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Shane Watson and Ajinkya Rahane made light work of Chennai Super Kings’ 156 for 4, each hitting sparkling seventies in a breezy 144-run stand to maintain Rajasthan Royals’ winning streak

The Report by Andrew Fidel Fernando19-Apr-2015Rajasthan Royals 157 for 2 (Rahane 76*, Watson 73) beat Chennai Super Kings 156 for 4 (Bravo 62*, Smith 40) by eight wickets
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsShane Watson and Ajinkya Rahane hardly broke a sweat during Royals’ chase•BCCIShane Watson and Ajinkya Rahane made light work of Chennai Super Kings’ 156 for 4, each hitting sparkling seventies in a breezy 144-run stand. The eight-wicket victory also embedded Rajasthan Royals at the top of the table. They have five wins out of five this season, and have now comfortably beaten the only other team that had been undefeated until today.This despite Watson having lost the toss on a sweltering Ahmedabad afternoon. Having assumed the captaincy in his first match this season, his bowlers delivered him four wickets and an excellent economy rate in the first 10 overs. Dwayne Bravo slammed a 36-ball 62 to help the visitors recover, but even though he and MS Dhoni could not be parted, Dhoni’s stuttering 37-ball 31 weighed down the partnership. Their eventual score seemed at least 15 runs too short.Watson was brutish and bullying at the top of Royals’ chase, and Rahane light and flowing. Rahane’s first boundaries were gorgeous drives down the ground, and right through his unbeaten 76 off 55, he never seemed to over-hit a ball. The languid six over midwicket off Mohit Sharma was a particular highlight. He was rarely troubled by the Super Kings bowling all evening, and found singles and twos into the outfield with ease.His opening partner was less pretty, but no less effective. Watson repeatedly backed away towards leg to blast balls through the offside, and when the spinners came on, used that powerful slog sweep with abandon. He reached fifty off 34 balls by clobbering Bravo over long on, then hit two more fours. He was bowled with 13 runs to get, but effectively, the match was already won.In his first five overs as captain in this IPL season, Watson was like a man clicking through his revolver in search of the loaded chambers. He opened the bowling with the left-arm spin of Ankit Sharma, switched to the seam of Chris Morris next, brought in Pravin Tambe the following over, then went to Deepak Hooda and James Faulkner for the fourth and fifth overs respectively. Only the wicket of Brendon McCullum fell in those five varied overs, but in them, Royals had set the tone.Morris had Suresh Raina caught behind with an angled delivery that bounced higher than the batsman expected in the sixth over, and by the end of the Powerplay, Super Kings had been kept to 39 for 2.The wickets kept falling, partly because Super Kings were attempting to lift the pace of the innings. Ankit had Faf du Plessis caught nicely by Morris at the long off fence for one. A few overs later, James Faulkner pegged back the middle stump of Dwayne Smith, as the batsman attempted to swing across the line.When Bravo and Dhoni were joined at 65 for 4 in the 10th over, the pair were forced to rein in their aggression for several overs, while the innings was girded up again. Bravo cracked two successive square boundaries – one on either side of the wicket – off Watson in the 12th over, but both batsmen were more reserved against spin to begin with. The pitch didn’t offer substantial turn off the straight, but Tambe was typically miserly in his first three overs. Morris and Faulkner bowled tightly throughout the innings as well.Though Bravo began to launch the late-overs assault around the 16th over, Dhoni remained oddly inert. His timing had visibly been poor early in his innings, but even in the death overs, where he ordinarily comes into his own, he continued to mishit balls, collecting singles when he wanted sixes. Bravo smoked two fours and a six over cow corner off Tambe’s 18th over to draw near his fifty, which he completed in 29 balls. But with Dhoni so out of touch, Super Kings could only trot in those final overs. As they did not lose a wicket, their lower-order hitters went unused.

MatériaMais Notícias

O Botafogo pode ter um problema para enfrentar o Internacional, no próximo sábado, no Beira-Rio, às 21h, pela 17ª rodada do Campeonato Brasileiro. Mais uma vez, Rodrigo Pimpão não apareceu para treinar no campo anexo do Estádio Nilton Santos por conta de dores no pé direito. O atacante limitou-se à academia na atividade realizada nesta quinta-feira.

