Pak v SL (T20I) Nov. 25 Hihghlights -- Pakistan finishes off the series in style winning the only T20I by 5 wickets

ABU DHABI, UAE (Nov. 26) - Pakistan finishes the series against Sri Lanka in a great style winning the single Twenty20 International by 5 wickets after a nail-biting fight today (Fri-Sat, Nov. 25-26) here at Sheikh Zayed Cricket Stadium Abu Dhabi.

Pakistan won the single T20I against Sri Lanka by 5 wickets

Batting first after winning the toss and opting to bat first; Sri Lanka got a flying start courtesy to some blazing batting by skipper Tillakaratne Dilshan (28) and Upul Tharanga (12). At one stage Sri Lanka was poised to post a huge total around 180 when they were 87/3 in 9.2 overs. But they lost their way afterwards due to some superb bowling by Pakistani bowlers and all the team sent back to pavilion on just 141.

Dinesh Chandimal played a sparkling knock of 56 runs off 4 balls. Pakistan’s right-arm medium pacer Aizaz Cheema claimed four wickets and three of them were in a single over when he picked up Dinesh Chandimal, Thissara Perera, and Lasith Malinga in 19th over. Umar Gul bagged the last two wickets in final over of Sri Lanka innings and Sri Lanka out for 141 with 3 balls to spare. Saeed Ajmal and Muhammad Hafeez also shared apiece each.

Chasing a relatively easy total Pakistan put themselves in a trouble when Imran Farhat (19) and Umar Akmal (0) threw their wickets for some irresponsible shot selection. Muhammad Hafeez (13) fell prey to an ill-sighted LBW decision by umpire. The TV replays show that ball was clearly going the top of middle-n-off stumps.

Shahid Afridi BOOM BOOM with 2 super sixes and make 22 runs off 15 balls while skipper Misbah-ul-Haq (48) and Asad Shafiq (33) plyed responsible innings and stabilized the innings after the quick fall of Imran Farhat and Umar Akmal.

Pakistan has already one Test series by 1-0 and ODI series by 4-1; thus finishes the tour in great style winning the lone T20I by 5 wickets.

Watch highlights of the final moments below:

Pakistan v Sri Lanka (5th ODI): Live From Abu Dhabi -- Score Updates, Match Preview and Squads

Shahid Afridi: Man of the Match in 4th ODI against Sri Lanka

ABU DHABI, UAE (Nov. 23) – Pakistan will take on Sri Lanka in the final One Day International (ODI) of 5-match series today at Sheikh Zayed Stadium, Abu Dhabi. 


Pakistan has an unassailable 3-1 lead in the one-day series with the fifth and final match to be played today (Wednesday, Nov. 23). With the last victory Pakistan has improved their ODI ranking to fifth spot.

The last match is crucial in the sense that to maintain the fifth position in international ODI ranking Pakistan have to win the last match and if Pakistan lose the match they will slip to the sixth spot.

Fourth ODI proved to be all-Afridi match as he played a brilliant innings of 75 runs and then crushed Sri Lankan batting line-up with some superb bowling. He claimed 5 wickets in this match. Only 15 players have scored more than 50 runs and claimed 5 or more wickets in the same ODI match; but Shahid Afridi is the only one who has done it twice.

The media reports suggest that Pakistan coach Mohsin Khan wanted to rest the star all rounder Shahid Afridi and few more experienced players to try few new faces for the final ODI against Sri Lanka.

On the other hand Sri Lanka will definitely try to better their final score-line by winning the final ODI against Pakistan. They will certainly come with full force to win the final match; but injured middle-order batsman Mahela Jayawardene has been ruled out of Sri Lanka's last two matches, including a Twenty20 International, against Pakistan and returned home, team manager Anura Tennekoon said on Tuesday.

Probable squads for the both teams are given below:

Pakistan squad

Misbah-ul-Haq*, Abdul Razzaq, Abdur Rehman, Aizaz Cheema, Asad Shafiq, Imran Farhat, Junaid Khan, Mohammad Hafeez, Saeed Ajmal, Sarfraz Ahmed†, Shahid Afridi, Shoaib Malik, Sohail Tanvir, Umar Akmal, Umar Gul, Younis Khan

Sri Lanka squad

TM Dilshan*, AD Mathews, LD Chandimal†, CRD Fernando, DPMD Jayawardene, S Randiv, FDM Karunaratne, CKB Kulasekara, SL Malinga, BMAJ Mendis, NLTC Perera, S Prasanna, KC Sangakkara†, LPC Silva, WU Tharanga, UWMBCA Welegedara

Watch live score updates ……..On ESPNcricinfo. 

