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All set in U-19 Cricket World Cup
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Visits 54
August 10, 2012
Pakistan Under-19 Cricket Team started their campaign under the umbrella of Coach Sabih Azhar to beat Australian under-19 cricket team in three matches’ cricket series by 2-1 to show that the green shirts are ready to do well in the ICC Under-19 cricket world cup to be starting from August at Australia.

Australia is the most successful team in the history of the ICC U/19 Cricket World Cup, having won the title thrice – in 1988, 2002 and 2010. However, Pakistan is the only side which has won back-to-back titles when it won the top laurels in 2004 and 2006 in Bangladesh and Sri Lanka, respectively.

In preparation for the ICC Under-19 Cricket World Cup to be held in Queensland, Australia, the Pakistan Cricket Board arranged a series against the hosts prior to the commencement of the tournament. The Pakistan performed well at the Gold Coast, recording a confidence-building as opening game of the tournament is a highly anticipated contest against neighbouring country Afghanistan on 11 August at the John Blanck Oval on the Sunshine Coast.


In three matches series green shirts riding once again on the strength of an intense bowling attack in the second match to clinch their 3-match Youth ODI series with a 7-wicket win.

The first ODI saw the Pakistan U-19 winning the toss and electing to field first, with the bowlers going on to cut Australia off at 187 before Babar Azam led his team to victory with an impressive 79.

The visitors put the Australia U-19 to bat after winning the toss once again during the second ODI, and the hosts opened their innings with Cameron Bancroft (47) and wicketkeeper batsman Jimmy Peirson (11).

The latter was unable to stick it out at the crease, and found himself caught out by wicketkeeper Salman Afridi in the 4th over off Azizullah, who finished with figures of 6-1-11-1, with an economy rate of 1.83.

Three runs later, Kurtis Patterson was run out by Babar Azam on duck, leaving the hosts at 17 in the 6th over, with two wickets down. Tight performances by the Pakistani bowlers and fielders ensured that Australia had only managed to reach 53 by the 22nd over, with the dismissals having swelled to 4 – Player of the Match Zia-ul-Haq (7-0-20-3) took down Meyrick Buchanan (2) in the 19th over, while skipper William Bosisto was run out on 12.

Number 6 batsman Travis Head (43) proved an effective partner for Bancroft, and the two established a partnership of 52 runs, after which the opener fell prey to Zafar Gohar, and Head found himself bowled by Usman Qadir.

The remainder of the batting order were unable to rack up double digit individual scores - Zia-ul-Haq claimed the wickets of both Ashton Turner (9) and Alex Gregory (5) in the 43rd over, while Mohammad Nawaz (7.1-0-22-2) took down Nick Stevens (7) and Mark Steketee (0). Australia were eventually cut off at 139, all out, by the 44th over.

Chasing 140, the tourists had no trouble reaching the target with 92 balls remaining, at the expense of just 3 wickets. Sami Aslam (26), Babar Azam (20), and Umar Waheed (21) were all dismissed by the Aussie bowlers, but Imam-ul-Haq (30) and Saad Ali (36) remained unbeaten. Their partnership of 52* runs enabled their team to clinch a 7-wicket win, and consequently the three-match Youth ODI series.

Azeem Ghumman, who is leading Pakistan in Under-19 team, said that the present junior team is the best in the world, with batting being their main strength.

Speaking on the strengths of the current Pakistan U-19 team for the World Cup, Ghumman said: “I don’t think there is much wrong with player selections – they recently defeated South Africa and tied with India utilising a similar squad. Young talent is being showcased and amongst the players selected, I particularly look forward to seeing Babar Azam, Usman Qadir, Sami Aslam and Zia-ul-Haq perform.

“The strength of the team lies in the batting. The tournament is being held in Australia and as I mentioned to Babar Azam [current U-19 captain] before the squad departed, they won’t find conditions easy out there,” he told Pakpassion.net.

“However from what I have observed, the batting seems to be the team”s strength and all of top seven are scoring runs. In 2010, when we played the U-19 tournament in New Zealand, our strength was the middle order and all-rounders.”

Pakistan team manager Haroon Rasheed lauds the performance of young guns and looking confident about his team's capabilities, preparation for the world cup.

“The biggest strength of this team is its all-round ability. It’s a complete team in a sense; we have good spinners such as the tremendously skilful Usman Qadir,” said Rasheed, adding that we also have two good left arm leg-spinners in Mohammed Nawaz, an all-rounder who bowls and bats well, and Zafar Gohar, a very intelligent bowler who has variety with the ability to bring the ball in and turn it too. So the spin department is very good, because these three have got wicket-taking ability, which is essential in one-day cricket.