O atacante saiu do treinamento da última quarta-feira mais cedo, sentindo dores no pé direito. Pelo visto, Rodrigo Pimpão ainda não recuperou sua condição de jogo e, sem entrar em campo para participar da atividade, coloca sua presença para o compromisso contra o Internacional sob dúvidas. A presença do camisa 17 na partida do Rio Grande do Sul não está garantida.

Enquanto Rodrigo Pimpão esteve na academia, Eduardo Barroca realizou o penúltimo treino antes do duelo contra o Internacional. Após o aquecimento, o treinador focou em um trabalho com campo reduzido. Logo depois, voltou a realizar um coletivo com as dimensões normais do campo – nesta, o destaque foi Diego Souza, testado como meio-campista em parte da atividade.

Rodrigo Pimpão, inclusive, também foi desfalque no empate sem gols com a Chapecoense, na última segunda-feira, também por dores musculares. Para o lugar do experiente atacante, Eduardo Barroca deu uma oportunidade para o jovem Lucas Campos iniciar o duelo – o que deve voltar a acontecer caso o camisa 17 realmente não tenha condições de jogo.

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MatériaMais Notícias

A montagem do Internacional pensando no primeiro jogo da semifinal da Copa do Brasil frente ao Cruzeiro no Mineirão não deve ter grandes alterações em relação ao time consolidado como titular na visão de Odair Hellmann. Todavia, ainda existe um ponto de dúvida na montagem do meio-campo quando o assunto é Rodrigo Lindoso.

Ele seria a entrada natural no setor pelo fato de que D’Alessandro, expulso no jogo da volta contra o Palmeiras no Beira-Rio, é desfalque certo.

Todavia, como sua recuperação de entorse no tornozelo ainda carece de maior segurança pensando em ser escalado, a tendência é que essa dúvida seja carregada até minutos antes da divulgação oficial da escalação para a próxima quarta-feira (7).

RelacionadasInternacionalSobis lamenta a baixa produção do Internacional no MaracanãInternacional03/08/2019BrasileirãoFim de jejum! Fluminense vence o Inter e dorme fora do Z4 no BrasileiroBrasileirão03/08/2019Bridgestone LibertadoresConmebol divulga datas e horários das quartas de final da LibertadoresBridgestone Libertadores02/08/2019

A entrada de Lindoso, pensando na manutenção do esquema tático, seria aquela que teria menor impacto caso ele seja confirmado no 11 inicial.

No entanto, se o meio-campista ex-Botafogo não tiver condições, Rithely e Nonato podem ganhar oportunidades para agregar poder de marcação e mobilidade ao Colorado ou até mesmo Rafael Sobis, modificando a formatação para um tridente ofensivo ao lado de Guerrero e Nico López.

Aproveitando o fato de estar mais próximo geograficamente a Minas Gerais por ter vindo enfrentar o Fluminense no Maracanã, o Inter permaneceu em solo carioca e ainda faz mais um treinamento com portões fechados nessa segunda-feira (5) antes de ir para Belo Horizonte.

Like Frank Watson and Harry Pilling from earlier eras in Lancashire’s history, Ashwell Prince’s skills are not those to delight cricket’s aesthete. But who cares?

Paul Edwards at Old Trafford17-Aug-2014
ScorecardAshwell Prince’s hundred gave Lancashire a useful lead•Getty Images

