Key Observations. Pakistan beat Zimbabwe in Kandy. Now Bring on The Aussies!

Pakistan beat Zimbabwe rather comprehensively as they eased to victory in Kandy by 7 wickets in a rain shorted Group A match. Pakistan now take on Australia on Saturday in Colombo in their final Group fixture. From now on in, all games will be full of pressure, tension, intensity, anticipation, challenge as the tournament really gets into serious mode. There will be no soft fixture anymore and every match will be symbolically indescribable, full of meaningfulness and of utmost importance as Pakistan look to re-live the memorable bells of 1992 in the 10th ICC Cricket World Cup jointly being hosted by Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and India. Where Pakistan conclude in their group and who they will take on in the Quarter Final stage will be fully determined by the end of the week. It will be imperative they get much as possible going for them in order to be an ideal state and frame of mind to deliver when it matters and it does not come any better than breaking Australia's 33 match undefeated World Cup record come Saturday.

My Analysis

-Shehzad has 44 runs in 5 innings at an average of 8.8. He is really struggling for form and confidence. It will be a really brave move if they continue to persevere with him from here on in and one could not really complain about dropping him at this stage as far as form is concerned.

-Abdur Rehman averages 83 runs per wicket and just has 14 wickets to his name in 19 one day internationals . He is making his reputation clear as a really defensive average operator and is no match winner whereas we have a world class threatening match winner sitting on the bench and watching from the side lines. Do you think England will select Yardy ahead of Swann? Do you think South Africa will select Patterson ahead of Tahir? How difficult is it to select your best and most effective players? A darty left arm container who bowls on the pads or a crafty off spinner who can bamboozle batsmen, turn the screws in a match situation and attack the opposition in a unique manner? The logic behind Rehman being the main spinner is mind baffling.

-Umar Gul has notched up 10 scalps in 5 matches at an average of just 16. Arguably Pakistan's best bowler in the tournament so far? He currently stands as one of the leading wicket takers in the tournament at this point in time. He has bowled with skill, responsibility and firepower and could be a front line candidate to take the new ball as well now. He has shown he can control it and attack up front when the chance has been given which should give some significant food for thought for the skipper.

-There are areas and poor patches where Afridi's captaincy has been dysfunctional, unmanageable and negatively lacklustre. This includes the under reluctance to play a purposeful 7-4 combination, take incentive and seize the initiative by flexibility in the batting order, failing to push for Ajmal's inclusion in the starting line up, misusing the referral system unnecessarily or childishly and being incapable to control proceedings on the field when the heat is on and everything is not coming easy. This could be a front line downfall as highlighted previously before the tournament. The talisman needs to get a serious grip and share the responsibility equally with the senior men around him and utilise their highly regarded input/services as much as he possibly can or needs to because the opportunity to do well is unquestionably here and it would be rather disappointing if they fail to capitalise by being brought down within themselves.

Shehzad Under Pressure, But Dont Be Surprised If He Hits Back!

Shehzad is expected to play tomorrow and the selection committee are persevering with him which is good to see as he has a lot to give and has earned his place in this line up with some exceptional performances. The memories of his maiden ODI century just over a month ago and his familiarisation with the Kiwi attack could help him deliver on the big stage.

A Big Asian Group A Rivalry!

Afridi had the perfect start to the tournament with his magical 5 wicket haul against the Kenyans on Wednesday. He also scored a century in his last match he played against Sri Lanka. Also, scored 50s against them in the 2009 ICC WT20 Final at Lords and in his first T20 as captain. The 26th of February could be another memorable day for him as he leads the side with some personal confidence behind him.

Pakistan take on Sri Lanka tomorrow in their first real competitive match of the World Cup at Colombo. This will provide a stern test for Afridi's side and really give us an indication of where they stand and how far they could potentially go in the grand scheme of things during this World Cup. Continuing and consolidating on the winning and positive momentum will be crucial in order to help the green tigers peak at the right time and deliver when it matters during the knock out stages. Pakistan should be looking to win as many fixtures as possible in the group stages in order to aid achieving this and will want victories against Test Playing Nations: Sri Lanka, New Zealand and Australia as opposed to just turning over the minnows as expected. What's more is that if Pakistan are able to finish higher up in their group (preferably 1st or 2nd) they will gain an easier quarter final fixture against a lesser in form and prepared outfit and the likelihood is that they will not have to face firm tournament favourites, India on their home soil which looks an uphill task for any side at present. By finishing high up in the group, this should also help the cause in delivering in the knock out days in between the 23rd and 26th March by gaining that psychological edge which could be assistive in reaching the latter stages of the 10th ICC Cricket World Cup. This undoubtedly is a big game where the actual significance of a victory will show down the line as the tournament progresses and one looks back on at where things went well or went wrong for the goodness of the overall team campaign. The adrenaline must be pumping and the players must be raring to go like energetic school kids at the start of the holiday season.

