Pakistan cheer cricket revival
> First T20 match played since 2009 militant attack <
PAKISTAN YESTERDAY took a giant step towards reviving international cricket at home with a 20-run victory over the World XI in a match before excited crowds amid tight security.
The Twenty20 match, accorded international status by the International Cricket Council, is the first game of only the second series Pakistan has hosted since militants attacked the bus of the visiting Sri Lankan team in March 2009, killing eight people and injuring seven players and staff.
Long before it began at midnight Malaysian time, , around 9,000 police officers and paramilitary forces were deployed to the area, cordoning off the team’s hotels and stadium.
But the large security presence did little to temper the enthusiasm of fans in the cricket-mad country.
“I came here early to watch the teams come but that was not possible due to security so I only watched them in the ground and it made my day,” said spectator Azfar Ali.
Pakistan, sent into bat by World XI skipper Faf du Plessis, notched 197- 5 with Babar Azam hitting a rapid 52-ball 86. His career best Twenty20 score had ten boundaries and two sixes. Azam added 122 for the second wicket with Ahmed Shehzad (39) as Pakistan built on the loss of opener Fakhar Zaman for eight. Shoaib Malik smashed a 20-ball 38 with two sixes and four boundaries to give the final touches to the innings. The World XI started off well with Tamim Iqbal hitting 18 with three boundaries and Hashim Amla smashing three boundaries and a six in his 17-ball 26 but left-arm pacer Rumman Raees (pix) dismissed both in the same over to put the brakes on their innings. Skipper Faf du Plessis hit four boundaries and a six while Darren Sammy smashed three sixes -- both scoring 29 – but were unable to see their team through. For Pakistan, paceman Sohail Khan and leg-spinner Shadab Khan finished with two wickets apiece. World XI skipper du Plessis blamed his dismissal for the team’s loss. “I needed to get a 50 or 60 for us to win,” he said, adding that it was “great to play in front of the Pakistani fans”. Pakistan captain Sarfraz Ahmed thanked the crowd. “It was a historic occasion and I thank the crowd for coming in good numbers,” said Sarfraz. “It was a very important match and I think no praise is too high for our players, especially Azam.” Pakistan hopes the series will showcase an improved security situation as it seeks to entice other foreign opponents. Sri Lanka are due to play a Twenty20 in October, and will be followed by the West Indies who are due to play a mini-series of three Twenty20s in November. – AFP Roger Federer in the Australian Open final. “If he can stay as healthy as he is now, without injury, motivated, looking after himself the way he is, we will be talking about Rafa for years to come,” Moya told the ATP Tour website (www. atpworldtour.com). “He is a player who broke records as a teenager and who is now breaking them as a veteran as well. This is something we haven’t see much in the history of tennis. When I joined the team I knew that there was much more to come for Rafa, that if he stayed injury free and continued training with the same motivation, desire and confidence, that the tennis would come. He always gives the best of himself. We are talking about one of the greatest players in history and, as such, my faith in him is rock solid.”