Like Frank Watson and Harry Pilling from earlier eras in Lancashire’s history, Ashwell Prince’s skills are not those to delight cricket’s aesthete. But who cares? It does nothing to limit his effectiveness or reduce his popularity. Home supporters huddled under The Point on a windy, damp Sunday at Old Trafford could not claim Prince as one of their own – he was born in Port Elizabeth rather than Warrington’s Watson or Ashton-under-Lyne’s Pilling – but they could admire his phlegmatic approach, his hard-wired technique, his undimmable courage.Those strengths were on view again on the third day of the game against Durham as Prince piloted his team to a lead of 81 with his third Championship century of the season. The value of that 204-ball effort can be gauged a little by the fact that it took Lancashire to only their third first-innings lead of the season in 13 matches.Rather more useful, though, was the opportunity it created for slow left-armer Simon Kerrigan to bowl into the rough which is under the noses of the five left-handers among Durham’s top seven batsmen. In his seven overs on Sunday evening Kerrigan removed only Mark Stoneman, caught at short leg by Steven Croft for 29, but there was sufficient bounce and turn to encourage the Lancashire spinner going into the final three sessions of this game when even a Durham victory cannot be ruled out on what is more or less a seventh-day pitch.Prince’s century on Sunday was all the more admirable given that he had begun his innings seven times, such was the frequency of the showers which gusted across Old Trafford from the west and sent the cricketers scampering back to the warmth and isotonic security of the changing room. Indeed, the performances of all the players were admirable this wind-blown Sunday when even the batsmen found it tough to find rhythm or balance.Play was interrupted three times in the first session and thrice also in the afternoon with some of the rain gusts so brief that the cricketers had no sooner scurried off than they had to return. In the morning’s play Tom Smith hit eight boundaries, most of them sweetly-driven affairs off Scott Borthwick and played by a man for whom cricket has become a most agreeable pursuit this summer. Indeed, Smith outscored his partner more than two to one in making 44 and looked set for a seventh first-class fifty when he drove John Hastings to Calum MacLeod in the gully.Having lost one free-scoring partner, Prince was no doubt content to acquire another in Stephen Parry, who made a career-best 37 off 55 balls against the county whose attack he once faced as a Lancashire opener in only his third first-class match back in 2009. By mid- afternoon successive 60-plus partnerships had given Lancashire a useful 40-run lead, but further progress was prevented by the torrential wind-driven showers which powered across Old Trafford.Within a few moments or so the hover-cover was protecting the pitch but the placement of sheets on the rest of the square proved devilishly difficult. For several minutes the groundstaff struggled against the gales and rain like the men patrolling Barnegat in Walt Whitman’s famous poem, the canvasses billowing around them as they strove to tame nature and were forced to wait until the elements tolerated such control.When play resumed Prince reached his century with a pulled four off Borthwick but was bowled off the inside edge by Hastings in the next over. Glen Chapple and Tom Bailey then added a cheery 37 for the ninth wicket in half an hour but Hastings and Ben Stokes wrapped up the innings in four balls, the Australian completing a whole-hearted 28-over effort by having Bailey edge a lifting delivery to Mustard.Hastings ended the innings with 4 for 78 while Borthwick sent down more overs in an innings – 49 for 158 runs – than any Durham bowler since 1998. Given the precision required to purvey leg-spin and the conditions in which the 24-year-old was required to do so, it was rather admirable that he went for a little more three runs an over. Like Prince, a cricketer 13 years his senior, Borthwick can therefore review his day with some pride, even if it is the South African 40th first-class century that captures the headlines.

Match facts

Tuesday, May 20, 2014
Start time 2000 local (1430 GMT)

Big Picture

A run of four victories have lifted Kolkata Knight Riders to a decent position amid the mad scramble for the final playoff spot and similar success over Chennai Super Kings, who are almost assured of progress, would bolster their case immensely.Chasing has become Knight Riders’ strength since reworking their personnel and batting order. It might well be their preferred route forward in the wake of Super Kings’ relentless batting line-up, tying them down at Eden Gardens with their assortment of spinners. There are indications that it might work: Suresh Raina stumbled to a half-century and his team-mates could not decipher a slow turner in Ranchi and lost “10 runs if not more” in the death according to MS Dhoni.However, the Super Kings captain was unconcerned with the defeat. They have enough bowling resources to exploit spin-friendly pitches, and it was on show as they ran Royal Challengers Bangalore close on Sunday, and batting malfunctions are relatively rare. The openers’ failure was a contributing factor and Brendon McCullum, briefly returning home for the birth of his child, will hope to fly out on a winning note.Knight Riders’ middle order fails in inspiring the same confidence as their Sunil Narine-led attack. Yusuf Pathan exploded in celebration after he fulfilled his role as a finisher against Sunrisers Hyderabad, hinting at the pressure he might have been under after another scratchy season. Though their bowlers have limited the oppositions to below 150 in three successive games, Knight Riders have needed their openers to do most of the work. Now is probably the best time for the middle order to shake off the rust that’s gathered.