Ahmed Shehzad
He will be a key name I am putting in the hat for this fascinating encounter at Colombo. He has a great deal of freshness, youthful exuberance, positivity and fearlessness about him. He has done exceptionally well in his comeback and made some eye catching and match winning contributions with his adorable stroke play and excellent intent. He looked off colour against Kenya, but I am expecting the selectors to persevere with him and for him to come out with a buzzing game plan to show what he is made of and announce himself to the world as a teenage batting superstar. The stage could be his. He has the talent. He generally has the form. This could be his day to shine and that too against a proper bowling attack?


Murali
Needs no introduction. The sky is the limit. A legendary world class bowler who holds records and has reached many illustrious milestones throughout his career. He is the second leading World Cup wicket taker of all time. This will be his 5th and final World Cup so he will want to start off well and what better place to do it than against Pakistan in their first real competitive match of the 49 match tournament. Could be a key factor. Pakistan will be need to be weary of him and do their homework.

I am anticipating a high scoring match here. If Pakistan bowl first and are able to restrict the Lankans to under 260, they will fancy their chances. However, they will definitely need a better opening start than what they got against Kenya in order to post a competitive and challenging total against the Lankans batting first. Either way, they will have to be at the top of their game to stand a chance. Given the strength and depth of Sri Lanka's batting and the nature of the pitches, an extra front line seamer will be a wise choice and open up the options for the skipper as well as prevent relying on liabilities which could be fatal. This will help in keeping control of proceedings out there in the field.

Sri Lanka have beaten Pakistan 7 out of the last 10 times the team have met and on paper they are the stronger unit. Pakistan have beaten Sri Lanka all 6 times the teams have met in a World Cup Fixture. At this particular venue where the match will be contested, Pakistan have won 5 out of 12 matches. Umar Akmal also made his maiden ODI century at this venue.

Sri Lanka have the edge, but as always you never quite known with Pakistan and there should never be any shortage of excitement and mysteriousness in their approach. The game is a big opportunity for them to stamp their authorities which could be crucial in the chain of events which follow as outlined above. Here's hoping from a Pakistani perspective they have realised its significance and take it with a sense of purpose. In closing, all eyes are firmly focussed on Colombo for this good old Asian Rivalry between two teams who have a decent shout of doing the distance right through to the Mumbai Final on the 2nd of April, but who is the better one at this stage?

Pakistan vs New Zealand 2011 ODI Series Ratings By Maaz

Pakistan's ODI Series Ratings

Ahmed Shehzad 8/10

Mohammad Hafeez 7/10

Kamran Akmal 4/10

Younis Khan 5/10

Misbah Ul Haq 9/10

Umar Akmal 6/10

Shahid Afridi 7/10

Abdul Razzaq 3/10

Wahab Riaz 9/10

Umar Gul 6/10

Shoaib Akhtar 3/10

Asad Shafiq 4/10

Abdur Rehman 3/10

Sohail Tanvir 3/10

Shehzad’s maiden ton takes Pakistan to series win

It came after almost 2 years (17 years in New Zealand) but it came amidst the usual Pakistani rallying chant of “Pakistan Zindabad, Pakistan Zindabad, Pakistan Zindabad”. Led by the impressive and confident young opener Ahmed Shehzad, Pakistan beat New Zealand in the 5th ODI here at Hamilton to claim the series 3-1 with one to play.

What did come time and time again in the series was a consistent performance from at least one of the Pakistani opener and this time it was the 19 year old Shehzad, who went on to score his maiden ODI century and laid a solid platform for the Pakistani big-hitting lower order. That they were unable to properly take advantage of it is another story.

After winning the toss, Ross Taylor who was captaining the side decided to bowl first to take advantage of the overcast conditions and during the first 4 overs it looked like a good decision when some tidy bowling kept Pakistani openers at bay. Mohammad Hafeez who has finally started to fulfill his potential broke free with a couple of boundaries but soon found his way back to the pavilion after he played an uppish shot to mid-off where he was caught.

