BIRMINGHAM: Pakistan captain Shahid Afridi won the toss and elected to bat against Australia in the second and final Twenty20 international at Edgbaston here on Tuesday.
Pakistan were unchanged from the team that won the first Twenty20 international against Australia by 23 runs here on Monday, when Afridi also won the toss and batted.
But Australia made two changes, giving a debut to spin-bowling all-rounder Stephen O”Keefe and recalling medium pacer James Hopes.
They came in for opening batsman Shane Watson and leg-spinner Steven Smith, who were both rested.
After this match, Pakistan and Australia will play two Tests, at Lord’’s and Headingley, later this month.
These fixtures, originally scheduled as home games for the Pakistanis, are being played in England because of concerns over the security situation in Pakistan.
Teams
Australia: Michael Clarke (captain), David Warner, David Hussey, Cameron White, Michael Hussey, Tim Paine (wkt), James Hopes, Stephen O”Keefe, Mitchell Johnson, Dirk Nannes, Shaun Tait
Pakistan: Shazaib Hasan, Salman Butt, Kamran Akmal (wkt), Umar Akmal, Shoaib Malik, Shahid Afridi (capt), Abdul Razzaq, Mohammad Aamer, Umar Gul, Shoaib Akhtar, Saeed Ajmal
Umpires: Asad Rauf (PAK) and Zameer Haider (PAK), TV umpire: Nadeem Ghouri (PAK)
Match referee: Javagal Srinath (IND)
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KABUL: Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani on Tuesday told a visiting Afghan trade delegation that his country is part of the solution to Afghanistan’’s security problems, according to a statement issued by his staff.
Gilani supports “cooperation beyond the existing collaboration in security matters including intelligence sharing so as to develop a comprehensive strategy to combat terrorism and militancy,” the statement said.
Karzai’’s spokesman said Spanta’’s comments were a reiteration of Kabul’’s position that Pakistan must be involved in the process of “bringing peace and stability not only in Afghanistan but also in Pakistan and in the region”.
Reaching peace would not be possible, Waheed Omar told reporters, “without an active and honest role by the Islamic Republic of Pakistan”.
Spanta — a former foreign minister and the senior cabinet-level advisor to Karzai on security issues — said senior Pakistani military and intelligence officials had visited Kabul in recent months on goodwill visits.
“I hope we can begin a constructive dialogue with a serious agenda during the next meeting in Islamabad, or in Kabul… maybe next month,” he said.
Spanta denied Karzai had met Sirajuddin Haqqani, who runs the Haqqani network, which often launches attacks in Afghanistan, or the Taliban, “through mediation of Pakistan forces or otherwise”.
Pakistani security officials indicated last month on condition of anonymity that they were planning to help broker peace efforts in Afghanistan by acting as a bridge between the Kabul government and powerful Haqqani network.
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DURBAN: Having beaten World Cup favorites Brazil in the quarter-finals, Netherlands coach Bert van Marwijk has warned his players not to take the less
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LAHORE: PML-N Quaid Nawaz Sharif visited the Data Darbar and condemned the suicide attack at the shrine in the strongest terms.
Talking to the
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BIRMINGHAM: Mitchell Johnson believes Australia will be able to overcome the loss of fellow pace bowler Ryan Harris in their series with Pakistan.
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Pakistan News
LAHORE: A plan to import 1,000MW electricity from Iran is unlikely to address Pakistan?s immediate energy crisis as the whole process will take at lea
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Karachi
The administrator City District Government Karachi (CDGK), Fazlur Rehman in the wake of the expected rains in the city has issued dir
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LAHORE
MUCH to the embarrassment of the Treasury, two cabinet members, having no knowledge of their respective departments, kept passing the bu
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Pakistan News
LAHORE: Jamat-ud-Dawa chief Hafiz Saeed, in his first ever on camera interview has said that suicide attacks in Pakistan have no moral ground and are ”illegal”. He also demanded public execution of perpetrators.
He was talking exclusively to Geo News.
He was of the view that some foreign elements were trying to create religious disharmony in the country, adding that Pakistan was being forced to remain a front line state in the war against terror.
Hafiz Saeed blamed India for Data Darbar attacks and challenged India for proving JuD’’s connection with Mmbai attacks. When US can negotiate with Taliban why not Pakistan, he questioned.
JuD chief pointed out that there was no restriction on his party. ”Outfits involved in militancy should be banned and strict action be taken against them.”
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Karachi
Judicial Magistrate (East) Zabiha Khattak on Monday absolved the former husband of Dr Aafia Siddiqui, who is detained in the US, of the
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