agreed his batsmen play Ajmal well, but the off-spinner can still pose a challenge.

“I think last time we were on this tour, we played Ajmal really well and I think he ended up missing a few games on the tour,” said Smith of South Africa's last series here in 2010 when Ajmal was dropped after taking only three wickets in the first Test.

“He still is a key performer for Pakistan and he's a world class performer... it's real respect factor for what he can do... he's a world class bowler, I think we've had a good success against him and that's nice to know,” said Smith, who returns to international cricket after a 21-week break following an ankle operation.

But besides Ajmal, Pakistan also has the option of playing two more spinners -- both left-armers -- in Abdur Rehman and Zulfiqar Babar.

Babar, at 34, has yet to play a Test but has been a prolific wicket-taker in Pakistan's domestic season.

Smith admitted he didn't know what to expect of Babar.

“He (Babar) is probably the unknown factor for us, we've got a little bit of footage of him, some of our guys have seen him bowl before, but until you've really played against someone there's always an unknown factor,” said Smith, whose side has been unbeaten away from home since losing 2-0 in Sri Lanka in 2006.

“We haven't dwelled on any of sort of past experiences away from home, but I think every time you do overcome winning away from home, there's a certain strength that you get as a team.”

Smith played down any pressure of being the world's best Test team.

“I would say only the pressure we put on ourselves, I mean naturally, is an expectation of performance,” said Smith whose team took over as number one from England last year.

The second and final Test will be played in Dubai from October 23. Both teams will also play five one-day internationals and two Twenty20 internationals.

Pakistan still unsure of opening combination

Pakistan's batsmen had a good run in warmup matches, with uncapped openers Ahmed Shehzad and Shan Masood both scoring half centuries against South Africa and Younis Khan warming up for Test match with a century against the UAE.

But according to captain Misbah-ul-Haq, Pakistan were still unsure of the batting combination they will go in with in the first Test that starts on Monday.

Either Shehzad or Masood is expected to partner Khurram Manzoor and Misbah said it will be tough to decide which opener to drop.

“It's a tough choice because both the guys are batting well at the moment, but I think it's good for our team,” he said.

Misbah said he wanted his teammates to forget the humiliation in South Africa and try to prove that they could compete against a good side.

“It's not good to be in the past, always focus the present and future,” he said.

“No doubt that it's a tough series, we are playing against a good team but it's an opportunity to perform against a good team and prove that we are also a good side.”

Cricket's governing body launched the World Test Championship 2017 to preserve Test cricket

Cricket's governing body launched the World Test Championship 2017 on Saturday aimed at preserving the primacy of the longer format of the game.

The International Cricket Council (ICC) said the inaugural championship will be hosted by England and will feature the top four teams in the ICC Test rankings, with a total prize money of $10 million at stake.

“The objective of the championship is to preserve the primacy of Tests and to preserve the future of all formats of the game,” ICC chief executive David Richardson said at the launch on the sidelines of the Pakistan-South Africa two-Test series starting on Monday.

The championship, originally planned for 2013 but delayed because broadcasters wanted a limited overs event, will replace the Champions Trophy, the last edition of which was hosted by England earlier this year.

The attractions of Test cricket have faced serious competition in recent years from the Twenty20 phenomenon.

Richardson, a former South African wicketkeeper/batsman, said the qualifying phase for the Test championship runs from May 2013 and will end in December 2016.

“The qualification pathway for the ICC World Test Championship will be through the ICC Test team rankings and the top four teams at the conclusion of the qualification period will qualify for the event in 2017.”

South Africa captain Graeme Smith said: “It's fantastic to have a pathway clearly identified for the ICC World Test Championship and to know that the top four teams will have a chance to battle it out to be crowned the ultimate champions.”

“It adds a new meaning for all the Test teams when it comes to the rankings and the context of all Test series,” said Smith, whose team currently sits atop the Test rankings.

Ashes winners England are number two, India are at three, Australia are fourth and the West Indies fifth. Pakistan and Sri Lanka are ranked sixth and seventh respectively.

Pakistan captain Misbah-ul-Haq added: “Test cricket is a journey and it's the pinnacle of our game. It will add even more context to all the bi-lateral series that the Test sides play and ultimately gives each team a chance to be world champions in Test cricket.”

“The championship will add value to Test cricket, interest in which is dying because of Twenty20.”

Richardson said the format of the World Test championship will be discussed at ICC cricket committee meetings.

Afridi eyes first century against South Africa in ODI series

Veteran Pakistan all-rounder Shahid Afridi says, if selected, he will be looking to score his first ever century against South Africa in the forthcoming One-day International series, but the player added it would not be an easy task batting at No. 7.