Form guide

Kolkata Knight Riders: WWWWL (completed games, most recent first)
Chennai Super Kings: LWWLW

Where they stand

Kolkata Knight Riders: Fourth place, with 12 points from 11 games
Chennai Super Kings: Second, with 16 points from 11 games

Previous encounter

The two sides squared off on the IPL’s return to India and immediately spin took centrestage. Super Kings were in the midst of a ‘who’s the better opener’ competition and McCullum took the honours in Ranchi. His half-century set up a target of 149 in 17 overs after accommodating for rain. However, Knight Riders’ chase tanked against the accuracy of Ravindra Jadeja (4-12) and R Ashwin (1-21), who picked up three wickets in five balls inside the Powerplay to usher their side to a comfortable 34-run victory.

Watch out for

With pitches around the country wearing under the summer heat, Samuel Badree might expect to feature in the XI more regularly. He excels at limiting a batsman’s scoring areas and exploiting the pressure created to make inroads, but only two wickets in three games indicates he would do well to have Plans B, C and D in place.Shakib Al Hasan has the ability to clear most grounds and it has led him to attempt too many shots sometimes. A more sedate approach in the middle overs could foster more solidity lower down the order. Should he manage that, his value as an allrounder – his four overs strangle oppositions even in the Powerplay – will rise further.

Stats and trivia

• Knight Riders’s longest unbeaten streak is six wins in 2012
• Chennai Super Kings are the only team to have three players – Mohit Sharma, Jadeja and Ashwin – in the top-ten wicket-takers list this season

Quotes

“It is a great position to bat at since I get a chance to plan my innings and assess the situation better.”

أعلن جايمي باتشيكو المدير الفني لفريق نادي بيراميدز قائمة رحلة تركيا لخوض المعسكر الإعداد الخارجي استعدادًا للموسم الجديد.

وينطلق معسكر بيراميدز بداية من اليوم الجمعة ويستمر حتى 7 سبتمبر المقبل في مدينة أنطاليا على سواحل تركيا.

وكان بيراميدز قد احتل المركز الثاني في جدول ترتيب الدوري المصري عن الموسم الماضي، ليتأهل للمرة الأولى في تاريخه للمشاركة ببطولة دوري أبطال إفريقيا.

طالع | بيراميدز يواجه الجيش الرواندي في دور الـ32 من دوري أبطال إفريقيا قائمة بيراميدز في المعسكر الاعدادي استعدادا للموسم الجديد

حراسة المرمى: أحمد الشناوي – شريف إكرامي – يوسف نادر.

خط الدفاع: محمود مرعي – أحمد سامي – علي جبر – أسامة جلال – محمد الشيبي – محمد حمدي – أحمد فتحي – كريم حافظ.

خط الوسط: بلاتي توريه – رمضان صبحي – أحمد توفيق – محمد رضا بوبو – وليد الكرتي – عبد الله السعيد – سيف جعفر – يوسف أسامة نبيه – محمود صابر – إبراهيم عادل.

خط الهجوم: دودو الجباس – فيستون ماييلي – فخري لاكاي.

ومن المنتظر أن يلحق الثنائي مصطفى فتحي ومهند لاشين ببعثة الفريق في تركيا خلال الساعات المقبلة عقب إنهاء بعض الإجراءات الخاصة.

South Africa took a substantial lead and then prised out the Indian openers to take charge of the Kingsmead Test

The Report by Siddarth Ravindran29-Dec-2013
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
0:00

