WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 25, 2015

Ireland seek to back up Windies win against UAE

BRISBANE: Ireland’s Kevin O’Brien has warned his side their World Cup win over the West Indies will “mean nothing” if they don’t see off the United Arab Emirates in Brisbane today. Victory against their fellow Associate nation would leave the Irish on the brink of the quarter- finals after they started the tournament with the latest of several World Cup wins over a Test team courtesy of a four-wicket triumph against the West Indies in Nelson on February 16. “It’s gone-as great a result as it was,” said O’Brien. “It will mean nothing if we don’t win today.” Several members of the Ireland side play for English county teams and they will look to the likes of Middlesex’s Paul Stirling, who made 92 against the West Indies, and Sussex’s Ed Joyce, who scored 84, to carry on from where they left off in a match where Somerset left-arm spinner George Dockrell took three for 50. Ireland and the UAE have met several times in low- er-level International Council competitions in recent years and all-rounder O’Brien was impressed by the way the Middle East side nearly pulled off an upset before losing to Zimbabwe by four wickets in their opening Pool B match. “They really pushed Zimbabwe and it was only very good performances from Sean Williams and Craig Ervine that got Zimbabwe over the line,” O’Brien said. “The UAE have some very good players. Khurram Khan and Swapnil Patil are two very good middle-order batsmen and their bowlers have improved a lot. They have some useful spinners as well. “They ran us close in the World T20 qualifiers a couple of years ago when they needed two or three off the last ball but ‘TJ’ (Trent Johnston) bowled a very good ball and denied them.” UAE Mohammad Tauqir, reflecting on the Zimbabwe defeat, said: “We had quite a few positives from the game. The batters batted well and the bowlers did a decent job, but it was defi- nitely an opportunity missed.” The UAE’s display was all the more impressive given they are a part-time side made up of mainly expat players from India and Pakistan. Wednesday’s match is another chance for both sides to show the strength of international cricket below Test level, with the ICC under fire for their plans to reduce the number of teams at the World Cup from 14 to 10 come the 2019 edition in England. Eight places will be reserved for the world’s top eight one-day international sides. The best way to rise up the standings is to beat higher-ranked teams yet there is no obligation between this World Cup and the next for the Test nations to play teams such as Ireland and the UAE. “Who are they (the DUNEDIN: New Zealand batsman Corey Anderson pulls a ball to leg in this file ICC) protecting and why are they protecting them? photo. — AFP Forget about audience, it is about competition,” UAE coach , a member of the Pakistan side that won the 1992 World Cup when the tour- BRISBANE: Ireland captain William Porterfield plays a shot during a training session ahead of Kiwis expect verbal nament was last staged in Australia and New their 2015 Cricket World Cup Pool B match against the United Arab Emirates (UAE) at the assault from Aussies Zealand, told the National newspaper. —AFP Gabba. —AFP AUCKLAND: New Zealand are expecting New Zealand have won all three of their Pakistan summon casino Australia to sledge as part of their game- pool matches, including a stunning demoli- plan when the teams clash in their World tion of England, while Australia also beat Cup match in Auckland on Saturday, all- Eoin Morgan’s side in their tournament rounder Corey Anderson has said. opener before rain washed out the second row selector back home Australia has long employed aggressive match against Bangladesh. banter as a tactic to try to put opponents Australia were upset by New Zealand at off their game, earning criticism from some the same ground in the 1992 World Cup ISLAMABAD: Pakistani cricket chiefs yesterday pundits and a raft of code of conduct viola- and ended up missing the semi-finals at summoned the chief selector home from the World tions for taking the chirping too far. the tournament they co-hosted. Cup as they investigate reports he visited a casino Timeline on Pakistan Saturday’s match at Eden Park is expected The ODI teams have hardly played each shortly before the team’s disastrous loss to the West to be a sell-out and could well decide who other in the last five years, with the last Indies. The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) launched a World Cup turmoil finishes top of Pool A ahead of the knock- result a big win to Australia at the 2011 probe on Monday as claims surfaced that Moin out rounds. “Their sledging tactics are well- World Cup in India. “It’s going to be definite- Khan had been seen in a casino in the New Zealand BRISBANE: Factfile on Pakistan’s World Cup some senior players and out of frustration known now,” Anderson told reporters in ly the biggest game in my career and the city of Christchurch shortly before Saturday’s 150- turmoil after chief selector Moin Khan was resigned,” a source in the Pakistan camp told Auckland. “It’s something we haven’t same for a lot of other guys,” said Anderson. run defeat. PCB chairman Shehryar Khan told involved ourselves in. We’re neutral on the “At the moment it feels like another World reporters Moin Khan had been recalled to account summoned home after reportedly being AFP. But the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) field and we just stick to what we do. Cup game that we’ve got to win but I’m for himself in person. spotted in a casino in Christchurch hours deny Luden resigned after the India match “We’ll be expecting a little bit of heat sure once we see the crowds roll in and a lit- before the team’s defeat by the West Indies: although they admit he had offered to quit from them but I guess that’s just part of tle more hype a couple of days out, it’s before the World Cup started. their game plan and we’ll deal to it as it going to be pretty cool. “It’s Australia, you Feb 12: Eight Pakistan players, including comes.” always want to beat Australia.” — Reuters maverick former captain , fined Feb 21: Pakistan lose to the West Indies for breaching a team curfew ahead of their by 150 runs in Christchurch. Chasing 311 to crucial World Cup game against India. They win, Pakistan never recover from slumping are also warned that a repeat offence will to one for four, the worst start in one-day Chappell-Hadlee see them kicked out of the tournament. international history, and are all out for 160 “Eight of the Pakistan players, which also in the 39th over with Umar Akmal top-scor- included former captain Shahid Afridi and ing on 59. trophy at stake opener , were fined 300 Australian dollars (US $230) after they came Feb 21: Pakistani fans in the south-east- AUCKLAND: Australia and New Zealand World Cup 2015 match only reflects its late to their Sydney hotel on Sunday,” ern city of hold a mock funeral after will not only vie for top spot in Pool A of significance for both Australians and sources in the Pakistan team tell AFP. Feb the record-shattering defeat at the hands of the World Cup when they clash in New Zealanders.” 