Broad relishing the challenge

England's Twenty20 defeat to Pakistan at Bristol, on Monday, means they have yet to win a limited overs match against serious opposition this summer. Their lone success came against Ireland, in the warm-up to their series against Sri Lanka, but even that included the warning signs of what was to come.

Their 5-0 whitewash to Sri Lanka included some of the worst bowling England have produced for a long while. They now have another five matches against Pakistan, who are even more daunting opposition as Shahid Afridi amply demonstrated in the Twenty20. The selectors have opted for a new collection of bowlers, with one-day recalls for Darren Gough and Jon Lewis, but they are now without the services of Steve Harmison - ruled out with a back problem.

However, the brightest spot of the five-wicket defeat in the Twenty20 was the performance from one of England's newcomers, Stuart Broad. His rise into the international ranks has been widely expected throughout the season. It gathered pace while his compatriots were flayed to all parts earlier in the summer as he was taking domestic cricket by storm. His first taste of the big time could not have started any better as he removed Shoaib Malik and Younis Khan in two balls.

"It was superb, it was nice to get my first wicket and to get Younis [Khan] next ball was great," he told Sky Sports News as England prepared for the opening ODI at Cardiff. "I was excited before the game and when I got into it I was really enjoying it. To get a couple of wickets on my debut, I was over the moon."

After his 2 for 35 at Bristol he was pushing his claims for a start in the ODIs, but that has now been virtually rubber-stamped by the withdrawl of Harmison. "The injury to Steve is very sad but he will come back fighting fit," he said. "The opportunities are there for me and hopefully if I get a chance I can do well and enjoy it."

With such an impressive debut thoughts have inevitably turned to Broad boarding the plane to Australia, with his new team-mate Darren Gough among those tipping him for a bright future. "He's playing for an Ashes place so he'll be champing at the bit to prove he can perform at that level," said Gough. "I would take him as a 17th person - even if he's the 17th of a 16-man party - and if he keeps improving then he'll take plenty of wickets."

However, Broad is not getting carried away: "I'm not setting targets, I just want to perform to my best in each game. I just try to take wickets wherever I bowl and try to enjoy it. The rest will take care of itself. To play in the Ashes would be a dream come true. Going on an Ashes tour at such a young age would be brilliant and a great learning experience but I'll let the selectors make the decision."

Pakistan are likely to field an unchanged team at Cardiff and Shoaib Akhtar, who returned to international action in the Twenty20, has an ominous warning for England. "Now we have a first-choice side, we are back on track, we have the bowlers back so we should be making our way towards a winning squad," he said. "The first two one-dayers will set the tune for us. I think we are a great one-day side and it will be a tough series for England."

England (probable) 1 Marcus Trescothick, 2 Ian Bell, 3 Kevin Pietersen, 4 Andrew Strauss (capt), 5 Paul Collingwood, 6 Jamie Dalrymple, 7 Michael Yardy, 8 Chris Read (wk), 9 Sajid Mahmood, 10 Stuart Broad, 11 Darren Gough.

Pakistan (probable) 1 Shoaib Malik, 2 Mohammad Hafeez, 3 Younis Khan, 4 Mohammad Yousuf, 5 Inzamam-ul-Haq (capt), 6 Shahid Afridi, 7 Abdul Razzaq, 8 Kamran Akmal (wk), 9 Rana Naved-ul-Hasan, 10 Shoaib Akhtar, 11 Mohammad Asif.
http://content-uk.cricinfo.com/engvp...ry/258133.html

__________________
[I]Mohsin. Z. Butt[/I]
[B]Then which of the Blessings of your Lord will you deny???[/B] : Surah Rehman.
[B]"Those who imitate a nation,is then one of them"[/B] : Muhammad Sallallahu Alayhi Wasallam

England attempt to end losing run

One-day international, Sophia Gardens: England v Pakistan (50 overs)
Match starts Wednesday 1430 BST

England will seek to halt an alarming losing run when the five-match one-day series against Pakistan begins with a day/night game in Cardiff on Wednesday.

The team has won only five of the last 20 one-day matches and are eighth in the ICC table, with only Zimbabwe, Bangladesh and Kenya below them.

"We need to raise our game in all areas by 10-15%," Marcus Trescothick said.

"Batters need more runs and bowlers need wickets, it is obvious, but it is not just one thing we need to look at."
Even the few victories achieved by England recently have not been of the highest calibre, one against Ireland and others when series had already been lost against Pakistan and India.