Manjrekar: Pujara, Kohli key for India

First session: 96 runs at 2.73 runs per over. Second session: 102 at 7.20. Third session: 73 at 1.91. The vastly varying scoring rates that Test cricket allows were on vivid display as the game meandered in the morning, before South Africa stepped on it post-lunch in search of a declaration, after which India’s batsmen put up a backs-to-the-wall display in the murky light at Kingsmead.Despite the fluctuating run-rates, it was a day on which South Africa progressively increased their advantage, first taking a substantial lead and then prising out the Indian openers. India face a fight for survival on the final day of the series.The morning was all about one man. Jacques Kallis slowly and steadily made his way to an emotional farewell century, his 45th in Test cricket, went past Rahul Dravid to become the third highest run-getter in Tests and gradually pushed India towards an unwinnable position.The sentiments involved were clearly evident early in the day itself, when nightwatchman Dale Steyn hugged Kallis after a miscommunication over a single. No South African wanted to be remembered as the person responsible for causing Kallis to be dismissed in his final Test, especially not before he reached a century.In that session, it seemed as if both teams were waiting for the other to make the play. South Africa weren’t playing with the intent of setting up a declaration, and India were content sitting back and limiting the runs with an increasingly ragged ball which was used for as long as 146 overs.The bowling was almost entirely about one man too. Ravindra Jadeja bowled unchanged for half the day in a marathon 25-over spell as he provided the control India were searching for. Jadeja also finally broke the stubborn 86-run partnership between Kallis and Steyn by getting Kallis to top edge a slog sweep and complete his five-for.Jacques Kallis celebrates a century in his final Test•Associated PressAs Kallis walked back, there were poignant scenes. The Sunday crowd saluted him with a standing ovation, the South African team greeted him with hugs outside the pavilion, and the captain Graeme Smith kissed him on his head.There wasn’t too much initiative from South Africa even after that dismissal, but a short rain break after lunch shook things up. Robin Peterson and Faf du Plessis came out looking to play the big shots, and in the first three overs they plundered 29 runs – almost as many had been made in 16 overs leading to lunch.India were clueless against the adventurous batsmen, and the flood of runs continued after the umpires finally forced a ball change midway through the session. Peterson galloped to a half-century off 44 balls, and the highlight of his innings was a stunning switch hit over the right-hander’s long-on for six. Du Plessis was marginally slower, playing more orthodox but equally eye-catching strokes – such as a gentle flick over mid-on off Mohammed Shami – and in little time the lead had ballooned past 150.Peterson perished going for another big hit to end a partnership of 110 off 108 balls, and the rains returned to cut the session short, giving time for Smith to mull over whether it was time to declare. The decision was taken out of his hands when play resumed as Jadeja ran to his right and dived to secure Morne Morkel’s leading edge to take six for the match and end the innings.That left India needing to bat out about two-and-a-half hours on the day. Steyn and Vernon Philander turned in a high-intensity spell with the new ball. Steyn harried the batsmen with the short ball but couldn’t get the breakthrough as he delivered 5-4-1-0. Philander had been ineffective in the first innings but had more impact this time as he set up Vijay perfectly – a series of short balls, followed by the fuller one which Vijay nicked through to slip after taking only half a step forward.Shikhar Dhawan, who has had a mediocre tour so far, survived the initial examination, constantly urging himself to concentrate, and leaving as many deliveries as he could. Cheteshwar Pujara was struck on the armpit with a vicious bouncer early on but slowly he gained a measure of the pitch.The light wasn’t great in the evening, but not so poor that they could come off with a significant chunk of the session still left to play. India would have wanted this on the first day when they were dominant, instead of today but Dhawan and Pujara were showing signs that they could make it through till stumps. That feeling grew as the umpires deemed that only spinners could bowl in the fading light.Dhawan though went for a big hit off Robin Peterson, only to see du Plessis at short midwicket pull off one of the catches of the year with a one-handed leaping effort. India’s best batsmen, Pujara and Virat Kohli, were in the middle at stumps, and how long their partnership lasts could determine the course of the match tomorrow.0:00

Cullinan: SA have played India out of the match

تحدث أولي هونيس الرئيس الفخري لنادي بايرن ميونخ الألماني، عن مستقبل لاعب الفريق، ألفونسو ديفيز.

وسُئل هونيس عن تصريحات وكيل ديفيز، التي أدلى بها في وقت سابق بشأن وجود عروض من عدة أندية للاعب النمساوي الدولي.

وقال هونيس في تصريحات لـ”Sport 1″ الألماني: “لم أسمع أي شيء من هذا القبيل من ديفيز، ليس لديه أي تأثير على ما يفعله الوكلاء لكسب أموالهم”.

وأضاف خلال تصريحاته: “أنا واثق من أنه سيبقى معنا لفترة طويلة، أنا هادئ تمامًا”.

وكان نيك هوشيه وكيل ديفيز علّق على محادثات تجديد عقد اللاعب مع بايرن ميونخ، موضحًا أن الطرفين كانا على وشك التوصل لاتفاق لكن توقف الأمر مع إقالة المدير العام أوليفر كان والمدير الرياضي حسن صالح حميديتش.

وصرّح حينها: “ربما يكون من الأفضل أن ننتظر حتى عام 2024 للتجديد ونرى كيف تتطور الأمور مع بايرن ميونخ قبل الانتقال إلى عقد جديد”.

