Cricket Update: Pakistan Tour of England- Pakistan drifted a tame draw against http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Leicestershire-c807
Pakistan cricket is trying a couple of batsmen to make a final pick for the six forthcoming test matches against http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Australia-c746 and England. A history of unreliable opening stand over couple of years and the absence of experienced Test players Younis Khan and Mohammad Yousuf has left couple of places in the Pakistan team open for the national coach ahead of the Lord’s test.
Pakistan team played a two-day warm-up match against Leicestershire at Grace Road on Friday. Though the match ended in a stalemate but the performances of the top-order batsmen in the match was superb. Hameed 58, Salman Butt 57 and Umar Amin 51 has given the national coach and captain plenty of food for thought before they finalize the starting line-up for the first Test against Australia which starts at Lord's on Tuesday.
On a slow pitch of Grace Road, Pakistan scored 280 for seven chasing a declared 296 for seven set by Leicestershire as the two-day warm-up drifted to a tame draw. Four of the seven Pakistan batsmen - Salman Butt and http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Yasir-Hameed-c2811, Azhar Ali and Umar Amin retired out to give others a chance to practice their batting skills as well.
Salman Butt and Yasir Hameed and the young talent Umar Amin piled up their half-centuries. Azhar Ali played a lengthy innings of 164 minutes to score 141 runs. Highly rated Umar Amin gave another eye-catching performance on Friday. Both Yasir Hameed, Azhar Ali, along with other two, joined the squad on Wednesday after the team felt few other batsmen were also needed to face the experienced test squad of Australia.
At the same time opener Imran Farhat and Shoaib Malik playing in the middle order disappointed the management as well, as the fans and both would more probably make http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Pakistan-c755’s Test team at Lords on Tuesday.
Farhat in an opening stand of 41 with the captain for the match, Salman Butt, scored only six runs. In his 34-ball innings, he could manage to hit just three successful strokes. His 47 minutes stay on crease could threat the Leicestershire’s bowlers with a lone boundary and two singles.
Butt, however, played a well timed innings and recorded his 50 runs from 57 deliveries smashing some sweet shots across the ground. At the lunch interval, Butt retired out on 57 to let others have a chance. Azhar, who joined the side just two days before the warm-up match, played a patient innings of 41 runs off 127 balls. His 164 minutes stand on pitch entertained the audience with four boundaries and a six. Yasir Hameed, struggling his poor form and fitness, also struck http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Jigar-Naik-c1694 over the long on for a six and smacked seven boundaries as well before retiring out at 58 shortly before tea.
The former skipper Shoaib Malik could hardly manage 10 runs of 37 balls before he got trapped lbw to a fine delivery off Wayne White. The left-handed Umar Amin scored a fluent 51 off 70 deliveries to confirm his prospects of playing in the Test side that would play at Lord’s on 13th July.
Earlier, Leicestershire declared their first innings at 296 for seven. GP Smith’s 87 off 198 balls supported by Wayne Whites 79 runs off 136 balls led the hosts to 296 in a 99 overs innings.
Saeed Ajmal was the best with the ball from visitors. He took two wickets conceding runs at an economy of 2.03 in his 26 overs spell. Tanveer Ahmed also clinched two wickets while Wahab Riaz could sack only one Leicestershire player.
However, the two-day warm up match has seen four tremendous individual innings from Pakistan’s side but it would make the selection of final XIs for Tuesday even more complex.
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