Bangladesh beat United Arab Emirates by 96 runs

• Bangladesh beat United Arab Emirates by 96 runs
• Man of the match: Mohammad Ashraful

Ashraful powers Bangladesh to 300

Mumbai: Bangladesh have registered a persuasive total of 300/5 against UAE in Game 1 of the Asia Cup 2008 at the Gadaffi Stadium in Lahore today.

The Tigers’ counterattack was led by captain Mohammad Ashraful (109 runs, 126 balls, 9x4) who cracked his fifth career century, ably supported by the batsman who sprung up splendid performances during the Kitply Cup, Raqibul Hasan (83 runs, 63 balls, 9x4).

This is only the second time when Bangladesh registered a total in excess of 300 in their ODI cricketing history. UAE returned to Lahore to play an international tie after a long gap of 12 years after the 1996 World Cup.

Debutant new ball bowler Zahid Shah (3/49) was the standout performer for UAE, claiming the wickets of Nazimuddin, Hasan and Mortaza. Shah was one of the 8 debutants for UAE at the Asia Cup opening fixture.

Tamim Iqbal’s cracking knock of 40 runs gave Bangladesh a rollicking start after Ashraful won the toss and elected to bat first. It was a piece of brilliance from Vikrant Shetty that ended Iqbal’s innings.

Emerging Bangladesh seamer Dolar Mahmud struck 20 runs off just 9 balls towards the close to guide his team to the 300-run mark. As many as 22 runs were struck in the last eleven deliveries.

UAE all-rounder Khurram Khan had a forgettable spell at the death, conceding way too many runs and unable to contain the Bangladesh tailenders. It was clearly a case of inexperience of bowling under a high-pressure situation in an international match.

UAE need to win the match in order to qualify for the second stage of the tournament.

Alam, Tanvir guide Pakistan to 288

Career-best performances from Fawad Alam (63*, 77 balls, 4x4) and Sohail Tanvir (59 runs from 55 balls, 6x4) helped Pakistan reach a viable total of 288/9 against minnows Hong Kong in the first Group B fixture of the 2008 Asia Cup at the National Stadium in Karachi today.

Nadeem Ahmed, the slow left-arm orthodox bowler from Hong Kong, claimed impressive figures of 4/51 to rattle the hosts’ top and middle-order, leaving them in tatters at 161/7 at one juncture. However, Tanvir’s lusty striking towards the end and a 100-run partnership with Alam helped the hosts recover from the worrying state of affairs.

Pakistan captain Shoaib Malik won the toss, elected to bat first, and surprisingly, opened the batting alongside star southpaw Salman Butt. The new duo at the helm did not last long as the latter nicked a straightforward Irfan Ahmed delivery to wicketkeeper Atkinson. Younis Khan (67 runs, 65 balls, 8x4, 1x6) joined Malik and the duo added 58 runs for the third-wicket until Nadeem Ahmed got into the act.

Ahmed impressed with the amount of air he gave his deliveries and control in line and length. His dismissal of Misbah-ul-Haq was a classic as he trapped the right-handed batsman plumb in front with a delivery that held its line.

Pakistan will feel confident about defending the total and qualifying to the second stage of the tournament. A juvenile Hong Kong team will hope to put up a laudable fight at Karachi.

Pakistab Beats Honk Kong by 195 Runs

• Pakistan beat Hong Kong by 155 runs
• Man of the match: Sohail Tanvir for outstanding performance in Batting (59 runs)and Bowling (2 wickets for 20 runs in 6 overs)
  

Asia Cup 2008 Pakistan Has Begun

Finally Asia Cup 2008 in Pakistan has begun with two matches.

• Pakistan vs Honk Kong
• Bangladesh vs UAE

Pakistan Can Beat India, saif Indian Couch.

Karachi: In a bid to prevent doping scandals during the Asia Cup, the Pakistan Cricket Board has completed dope tests on 20 cricketers participating in the conditioning camp here for the tournament starting June 24.

"The tests have been conducted under the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) guidelines and samples would be sent to an International Olympic Committee (IOC) accredited laboratory in Malaysia," a PCB official said.

The result of the tests are expected in next two-three days, a PCB source said. The Asian Cricket Council (ACC) is also planning to conducted random dope tests on any two players in each match during the forthcoming tournament.

The PCB governing body, which met on yesterday, has asked the Board to put in place the WADA anti-doping policy at domestic level and make players aware of the pitfalls of using banned substances or drugs through awareness programmes.

Meanwhile, there is wide speculation in media here about Asif's deportation from Dubai on June 20.

According to 'The Express' today, the Dubai authority had recorded the cricketer's finger-prints and eye-image before deporting him to Pakistan.

"No charges were filed against Asif as the quantity of the contraband found on him was small but he was deported because he was considered suspicious," the public prosecutor in Dubai was quoted as saying.

On the other hand, the daily 'Jang' quoted Abdul Razzak, the deputy immigration officer at Karachi airport as saying that Asif was not deported, but he came returned back on a valid visa and passport.

"He was not deported but was handed over to Pakistani authorities after being released from detention," Razzak was quoted as saying.

PTI

Akmal dropped for Asia Cup?

Karachi: Pakistan's wicket-keeper Kamran Akmal has been dropped for the forthcoming Asia Cup starting on June 24. Akmal has not been named in a list of 20 probables announced by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) on Thursday. The final squad will be announced on June 22.

Akmal's place has gone to young wicket-keeper Sarfraz Ahmed and is the only change in the squad from the one that played in the Kitply Cup. The selectors have also named uncapped off-spinner Saeed Ajmal in the probable squad.

Also named in the 20-man probable squad are leg-spinner Mansoor Amjad, in-form opening batsman Yasir Hameed.

Akmal has been under the scanner for claiming a catch which was later proved to be not out off India's Virender Sehwag in a league match of the Kitply Cup. Chairman of the selection committee Salahuddin Ahmed and his fellow selectors Saleem Jaffer and Shafqat Rana have lost patience with Akmal's sketchy show in Dhaka. Ahmed told cricketnirvana.com, "We have decided to rest Kamran Akmal because he needs to sharpen his work behind the stumps."

They will also be mindful of PCB chief Dr Nasim Ashraf's e-mail to the Pakistan team management which was sent a day after Shoaib Malik's side had suffered a heavy defeat against India in the league match.

In that e-mail Ashraf had lashed out at the wicket-keeper's below-par performance and made particular reference to his 'unsporting behaviour'. "Wicket-keeping was pathetic, especially after Kamran [Akmal] dropped the catch and pretended that he had held on to it. This is unsporting behaviour. I do not want such behaviour from any Pakistan player. Please warn everyone! We ought to be looking at playing another 'keeper," Ashraf had warned in that e-mail.

Despite his indifferent form with the gloves in recent times, Kamran has managed to cling on to his spot mainly because Malik and coach Geoff Lawson have resisted moves to get him replaced while at the same time increasing his workload by using the wicket-keeper/batsman as an opener in the one-day arena.

But with the emergence of Sarfraz, who led Pakistan to the under-19 World Cup title in Sri Lanka in early 2006, the selectors have lost patience with Kamran because they are unwilling to gamble with an out-of-form wicket-keeper for a major event like the Asia Cup.

Sarfraz, on the other hand, made a heartening international debut in Jaipur last November when he replaced Kamran for the last game of the ODI series that Pakistan lost 3-2. Since then the 21-year-old has appeared in two further one-dayers, when the selectors rested Kamran, during Zimbabwe's tour of Pakistan earlier this year.