وفيما يتعلق باهتمام ريال مدريد، أفاد وكيل ديفيز في تصريحاته السابقة: “لقد كنت دائمًا من أشد المعجبين بريال مدريد، كمشجع بشكل عام، أنت تعرف 14 لقبًا دوري أبطال أوروبا، تجعلك تشعر بالفخر عندما ترى شخصًا أنت وكيله مرتبطًا بريال مدريد”.

MatériaMais Notícias

Sem apresentar um futebol dinâmico, o Santos perdeu sua invencibilidade no Pacaembu nesta sexta-feira. No Pacaembu, o Peixe amargou o revés diante do Novorizontino por 1 a 0, pelo Campeonato Paulista. O treinador Jorge Sampaolo reconheceu a má atuação, porém ressaltou o esforço da equipe durante o duelo.

– Não ganhar incomoda sempre. Nessa sociedade, quem ganha é bom e quem perde é descartável. Eu valorizo mais do que o resultado, o esforço dos jovens. Tratam de mudar o jeito e defender a ideia. Hoje não conseguimos, mas esforço foi o mesmo – afirmou.

Mesmo com o revés, Jorge Sampaoli confirmou que a equipe não pode ser perder e manter rendimento durante Paulista e Copa do Brasil.

– Seguimos em formação, formando um grupo para chegar da melhor forma às definições do Paulista e Copa do Brasil e preparando para o Brasileirão, que é muito mais difícil. Esses eventos, dois jogos sem ganhar, não podem confundir a gente. Sabemos o caminho. Jogamos sem tanta superioridade como hoje, mas não ganhar gera uma análise de comodidade – disse.

Com a derrota, o Santos foi ultrapassado em um ponto pelo Red Bull. Na última rodada, o Peixe enfrentará o Botafogo, fora de casa. O RB visitará o Guarani. Ambos os jogos serão na quarta-feira.

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After Pakistan’s early exit from the Champions Trophy, the PCB has decided to extend the selection pool ahead of picking a squad for the upcoming tours of West Indies and Zimbabwe

Umar Farooq27-Jun-2013After Pakistan’s early exit from the Champions Trophy, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has decided to extend the selection pool of players and shift focus towards youngsters ahead of picking a squad for the upcoming tours of West Indies and Zimbabwe. Ten cricketers, including Shahid Afridi, underwent fitness tests conducted by a panel of doctors and coaches at the National Cricket Academy in Lahore.The change in leadership of the PCB, in the form of Najam Sethi for the suspended Zaka Ashraf, has seen a changed persona of the board. The new interim chairman publicly dismissed the culture of [unmerited recommendation] and ordered selection strictly on merit to produce immediate results. He asked the selection committee and coaches to take more responsibility from now on.The selections for the West Indies tour were nearly settled before the selection panel was given an additional five days by the board chairman, to justify each selection before sending it for approval. The panel, led by Iqbal Qasim, thereafter formed an extensive pool to be tested. The intentions are clear as selectors have been given a free hand to replace the older players with youngsters. They may now think beyond the likes of Imran Farhat, Shoaib Malik and Kamran Akmal, who fared poorly in the Champions Trophy.Haris Sohail, who suffered an ankle injury earlier this year, and Raza Hasan, who had major surgery on his spine, are back in contention, along with Umar Akmal and Ahmed Shahzad. Umar was also seen with the wicketkeeping gloves along with coach Dav Whatmore, which means he may be selected as the wicketkeeper in the squad. Mohammad Irfan and Nasir Jamshed, automatic selections over the last eight months, were also asked to undertake fitness tests. Top-order batsmen Sohaib Maqsood from Multan, Sharjeel Khan from Hyderabad, left-arm spinners Zulfiqar Babar and Abdur Rehman, and legspinner Usman Qadir, all featured in a three-hour fitness test.Pakistan suffered three straight defeats in the Champions Trophy with their batting being their major woe. They failed to cross 200 – bowled out for 170 against West Indies, 167 against South Africa and 165 in a rain-affected match against India to get eliminated from the group stage. Only captain Misbah-ul-Haq hit two half-centuries, while the other senior batsmen Mohammad Hafeez, Farhat, Malik and Kamran performed poorly.