“Earlier this year, I made 88 against South Africa and 76 against the West Indies while batting at No. 7 position and now if I am given a chance by the selectors I wish to record a century in the coming ODI series against the Proteas,” Afridi, 33, told Dawn in an exclusive interview.

Asked whether he would want to bat up the order, Afridi said: “It is not an issue for me, it’s the decision of captains and the coaches. My first priority is to perform for my team, especially under difficult circumstances.”

Commenting on the series against South Africa, Afridi reckoned Pakistan were capable of winning against the Proteas, and added that knowing well UAE playing conditions the green-shirts should have no excuse for any bad performance.

“The pitches and the playing conditions in the UAE will suit us. Therefore, we will have no excuse to say that South Africa beat us because playing conditions in the UAE suited them more,” he said.

“However, no doubt for Pakistan this will be a tough series during which some new faces may emerge with impressive performances. Moreover, this high-profile series will also indicate where we stand [in world cricket],” Afridi, a veteran of 362 ODIs and 63 Twenty20 Internationals, said.

The experienced all-rounder believed South Africa looked a strong outfit in the presence of Hashim Amla, A.B. de Villiers and Jacques Kallis.

“De Villiers has improved his skills against spinners by playing in the Indian Premier League. Therefore, he could be a formidable player in the Pakistan series,” he predicted.

Afridi, who has been playing international cricket for as many as 17 years and who holds a number of world records in ODI format including the fastest century and the highest number of sixes, was satisfied with his international career.

“By the grace of Allah, I am still enjoying my cricket and I feel proud to have represented Pakistan at international stage for such a long time,” he stated.

However, the flamboyant all-rounder during his playing career has also seen almost 13 ins and outs from the national team for different reasons. “Yes, I staged several comebacks in international cricket but I tried to learn from these experiences. I feel proud to have competed against several big names like Curtly Ambrose, Courtney Walsh and many others, and captained my country in international cricket,” he said.

To a question, he said during his career a good number of coaches worked with the Pakistan team. However, the coach who impressed him most was late Bob Woolmer.

“Though every coach under whom I played had the talent, skills and the required qualities, Woolmer had an added quality to uplift players’ morale in a friendly atmosphere, particularly after a bad performance,” Afridi said.

Afridi praised Misbah-ul-Haq’s captaincy, noting his fine individual performances under demanding situations had led Pakistan to several victories in recent years. However, Afridi had an advice too for Misbah.

“Misbah must be aggressive against those players who throw their wickets away due to wrong shot selection and those who make [other] mistakes during matches, otherwise he is a good captain,” he said.

On being asked to compare the cricket development in Pakistan and that in India recently, Afridi was categorical in saying that the IPL featuring top players from across the world had helped India a great deal in improving their cricket structure.

“Indians are in a position to even form three national level teams from the current lot and this is all due to the IPL. It is a hard fact that no country can make a strong team after relieving seniors in good numbers, but India negated it as it has built a new strong team after saying goodbye to many [ageing and underperforming] cricketers.

“As regards Pakistan our problems are not big, despite the fact that we have not been playing our home series in Pakistan [since 2009] due to the precarious security situation here.

“We have to improve our domestic structure; every year, we should pick 80 to 90 best players from the Quaid-i-Azam Trophy and the Patron’s Trophy to form five teams to play against each other, and then pick the national team from them,” he said.

To a question, Afridi said his target was to continue international cricket until the 2015 World Cup after which he would examine his fitness and form in order to decide about his playing future.

Amla, Steyn

South Africa have recalled top guns Hashim Amla and Dale Steyn for the two-match Twenty20 series against Pakistan to be played in the United Arab Emirates next month.

Amla is returning to the shortest format of the game after a self-imposed exile, having played the last of his 15 matches at the Twenty20 World Cup in Sri Lanka just over a year ago.

“Hashim is a world class player across all the formats,” Cricket South Africa selection convener Andrew Hudson said.

“His experience and stability at the top of the order are qualities that we believe will strengthen the squad in a key area.”

Amla currently heads the ICC world rankings for batsmen in both Test and one-day internationals.

Steyn, the world's leading Test bowler, returns from injury in the place of Rory Kleinveldt.

“It is great to have Dale back as it means we now have all our senior players available again,” added Hudson.

The first Twenty20 international will be played on Nov. 13 in Dubai, with the second two days later at the same venue.

Before that the teams will compete in two Test matches and five one-day internationals. The first test starts in Abu Dhabi on Monday.

Twenty20 squad: Faf du Plessis (captain), Hashim Amla, Henry Davids, Quinton de Kock, AB de Villiers, JP Duminy, Imran Tahir, Ryan McLaren, David Miller, Morne Morkel, Wayne Parnell, Aaron Phangiso, Dale Steyn, Lonwabo Tsotsobe, David Wiese.