Pakistan Tour To South Africa 2013

[M@zh@R]

Pakistan captain Misbah-ul-Haq and Saeed Ajmal the number one ODI bowler in world cricket are seen relaxing in the Intercontinental Hotel at OR Tambo International upon the Pakistani team’s arrival in South Africa for a cricket series against the Protea’s.

 

[M@zh@R]

Pakistan attack can challenge SA

There are some places Pakistan have not played cricket in for even longer than their home country. South Africa is one of them.

Having last played a Test here in 2007, India is the only other place Pakistan have not featured in whites for the last six years although they played a one-day series in India recently. South Africa remains an uncharted territory for much of the squad. It has been so infrequently visited that none of the current Test bowling attack have played a Test in the country.

They have missed out. Known for their pace and bounce, South African surfaces are among the favourites of quicks the world over and Pakistan's pack cannot wait to get stuck in. "Junaid Khan would love to bowl in these conditions and Mohammed Irfan will do well if he can put the ball in the right areas," Misbah-ul-Haq, the Pakistan captain, said after arriving in Johannesburg.

The closest Junaid has got to South Africa is its neighbour, Zimbabwe, where he made his debut in September 2011. He played second fiddle to Aizaz Cheema in that match but has since overtaken Cheema with three five-wicket hauls from eight matches. Being a left-armer he may have half an eye on Graeme Smith with the South Africa captain having been susceptible to many southpaws over the years.

At 7' 1", Irfan had caught the eye of the South African media well before Pakistan's arrival in the country. Knowing the kind of bounce Morne Morkel can extract from surfaces, the hype around what someone eight inches taller may be able to do has grown.
Source

 

[M@zh@R]

Tanvir Ahmed, Rahat Ali added to Pakistan squad


Fast bowlers Tanvir Ahmed and Rahat Ali have been added to Pakistan's squad for the three Tests against South Africa. Considering the conditions and duration of the tour, the team management had requested Pakistan's selection committee to reinforce the squad with two more fast bowlers.

Both Ahmed and Ali are expected to reach South Africa before the first Test begins on February 1 in Johannesburg. Currently, their squad includes four quicks: Umar Gul, Junaid Khan and uncapped players Mohammad Irfan and Ehsan Adil.

Sources understands that due to a difference in choice between the selection committee and the team management, the committee decided to send Ali along with Ahmed, who was part of the reserves for the tour.

Ali has been out the side since he played one ODI against Sri Lanka in June last year, while the 34-year old Ahmed last played a Test in May 2011, in West Indies, after which he was dropped because of fitness and performance.

The Pakistan squad is currently playing a four-day warm-up match against South African Invitation XI in East London. After the Test series, Pakistan will play two Twenty20s and five one-dayers in South Africa.
Source:Pakistan in South Africa 2012-13 : Tanvir Ahmed, Rahat Ali added to Pakistan squad

 

[Karthik]

Is the series in hd ?

 

[piinku1]

Is the series in hd ?

yes,it is on TENHD.

 

[M@zh@R]

South Africa’s Graeme Smith is on course for a cricket landmark in the first Test against Pakistan next week when he’ll become the first player to captain in 100 Tests.

 

[mmadhankumar]

nice landmark :tup

 

[Karthik]

No advt regarding hd telecast.

 

[piinku1]

No advt regarding hd telecast.

The ad. is showing frequently on Ten Sports.

 

[M@zh@R]

SA bowlers pose tough challenge to Pakistan

To beat South Africa, opposition teams need to hone in on one thing: the world No.1 side's bowlers.

"The big battle between any team coming up against the current South African one will be between their batsmen against the South African bowlers," Vincent Barnes, manager of the high performance centre, who was in charge of the South African Invitation side that played against the touring Pakistanis, told ESPNCricinfo. "If you can tame the bowlers, you can get close but if you can't, you will get a hiding."

On the evidence of the tour match, which few read into, Pakistan's batsmen have some work to do. Nasir Jamshed and Mohammad Hafeez did well in both innings but of the middle order only Misbah-ul-Haq scored a half-century.

"It looked like they were just trying to occupy the crease and then some of them got good balls and got out," Barnes said. "We can't judge too much on that. Guys like Azhar Ali and Younis Khan have scored big runs in the past. Jamshed looks like a guy whose natural game is to play his shots and Hafeez is a quality player who scores both sides of the wicket."

While the batsmen will be the ones under scrutiny, some may see the real contest as a battle between bowling attacks as Pakistan's has a lot to offer. Barnes regards Umar Gul as their "best bowler who is very skilful" and Saeed Ajmal as the "key factor" to their chances of success.

He also saw first-hand the two bowlers who will be relatively unknown quantities to South Africa - Junaid Khan and Mohammad Irfan. Left-armer Junaid swings the ball both ways while Irfan, at more than two metres tall, is expected to extract steep bounce. "Junaid drifted in an out a bit. He had some good spells and some average ones," Barnes said. "Irfan is definitely a massive presence. Bounce will be his strength but he struggled with his lengths and didn't seem to swing the ball much."

Irfan's Test debut is the most widely talked about point in the lead up to the series. While Jacques Kallis joked that some of the South African bowlers will go to practice on stilts, he does not actually seem too fazed about the prospect of facing him.
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