15: Afridi plays down being fined for break- the West Indies. Auckland on Saturday, but the winner Cricket Australia chief executive ing the curfew, claiming he and his team- Residents organise a symbolic funeral will also lift the Chappell-Hadlee trophy, James Sutherland added: “The trophy is mates went out to eat and not to dance the procession, replete with a coffin with sever- it was announced yesterday. named after two of our great cricketing night away. “There are restaurants that have al cricket bats placed over it. “This time we If there was not enough hype around families and so to have it at stake in this clubs inside them-nothing happened, we were really hoping for Pakistan to win,” this weekend’s clash between the World highly anticipated match is entirely went for food then came back,” Afridi told Shama Bibi, one of those taking part, tells Cup co-hosts, New Zealand Cricket (NZC) appropriate. BBC Urdu. “When you have no news to AFP. “We don’t want to watch this anymore.” announced the Chappell-Hadlee trophy, “Australia and New Zealand are two show, they spread these kind of rumours to contested by the two nations since 2004, of the most in-form sides in world cricket Pakistani cricket chief selector Moin Khan get attention from people. Nothing hap- Feb 24: Pakistani cricket chiefs launch would be up for grabs. at the moment and matches between us pened that night. We went for dinner-we investigation into reports that chief selector Australia currently hold the trophy by have invariably produced excitement “Moin told me that he had gone to casino for a are in Australia, not in [Pakistani cities] Moin Khan visited a casino shortly before virtue of their win over New Zealand in a and drama. meal with his wife and his friend and friend’s wife. I Thatta or Larkana.” the team’s calamitous defeat by the West 2011 World Cup match held in Nagpur, “I do not expect Saturday’s action to have asked him to return and explain his position Indies. “We have launched an investigation India. Remarkably, the trans-Tasman be any different and I think everyone is to the enquiry committee,” chairman Khan said. Feb 15: Pakistan lose World Cup opener over the reports that Moin Khan visited a rivals have not met in a one-day series looking forward to the match-up “Pakistan team manager Naveed Cheema will to arch-rivals India by 76 runs at the casino, action will be taken if the reports since then. between two attack-minded sides.” chair the tour selection committee (from now Adelaide Oval. The defending champions prove true,” Shehryar Khan, the chairman of The only Australia-New Zealand ODI Sutherland said officials were looking onwards).” Moin’s presence at the World Cup was match in the intervening four years was into ways in which Australia and New criticised by a number of former players, who said it make 300 for seven with Virat Kohli (107) the PCB, told reporters. “As per initial a rain-marred no result at Edgbaston Zealand could play more one-dayers was unnecessary and a waste of money to send and Shikhar Dhawan (73) sharing a second- reports, Moin Khan went there to have a during the 2013 Champions Trophy in against one another. him to Australia and New Zealand for the event. wicket stand of 129 before Suresh Raina hits meal two days before the match against England. But now two of the leading “We are due to play Pakistan crumbled to 160 all out chasing the 74. In reply, Pakistan are bowled out for 224 West Indies and a Pakistani couple pho- contenders to lift the World Cup trophy against each other next summer and we West Indies’ 310-6 in Christchurch on Saturday, los- with skipper Misbah-ul-Haq making 76. It tographed him and made a video.” will meet for another piece of silverware are examining the schedule to see what ing their first four batsmen for just one run, to add was India’s sixth win in six World Cup games in front of what is set to be a packed options we have for playing each other to the anguish of their opening defeat by arch- against Pakistan. Feb 24: Shehryar Khan tells reporters Eden Park. “The Chappell-Hadlee Trophy in One-Day Internationals on a more reg- rivals India. Fans in the central Pakistani city of Moin Khan has been recalled to account for brings to mind the rich history of New ular basis in the future.” Multan held a mock funeral for the national team Feb 18: Pakistan’s campaign rocked by himself in person. “Moin told me that he Zealand-Australia one-day contests and The trophy is named after the after the defeat, which left them rooted to the bot- fresh allegations of unrest when reports had gone to casino for a meal with his wife two of the families who played such Chappell family-with three brothers, Ian, tom of Pool B. Pakistan will hope to kick-start their claim that fielding coach Grant Luden was and his friend and friend’s wife. I have asked prominent roles in the early rivalry,” said Greg and Trevor, all playing cricket for tournament when they take on Zimbabwe in involved in a heated row with senior play- him to return and explain his position to the NZC chief executive David White in a Australia-and the Hadlee family, with Brisbane on Sunday. Moin was a member of ers. Initial reports in the Pakistan media enquiry committee,” chairman Khan said. statement. father Walter and his three sons Barry, Pakistan’s only World Cup-winning team when the claim Luden resigned after an argument “Pakistan team manager Naveed Cheema “Having it contested alongside such Dayle and Richard all representing New tournament was last played in Australia and New with Afridi, Shehzad and Umar Akmal. will chair the tour selection committee an important fixture as an ICC Cricket Zealand. — AFP Zealand 23 years ago. He also skippered Pakistan “Luden had a serious argument with (from now onwards).” — AFP between 1998-2001. — AFP