We also have some really good fast bowlers like all-rounder Ehsan Adil, who can hit the ball hard and bowls well. Zia-ul-Haq is well-known – a quality left arm medium-fast bowler. We also have Azizullah, who is not very tall, but skiddy with immaculate line and length. So far, in the two games we have played [Youth ODIs against Australia], all of these bowlers have performed very well.

The batsmen have adapted to conditions in Australia. Our openers, captain Babar Azam and Sami Aslam, are prominent run-getters. Then in the middle order we have Imam-ul-haq, Umar Waheed, Mohammad Nawaz and Saad Ali, so the depth is there.

In the 25 years of my involvement in the Pakistan youth set-up, this is the best U19 outfit that I have managed.

He said that Sabih Azhar and his coaching team are trying very hard to make this a habit for the players, something that comes naturally to them. You need to forget about what you've done, whether that's scored runs or taken wickets as it's history now - you just need to keep on thinking about the current situation.

He said that at this level, given there are youngster involved it is very difficult to predict anything, you will expect them to make mistakes, and all the teams have this element of unpredictability to their game. One day they will look good and another day they will make some mistakes, with those errors sometimes costing you a match. However, the way we have seen the boys playing since January - the tour of South Africa, then the Asia Cup and now we have started well here in Australia before the World Cup - as a team we are gelling well. They have the potential to perform in all three departments to win a game on any given day and I hope InshahAllah [God willing] that the boys will do very well. Other teams are also good - Australia has got a very good team.

Haroon said that the most important thing is the fielding, where one error can cost you the match. We are emphasizing to the players that fielding is the most important aspect of our game and looking to eradicate the mentality of assuming the ball isn't going to come towards you. It has had an effect, and the team was focused on every ball in the second Youth ODI match. Things were a bit different in the first match but improved tremendously in the second and we hope they continue to improve.

As per cricket world cup schedule announce by International Cricket Council Australia will aim to match Pakistan’s achievement when it launches the defence of its ICC Under 19 Cricket World Cup title against traditional rival and former champion England at the Tony Ireland Stadium in Townsville on the opening day of the 16-day tournament from August 11th .

Together with Australia and England, also in action in Townsville on the opening day will be Zimbabwe and Papua New Guinea (PNG) who will face each other at Endeavour Park 1, while four Asian rivals will go head to head in Brisbane and the Sunshine Coast with Sri Lanka meeting Bangladesh at the Allan Border Field and Pakistan taking on Afghanistan at the John Blanck Oval.

With the ninth edition of the tournament taking place in its backyard and the fact that its previous victories came in familiar conditions at home in the inaugural edition in 1988 and New Zealand in 2002 and 2010, it will be a great opportunity for the home side to equal Pakistan’s feat.

Apart from Australia, Pakistan and England (1998), India is the other side to have reached the zenith of glory at this level when Mohammad Kaif and Virat Kohli put their hands on the glittering trophy in Sri Lanka and Malaysia in 2000 and 2008, respectively.

The 16 teams have been divided into four groups with the top two teams progressing to the Super League quarter-finals while the two bottom teams from each group qualifying for the Plate Championship quarter-finals. The winners of the Super League quarter-finals will qualify for the semi-finals whereas the losing quarter-finalists will play in the Super League play-offs.

Groups (in brackets are seedings):

Group A – Australia (1), England (8), Nepal (12), Ireland (13)

Group B – Pakistan (2), New Zealand (7), Scotland (11), Afghanistan (14)

Group C – West Indies (3), India (6), Zimbabwe (10), Papua New Guinea (PNG) (15)

Group D – Sri Lanka (4, South Africa (5), Bangladesh (9), Namibia (16)

Schdule

Date and Time Match

Sat Aug 11

23:30 GMT

(prev day) | 09:30 local

04:30 PKT 1st Match, Group B - Afghanistan Under-19s v Pakistan Under-19s

John Blanck Oval, Buderim

Mon Aug 13

23:30 GMT

(prev day) | 09:30 local

04:30 PKT 11th Match, Group B - Pakistan Under-19s v Scotland Under-19s

Kev Hackney Oval, Buderim

Thu Aug 16

23:30 GMT

(prev day) | 09:30 local

04:30 PKT 23rd Match, Group B - New Zealand Under-19s v Pakistan Under-19s

John Blanck Oval, Buderim.

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