Pakistan vs. Sri Lanka (3rd ODI) Live from Dubai -- Live Score and Probable Squads

DUBAI (Nov. 18) - Sri Lanka tour of United Arab Emirates, 3rd ODI: Pakistan v Sri Lanka at Dubai (DSC), Nov 18, 2011

Pakistan vs. Sri Lanka (3rd ODI) Live from Dubai 

Pakistan vs Sri Lanka, 3rd ODI

Sri Lanka in Pakistan 2011

Fri, Nov 18 2011, 16:00

Dubai Sports City Cricket Stadium, Dubai

Five-match ODI series is tied with 1-1 after a great comeback by Lankans in the second match at the same venue. 

Pakistan squad

Misbah-ul-Haq*, Abdul Razzaq, Abdur Rehman, Aizaz Cheema, Asad Shafiq, Imran Farhat, Junaid Khan, Mohammad Hafeez, Saeed Ajmal, Sarfraz Ahmed†, Shahid Afridi, Shoaib Malik, Sohail Tanvir, Umar Akmal, Umar Gul, Younis Khan

Sri Lanka squad

TM Dilshan*, AD Mathews, LD Chandimal†, CRD Fernando, DPMD Jayawardene, S Randiv, FDM Karunaratne, CKB Kulasekara, SL Malinga, BMAJ Mendis, NLTC Perera, S Prasanna, KC Sangakkara†, WU Tharanga, UWMBCA Welegedara

watch live score updates ........... HERE.

Pakistan v Sri Lanka (2nd ODI): Live From Dubai -- Upul Tharanga's 77-run Innings Helped Sri Lanka to Get 235/7

DUBAI (Nov. 14) – First innings of the second One Day International (ODI) between Pakistan and Sri Lanka is finished at Dubai Sports City Cricket Stadium, Dubai and Sri Lanka has given a target of 236 runs losing 7 wickets.

Upul Tharanga's gritty half-century guided Sri Lanka's slow progress in the second ODI in Dubai

Quick glimpses of the Sri Lankan batting:

• Upul Tharanga scored slow but steady 77 runs off 120 balls and provided a solid start to his team.

• Mahela Jayawerdene also played a handy knock of 50 runs off 57 balls.

• Jeevan Mendis and Thissara Perera shared a quick firework at the end of the innings collectively scoring 23 runs off 10 balls.

Quick glimpses of the Pakistan bowling:

• Saeed Ajmal picked up three wickets in his 10 overs conceding 61 runs (Avg. 6.1 runs per over)

• Shahid Afridi claimed two wickets in his 10 overs with economy rate of just 3.5 runs per over.

• Aizaz Cheema and Abdur Razzaq shared a piece each with economy rates of 7.0 and 2.57 respectively.

Live Score Updates ........ HERE

Live Commentary ........ HERE

Pakistan v Sri Lanka (2nd ODI): Live From Dubai -- Live Score, Pitch report, Toss Report and Squads

DUBAI (Nov. 14) – The second One Day International (ODI) between pakistan and Sri Lanka is just about to kick off at Dubai Sports City Cricket Stadium, Dubai.

Pakistan v Sri Lanka (2nd ODI): Live From Dubai

According to latest updates from field; Sri Lanka is batting on 8/0 in 1.3 overs after winning the toss and decided to bat first. They had paid huge price of some irresponsible batting in the first ODI getting out off jus 131, batting first as well after winning the toss.

Lankans will definitely try to come back strong and prove a point batting first again today. On the other hand Pakistan will try utmost to strengthen their authority after winning Test series.

Pitch Report: Russel Arnold reckons that 250-260 will be a good score on this wicket. The wicket looks a lot drier and the ball will come onto the bat.

