Misbah-ul-Haq lauds Mathews’ match-winning performance – Cricket News Update – June 19, 2012 – Part 2
Pakistan skipper Misbah-ul-Haq has praised Sri Lankan all-rounder Angelo Mathews for his match-winning performance, which propelled his side to a 2-wicket victory and ODI series win at the R. Premadasa Stadium in Colombo on June 18.
“The way Mathews played he took the game away from us,” Misbah said. “... Again, the fielding let us down. They really gave us tough time, especially Angelo. Mendis played very well too.”
After having suffered two consecutive defeats, the Men In Green succumbed to a third. Jeevan Mendis (9-0-30-2) Nuwan Kulasekara (10-1-53-2) restricted the tourists to 247, and the bowling performance was followed up by a stellar batting display courtesy
Mathews, who scored an 80 off 76, narrowly completing a successful chase with two balls to spare.
Currently undergoing counselling sessions as part of his rehabilitation programme, banned Pakistani pacer Mohammad Amir has expressed the desire to return to cricket “s and when possible”, as confirmed by his psychologist, Maqbool A. Babri.
“Amir realises that cricket is his profession and he wants to return to the game as and when possible,” Babri said. “I think he realises that he made a mistake... and since he is very passionate about his cricket I have to make him ready for that.”
Amir was convicted and sentenced to 6 months in prison following his implication in a spot-fixing scandal in 2010. He was released after serving half his sentence, but a 5-year ban from the sport, issued by an ICC tribunal, is still in effect. The Pakistan
Cricket Board has expressed the intent to rehabilitate the 20-year-old, and gradually bring him back into the national team after he has served the terms of his ban.
As South Africa prepare to face off against Bangladesh in the ongoing unofficial T20 tri-series in Zimbabwe, the team’s participation in the event has become a target for criticism back home.
While the Proteas’ participation in the event is part of coach Gary Kirsten’s plan to get in as much T20 practice as possible before the ICC T20 World Cup in September, former Cricket South Africa selector Hugh Paige has hit out at the board for having allowed
the team to play an insignificant series against lower-ranked teams before their upcoming tour of England in July.
“I'm amazed that we would go and play against two lowly-ranked sides prior to going to England,” Paige said in a conversation with
'Business Day'.
He also went on to point out that consistently playing T20 cricket would damage the team’s chances of performing well in their crucial Test series against the Poms. South Africa are currently ranked at number 2 on the ICC’s Test team rankings, while England
are at number one.