Hafeez’s dismissal emboldened the young gun from Lahore and he counterattacked in brilliant fashion while wickets kept tumbling at the other end. Yet another streaky innings by Kamran Akmal came to an end soon when he only had himself to blame for his run out. Younis Khan the elder statesmen flattered to deceive but fell to a top-edge while playing a sweep shot.

Uber-confident Shehzad smacks one

Nothing bothered Shehzad though and he continued his merry ways by easily picking singles and putting away bad deliveries and raced to the nervous 90’s. The 19 year old played some wonderful cut shots of the Kiwi medium pacers and anything short was dispatched to the midwicket boundary. Instead of faltering under pressure he launched Bennet to a 6 over cow corner and reached his maiden ton with swagger.

After he fell the Pakistani lower order struggled to put bat on ball and where once 300 looked like a possibility Pakistan only managed to make 268 in their allotted 50 overs with captain Afridi, Umer Akmal & Misbah pitching in with cameos.

New Zealand got off to the most horrendous of starts when Ryder was run-out without facing a delivery on the first ball of the innings. Martin Guptill along with Jamie How fought back for a while but when Wahab Riaz removed How for 12 after a painful innings, NZ hopes were delivered a big blow.

Stand in Captain Ross Taylor and Guptill managed to keep the scoreboard ticking and seemed to have built a good partnership but when Guptill fell to a short delivery from Akhtar against the run of play, New Zealand were 112-3.

Taylor was the only stiff resistance Pakistan faced and when Afridi removed him New Zealand had resigned to their fate and folded quickly afterwards leaving Pakistan ecstatic at an ODI series win after 2 years.

The series win comes at a crucial time when the world cup is only two weeks away. Things are finally looking rosy for Pakistan as the whole unit is pitching in with consistent performances day in day out. Everyone has stood up and made themselves count over the course of the series win and that is something we don’t usually associate with Pakistan. The biggest positive has been the good fielding and catching with the young blood inspiring the old legs to be more alert in the field.

The biggest positive in my opinion however is the passion the team is displaying. It is genuinely looking like the team is enjoying out there in the field and the team culture which has often been Pakistan’s undoing on many previous occasions is looking solid.

One can easily figure it out the way our boys celebrated the win out there in the middle, with their faces brimming with confidence and contentment. The only thing left now is the captaincy announcement, and there should be no doubt on who should get the honor of leading Team Green in the upcoming mega event.

Shehzad The Opener

A 3rd wash out in 9 ODIs does not make great reading for a stunning venue. A paradise surrounding, but the weather was not kind and ended up being the overall winner.

2nd ODI
31/0 4.2 overs
Match Abandoned
New Zealand lead the series 1-0 with 4 to go

Ahmed Shehzad scored 25* from 16 balls before rain took over at Queenstown



Ahmed Shehzad epitomises the beauty of controlled and calculated aggression. This is something Umar Akmal could/should take a leaf out of. He demonstrated glimpses of genius in whatever play which was possible in today’s wash out. Loved the intent and positivity. This was not the first time either! In short, both Umar and Shehzad have the capabilities to take the world by storm in the forthcoming fast approaching World Cup with their fearlessness, flair & exuberance of youth. Pakistan continues to thrive, lead the way, pride & flourish in producing and throwing in young gems and Ahmed Shehzad is no exception. I have always backed, hyped and rated this youngster since he was catching the eye in the domestic arena and will continue to do so in the future. What a mouth watering prospect in the making, probably one of the most talented teenage batsmen on the planet. He is someone I have felt needs to be utilised at the top of the order instead of inconsistent, overrated, unnecessary, unreliable and to a large degree tainted performers like Kamran, Nazir, and Shahzib to name a few. AS from Lahore, give us more, the sky is the limit.......

ODI Series Soon

Umar Akmal will have a key role to play in the ODI series having been taken off the radar for some time now. His middle order aggression, stylishness and fearlessness should be an interesting spectacle for all concerned. Fingers crossed he is able to revive his form ahead of the sub continental 10th ICC Cricket World Cup which gets under way on the 19th of February.Incidentally Pakistan play their opening match in the tournament against Kenya on the 23rd.

Afridi, Shehzad, Akhtar, Ajmal, Razzaq and Kamran have all left for New Zealand ahead of the ODI series which commences on Saturday at 1am GMT and 6am PST. It will be held at Wellington. Your series predictions required? Mine: 4-2 PAKISTAN. Obviously really important and useful World Cup preparation. Hopefully Pakistan use this to their advantage. Looking forward to it. Series will conclude on the 5th of February at Auckland. Match dates include 22nd, 26th, 29th, 1st, 3rd and 5th.