Final squads are given below:

Pakistan team

Mohammad Hafeez, Imran Farhat, Younis Khan, Misbah-ul-Haq*, Umar Akmal, Shahid Afridi, Abdul Razzaq, Sarfraz Ahmed†, Umar Gul, Aizaz Cheema, Saeed Ajmal

Sri Lanka team

WU Tharanga, TM Dilshan*, KC Sangakkara†, LD Chandimal, DPMD Jayawardene, AD Mathews, BMAJ Mendis, NLTC Perera, S Prasanna, SL Malinga, CRD Fernando

Live Score Updates ........ HERE

Live Commentary ........ HERE

Spot-fixing Saga Continues: Muhammad Asif and Salman Butt to Challenge Their Conviction

Spot-fixing Case Updates: Salman Butt and Muhammad Asif have already shown their intentions to challenge the verdict passed by London superior court.

Tainted Trio and Bookie Mazhar Majeed

"We are considering an appeal against conviction, not sentence," a representative of Asif's legal team was quoted as saying by a cricket website.

The spot-fixing case ended, after 20-day of continuous hearings, on Thursday with former Test captain Salman Butt and pacers Mohammad Asif and Mohammad Amir being sentenced varying jail terms.



Muhammad Asif was pleaded guilty of bowling a no-ball, on specific time set by bookies in advance, in the Lord's Test against England last year, after taking money from convicted bookie Mazhar Majeed, who was sentenced to 32 months in prison.


Asif refuted the allegations against him and his lawyers maintained that no money was ever recovered from him. Now Asif's lawyers are set to appeal against his conviction in the spot-fixing scam and, if successful, it could lead to his release from prison.

On the other hand, Upset with the Pakistan Cricket Board’s tackling of the spot-fixing case at the end of which led to three of country’s cricketers were sentenced jail terms by the UK court, Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari has advised PCB to provide all required legal help to the tainted trio.

Interior Minister Rehman Malik said president Zardari, also the patron-in-chief of the PCB, is annoyed with the way the matter was handled with by the Board. Malik said that he had briefed the president on the trial and sentences handed to the three players.


Now only the time will tell how PCB will react to the worsened conditions, after instructions from Zardari, under the newly appointed chairman Zaka Ashraf.

Salman Butt, Muhammad Amir and Muhammad Asif Sentenced 30-month, 6-month and 12-month Jail Terms Today

LONDON (Nov 03) – Former Pakistan captain Salman Butt and two of his teammates, pacers Muhammad Asif and Muhammad Amir, were today sentenced jail terms from 6 months to 30 months after being found guilty of spot-fixing, making them the first cricketers ever to be imprisoned for corruption.

Salman Butt (L) and Muhammad Aisf (R) Facing Possible Jail Term after Found Guilty in Spot-fixing Case

Butt was sentenced to two and a half years, Asif was handed a one-year term, while the 19-year-old Amir was sentenced to six months of prison time by the Southwark Crown Court here.


Reported earlier today ....


Three of Pakistani cricketers, involved in the most serious sports’ corruption scandal in more than a decade, will know their fate today (Thursday, Nov. 03) as the court finished hearing yesterday.

Former Pakistani test captain Salman Butt and fast bowlers Muhammad Asif and Muhammad Amir were found guilty of spot fixing during a test match against England in 2010. Aisf and Amir bowled deliberate no-balls during the match on the stipulated timings set by so-called sports’ agent Mazhar Majeed, who pleaded guilty to the charges before the trial along with Muhammad Amir.

Salman Butt and Muhammad Asif have continuously been denying the allegations of spot-fixing, but both were found guilty on Tuesday of conspiracy to cheat and conspiracy to accept corrupt payments. Now they are facing possible 7-year jail term.

On Wednesday, Judge Jeremy Cooke spent the day in court listening the final explanatory statements from the lawyers of all three cricketers on behalf of players. Cooke will consider the case overnight before delivering his final verdict about sentences at London's Southwark Crown Court at 10 a.m. local time Thursday.

Salman Butt had not eaten or slept for 24 hours since his guilty verdict was handed down on Tuesday, an hour after his second son was born in Pakistan, said his lawyer Ali Bajwa. In his final statement Butt plead to the judge not to send him to jail because he didn't want his family to suffer any more.  

The apologetic final statement of 19-year-old Muhammad Amir read out by his lawyer Henry Blaxland, in which he said sorry to Pakistani nation and all cricketing fans for damaging the repute of the game due to his own stupidity. According to his statement, he never wanted the money for his act but he was trapped and done the wrongful due to his own silliness.

In the end Muhammad Asif's lawyer, Alexander Milne, said his client was now "a broken man" who was dishonored in his homeland and should have the chance to go back home and set about fixing his humiliated status.