http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Lancashire-c806 at the Old Trafford: Friends Life Twenty20
Pakistan’s phenomenal all-rounder, the 31-year-old Abdul Razzaq, left Lancashire battered and wounded as he played a sensational innings of 62 runs from a mere 30 deliveries, helping his side, Leicestershire, register a victory against their rivals in a
breathtaking Friends life Twenty20 clash, at the Old Trafford.
Leicestershire, which seemed to be out of the game at one point, took the match away from Lancashire with four-wickets in hand. The rain affected match was shortened by an over, which gave them a target of 165 to conquer in 19 overs.
Razzaq, who had arrived a day earlier, took the Lancashire pacers to the sword as he seemed unstoppable in an innings, during which he cleared the boundary five times.
He was provided potent support by fellow batsman, http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Wayne-Andrew-White-c96336, as the two shared an unhindered partnership of 66 runs off 28 deliveries.
Lauding the support that he received from White, Razzaq, in the post match interview said, “Well played to my colleague Mr White.”
Earlier, from Leicestershire side, the Australian, http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Andrew-Barry-McDonald-c44289, helped his side come closer to the required tally, as he scored 57 runs off 40 deliveries.
However, it was Razzaq who stole McDonald’s thunder in the latter half of the innings by displaying some ruthless hitting all over the park, which made the formidable Lancashire bowling attack look helpless.
It was the blistering innings by Razzaq, which earned him the Man of the Match award in his first match of the mammoth series. Lancashire, with this defeat could not retain their unbeaten record, after winning their first four games in the tournament.
This month, the county hired the http://www.senore.com/Cricket/OA-Shah-c2134 all-rounder as their second overseas player, to strengthen their squad for the Friends Twenty20 tournament.
After Razzaq’s signing, the chief executive of Leicestershire, Mike Siddall said, “I think this shows our ambition, we had a little bit of money available with Andrew McDonald going to the IPL. We want to do better than last year in the T20 when we lost
seven home matches.”
Meanwhile, this game has clearly exhibited the enormous amount of talent that http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Razzaq-c84421 possesses and he can still be valuable for his national side.
However, the impressive all-rounder has been scrapped from the national team and the Pakistan Cricket Board’s (PCB) http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Ijaz-Butt-c64128, feels that the all-rounder has passed his prime and will not be of any use to the home side.
Razzaq, on the other hand, has reiterated that he still wants to play for the national team, over another three to four years, as he believes he has enough cricket left in him to serve his country.
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