England's new-ball attack was flayed to all corners earlier in the summer by Sri Lanka, who completed a 5-0 one-day series whitewash.

But the pairing of recalled Darren Gough and debutant Stuart Broad looked more capable in the Twenty20 match against Pakistan at Bristol on Monday, even though they could not prevent another defeat.

Trescothick, the only current England player other than Gough to play more than 100 one-day matches, was impressed with 20-year-old Leicestershire paceman Broad, who took 2-35 from his four overs.

"It was a good start to an international career," the left-handed opener said. "The way he approached it and the fashion in which he bowled showed that he has definitely got something."

In-form Sussex all-rounder Michael Yardy also enjoyed a promising debut, scoring a quickfire 24, taking 1-20 and pouching an outstanding diving catch in the deep.

"They have both been really quiet over the last couple of days," Trescothick said of the debutants.

"But over the next fortnight they will come out of their shells a little bit."

Steve Harmison, who has played only 44 one-day internationals since making his debut against Sri Lanka in December 2002, will miss the series because of a troublesome back injury.

But Pakistan fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar is back after six months out with a stress fracture.

He played in the Twenty20 win on Monday, taking the wicket of Ian Bell, and has threatened to crank up his speed in the one-day series.

"It's never easy after six months out for a fast bowler - I never thought it would be - but at least I ran in without a niggle," said Shoaib.

"They will come and go over the next week or two but I need to keep going and get the rhythm back. I will get to the top speed whenever it is needed."
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/cric...nd/5294764.stm

__________________
[I]Mohsin. Z. Butt[/I]
[B]Then which of the Blessings of your Lord will you deny???[/B] : Surah Rehman.
[B]"Those who imitate a nation,is then one of them"[/B] : Muhammad Sallallahu Alayhi Wasallam

Aaaaah, can't beleive the match is tomorrow!
Thanks for posting match thread. Whoa.
ONE DAY MATCH TOMORROW, NO INJURIES! IT STARTS WHEN I FINISH SCHOOL! I JUST WAN'T TO CRY!!!!!!!!!!!

JEETEGHA BHAI JEETEGHA, PAKISTAN JEETEGHA!!!!!!!!

what time would it start
i know that its day & night match but what time that would be?

Match is starting on 5:30 PM UAE time.. and 6:30 Pakistani standard time...

i think the match will begin 9:30 AM EST

yeah..its 9:30 am
thanks waqas and thecricketcritic

Here it Goes this is Confirmed !!

Next Match
1st ODI
Pakistan v England
13:30 GMT, 30 Aug 2006

So...its a day nighter?


Well, it's a good finish of our summer holidays here in Germany. It will be the last holidays-day 6 weeks holidays over..



RealPk

pls delete this post

Yup its a day-night... Starts at around 2.30 pm in UK..

oh that's good it's a day-night game as I'm buzy on morning...

__________________
“Better to die on one's feet than to live on one's knees”

After looking at the dates of the remaining matches of Pakistan http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/cric...cs/4628267.stm it's obvious that ECB has made heads with nails as they decided to declare only matches on weekend as non day nighters.

Means, if there are matches during the workdays it will be a day nighter, just for your information for the coming weeks .



RealPk

mohammad hafeez will score a hundred tomorrow

Well guys we are all optismistic inshallah, and i hope pakistan take at all thier fistration from the test defeat into these 5 ODI's, and unleash on england like a hungry tiger. I know that i am still angry at the test defeat. And that anger and fustration won't be over until pakistan claim this ODI series CONVINCINGLY! and in STYLE, My prayers are with the team i hope all of you guys are.

About the pitch, now as we saw last year bangladesh chased down 250 against australia on the cardiff pitch, so that tells you its going to be a belter.
However this is a day night match, so there will be a slight disadvantage to the team batting second under lights, i suggest pakistan bat first and post a very healthy total, although we have done very well chasing, but we have never chased under lights in recent times. So lets just see what happens.

Allah knows best.

All praise b to allah subhanna wa ta allah.

__________________
[I]Mohsin. Z. Butt[/I]
[B]Then which of the Blessings of your Lord will you deny???[/B] : Surah Rehman.
[B]"Those who imitate a nation,is then one of them"[/B] : Muhammad Sallallahu Alayhi Wasallam