Saeed Ajmal thrilled for MCC-World XI encounter

ISLAMABAD: Ace spinner Saeed Ajmal feels privileged for the country and Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) as three of the national players have been invited to the mouth watering encounter between two star studded playing elevens at Lord’s on July 5 to mark the Bicentenary Celebrations of the historic ground.

The MCC team will be led by the recently retired Indian legend Sachin Tendulkar while the Rest of the World XI is captained by his old rival and equally famous Australian leg spinner Shane Warne.

Lord’s completes its 200 year anniversary on June 22 having hosted the first known cricket match back in 1814 between MCC and Hertfordshire and this game between teams featuring some of the top names of today and yesteryear will be a fitting tribute to the Home of Cricket’s stature as a place of reverence for players and fans alike.

The MCC team includes Tendulkar’s former Indian teammate Rahul Dravid, West Indies batting legend Brian Lara, Australian pace bowler Brett Lee as well as Pakistani seam bowler Umar Gul as well as master off spinner Saeed Ajmal.

The Warne-led Rest of the World XI features Virender Sehwag, Yuvraj Singh, Muttiah Muralitharan, Adam Gilchrist, Kevin Pietersen and Pakistan all rounder Shahid Afridi.

Ajmal said he is honored to have been asked to play in the MCC versus Rest of the World match. It should be a fantastic occasion featuring some of the greatest players in the history of the game.

There are many superstars in both teams and it will be brilliant to play alongside and against some of cricket s legends and biggest names Pakpassion.net quoted Ajmal as saying.

Ajmal who is ranked at number one in ODIs and holds the 3rd and 5th rankings in T20s and Tests, respectively, said it is great news for Pakistan cricket that Shahid, Umar and I have been invited to play at this great occasion.

Lord’s Bicentenary match teams:
MCC: Sachin Tendulkar (Ind, capt), Saeed Ajmal (Pak), Shivnarine Chanderpaul (WI), Rahul Dravid (Ind), Aaron Finch (Aus), Umar Gul (Pak), Brian Lara (WI), Brett Lee (Aus), Chris Read (Eng, wk), Shaun Tait (Aus), Daniel Vettori (NZ).

REST OF THE WORLD: Shane Warne (Aus, capt), Shahid Afridi (Pak), Tino Best (WI), Paul Collingwood (Eng), Adam Gilchrist (Aus, wk), Tamim Iqbal (BD), Muttiah Muralitharan (SL), Kevin Pietersen (Eng), Virender Sehwag (Ind), Peter Siddle (Aus), Yuvraj Singh (Ind).

PCB adds four players in summer camp

Amin was part of the team in the limited over formats for the most part of 2013, unfortunately, he failed to make an impression. PHOTO: REUTERS

KARACHI: The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) on Monday inducted four more players for the summer camp in Lahore after announcing 36 names last week.

The players invited to the camp are left-handed batsman Umar Amin, fast-bowler Aizaz Cheema, Pakistan U19 captain Sami Aslam and young batsman Babar Azam.

Amin was part of the team in the limited-over formats for most part of 2013; he featured in the Champions Trophy, the tour of the West Indies, Zimbabwe, South Africa and the home series against the Proteas and Sri Lanka in the UAE.

Unfortunately, he failed to make an impression and was dropped from the squad that played the ODIs against Sri Lanka last December.

The other inclusion, Cheema, has been a consistent performer in the domestic circuit and last represented the national team in the 2012 ODI series against Australia in the UAE.

Meanwhile, Aslam led the U19 team to the final of the junior World Cup where his team lost to South Africa and Azam is touted as one of the best batting talents in the country who has made a name for himself in the limited-over formats.

The quartet will begin training with the rest of the probables from Tuesday in a month-long camp set to take place at the Gaddafi stadium in Lahore.

The 40 players have been divided into two groups; PCB Panthers and PCB Tigers. According to a media release, the two groups will be involved in different training routines.

One group will undertake the physical workout and gym sessions while the second will simultaneously hold practice sessions.

The first round will be held from at 7:00-9:00am, while the second session is scheduled from 4:30-6:30pm.

Published in GNN & Tribune & our-correspondent, May 6th, 2014.

Abdul Qadir to run for PCB chairman’s post

LAHORE: Former Test cricketer and an accomplished leg spinner of his times, Abdul Qadir has announced that he will contest the election for the post of Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman.

He said that no one can understand and run cricket affairs like a cricketer can.

IHC bars Najam Sethi to work as chairman PCB

ISLAMABAD: Islamabad High Court (IHC) has barred Najam Sethi to continue to perform his duties as chairman PCB.

The decision was taken by Justice Shaukat Aziz Siddiqui during the hearing of a case filed against the appointment of Najam Sethi as chairman PCB.

The IHC has also suspended the interim management committee formed to look into the PCB affairs and has issued notices to its members in a contempt of court case.

The court appointed Justice(r) Munir Shaikh as chairman election committee to supervise the election of the chairman PCB and ordered the elections to be held in November.

The Secretary PCB will be incharge of the organization's affairs until the elections are held next month.

IHC bars Najam Sethi from working as PCB chairman : Video

ECP can’t hold PCB chairman election: Lawyer

ISLAMABAD: The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) lawyer Advocate Munir Paracha informed the Islamabad High Court that the commission could not hold the election for the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman.

The hearing of the cases pertaining to the election of the PCB chairman was held at the Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Monday. During proceedings, the ECP lawyer said that according to the constitution, the commission could not hold the PCB chairman election.

Paracha further said that the elections should be held under the supervision of a retired judge and recommended the name of Justice (retd) Asad Munir.

Justice Aziz Siddiqui remarked that the ECP was a constitutional institution and was not following court orders. Justice Siddiqui said a decision in this regard would be made on Tuesday. (GNN) (Yoogle)