World Cup 2007

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DON
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Post by DON » 01 Mar 2007, 12:37 pm

Worst News for Pakistan Team and Fans !! :( :( :(

Injuries finally force fast bowlers out

Shoaib and Asif out of the World Cup

Osman Samiuddin

March 1, 2007



Shoaib Akhtar and Mohammad Asif were withdrawn from the squad in the last minute, adding to Pakistan's woes © AFP



As had been expected for some time now, Shoaib Akhtar and Mohammad Asif were finally ruled out of Pakistan's World Cup squad, though the decision, farcically, came minutes before the team's departure to the Caribbean. Asif is down with an elbow injury while Shoaib is nursing a crocked knee.

"We have received their medical assessments and the players are physically unfit. Therefore we felt we shouldn't take them for such a big tournament," PJ Mir, the team spokesman told Cricinfo. "Their injuries will take time to heal so after selectors consulted Inzamam-ul-Haq the decision has been taken to not take them."

The pair will be replaced by fast bowler Mohammad Sami and allrounder Yasir Arafat. "Sami and Arafat will join the team in the Caribbean in a few days but we have to get clearance for them from the ICC's technical committee. Their names were decided by the captain and the selection committee together," Mir added, mindful perhaps of reports today speculating that the decision to name Azhar Mahmood as a replacement for Abdul Razzaq overlooked the selection committee altogether.

Though injuries remain the official reasons for their withdrawal it is understood that continuing doping-related concerns clinched the issue. The pair tested positive last year for Nandrolone in internal dope tests conducted just before the Champions Trophy got underway, but their bans were eventually overturned, much to the chagrin of the global cricket community.

Fears that traces of Nandrolone remained at unacceptably high levels in their bodies were enhanced as the pair, for varying reasons, avoided undergoing another PCB-conducted dope test, held last week for all members of Pakistan's World Cup squad. Only last week, an official close to the team had told Cricinfo that neither of the injuries were serious enough and if the pair didn't go, it would only be "over concerns with the doping issue", a thought confirmed once again today by an official. There was a threat that if the two tested positive again, either in internal tests or those conducted by the ICC, they would face stringent bans.

Whatever the reasons for their exclusion, the impact of their absence cannot be underestimated; Asif is one of cricket's most exciting young bowlers and Shoaib one of the game's fastest. Inzamam acknowledged to reporters that losing the two, and the uncertainty surrounding them, was not the best way of preparing for the tournament. "It is not an ideal situation for us. We are going there under intense pressure. But in the past we have played in such situations with tremendous team spirit and we can achieve best results even without our key players."

Bob Woolmer, the Pakistan coach, preferred to draw strength from good results achieved over the last two years without the two bowlers. "It is a big blow and I feel sorry for both these players. They are missing a mega event.

"But last year we did well without Shoaib in Sri Lanka and the year before in India without either of the two bowlers," he added. "I want to remind the players of those two series and of playing with the same unity and spirit we showed on those tours. If we can replicate that, we can still do well. We also now know at least where we stand and exactly what players we have available."

It now means that Pakistan go into cricket's premier event without three key components of their team, after Razzaq was also ruled out of the tournament this week with a serious knee injury. Additionally, they will be without allrounder Shahid Afridi - owing to a four-match ban imposed by the ICC for misconduct in South Africa - for their first two games, including a tough opening game on March 13 against the hosts. Preparations for big series or tournaments in Pakistan are often blighted but few in recent memory have been as ravaged by injuries, controversies and scandals as this.

Pakistan can no way win the WC without these 2 strike bowlers !!

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ScOrPiO ZaiB
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Post by ScOrPiO ZaiB » 01 Mar 2007, 2:15 pm

Its very sad brother :( ...........i think so now pakistan cant even make it to the semis.........but lets hope may be pakistan can make it

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DON
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Post by DON » 02 Mar 2007, 7:09 pm

yea right bro....but Pakistan is an unpredictable team and all the teams in the world agree to that.... we do have a good batting attack but our bowling is quite weak now because we dont have shoaib and asif but we have.......hmmm....Umar gul......rana,,,....sami...yasir arafat....so hope for the best !!

and if Pakistan wins the WC with this team..I wil salute them and throw a party in my college !

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Post by bacha » 08 Mar 2007, 5:28 pm

Pakistan will definately get into super 8 ...... and i'm not sure about the semi finals... depends how they perform.... all the pitches in west indies are fast wickets ...

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Post by DON » 12 Mar 2007, 1:05 am

yea man....Super 8 main INSHA ALLAH..we will reach....
Pak even won by 7 wickets against SA !! that was a good performance...
first match is on march 13th against W.Indies ! hope for the best

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Post by DON » 15 Mar 2007, 9:47 pm

i just want to kick.hafeez....younis..danish..rana..*** !!
what were they doing ???? :evil:

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Post by Nismo » 15 Mar 2007, 11:35 pm

those losers are not injured . it is all polics man .. it is all pcb's fault actually they shouldnt have tested them at the first place .. its like they are against their own team losers!!!
and now since they have tested them positive ,on the other hand icc have got a chance to screw shoaib and asif .if they would have come for the world cup icc would have tested them and then ?????
life ban ....i hope razaq gets better
and talkin about the first match i dont know what the hell were they doing .. shoaib malik was waitin for the last 25 balls to make 70 runs loser!!!!!!
hope they make it to super eight !!!

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DON
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Post by DON » 20 Mar 2007, 12:37 pm

and we are OUT !! ehheheheh

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Post by masabgt » 27 Mar 2007, 11:43 pm

1st of all am not that much in cricket, but I guess this is first time ever Bangladesh went to Super 8, what you guys say :$ ...
But I am really shocked at early exit of Pakistan :| good luck for them, hope to see good performace in future...
Anyway being from Bangladesh I want to know others opinion on what Bangladesh has achived. thanks

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Post by ScOrPiO ZaiB » 28 Mar 2007, 7:58 am

masabgt wrote:1st of all am not that much in cricket, but I guess this is first time ever Bangladesh went to Super 8, what you guys say :$ ...
But I am really shocked at early exit of Pakistan :| good luck for them, hope to see good performace in future...
Anyway being from Bangladesh I want to know others opinion on what Bangladesh has achived. thanks

Actually for Bangladesh and ireland they have won the WORLD CUP ........ Ireland beating a team like Pakistan and Bangladesh qualifying for Super8 stage from them they have won the WORLD CUP .......... Bangladesh has done a excellent job (Y) (Y)

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DON
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Post by DON » 28 Mar 2007, 10:28 am

yea....and now the super 8 stage has started



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