Departmental One Day Tournament – Battle for the Semis

The league stage of Departmental One Day Tournament has entered into its final round with all 8 teams to play one final game before the knock out round – 2 Semi Finals and Final. Last day of the league stages will see 8 teams lock horns with each other with Semi Final berths still up for grabs.

UBL has clearly outperformed all other competitors. Winning 6 out of 6, and remaining the only undefeated side in the competition, UBL is already beyond the reach of other teams. Outcomes on the last day of the League round will not affect UBL’s position at the top.

There are two other teams whose positions will not be impacted with the results on the day, KRL and NBP. After winning only one and none, respectively, both KRL and NBP are out of the race. That makes the match between the league leader UBL and team ranked second from the bottom, KRL, a dead rubber.

However, the match between NBP, the team positioned at the bottom and WAPDA, the team currently at number 3 in the points table, is still pretty significant for the tournament. This is all because of the suffocatingly-tight competition among the 5 teams, currently placed 2^nd to 6^th in the points table.

The competition between these 5 teams – PTV, WAPDA, SSGC, SNGPL and HBL –  stands as fascinating and cutthroat as it can ever get. These teams are currently separated with only 2 points between them. None of them is confirmed for the Semi Finals, yet. But they all will take the field, in the last match of the round, with a genuine chance to occupy a Semi Final berth.

In the other two matches on the Final day of the league stages, 2^nd ranked PTV will take on 4^th ranked SSGC while 5^th ranked SNGPL will square off with HBL. Here’s a look at possible outcomes and qualification scenarios.

• If WAPDA wins against NBP:
• and PTV wins against SSGC:
• PTV will qualify (most probably at number 2, the final ranking will depend on the margin of results in SSGC vs PTV and WAPDA vs NBP matches)
• WAPDA will qualify (most probably at number 3, the final ranking will depend on the margin of results in SSGC vs PTV and WAPDA vs NBP matches)
• Winner of SNGPL and HBL will finish number 4 – only team with 8 points
• SSGC will fail to qualify (most probably finish at number 5, the final ranking will depend on the margin of results in SSGC vs PTV and SNGPL vs HBL matches)
• If PTV loses against SSGC
• WAPDA will qualify, finishing at number 2 – only team with 10 points
• 3 teams will be tied at 8 points – PTV, SSGC and winner of SNGPL vs HBL
• SSGC will go to number 3 [SSGC’s current NRR is 0.722 which is only going to get better in case of a win]
• If SNGPL wins against HBL:
• Most probably, PTV will finish 4^th and SNGPL on 5^th (unless PTV faces a thrashing defeat and SNGPL scores a thumping win)
• If HBL wins against SNGPL:
• PTV will finish 4^th and HBL on 5^th. HBL can not cover up in one game for the extremely bad NRR.
• If WAPDA loses against NBP:
• and PTV wins against SSGC:
• PTV will qualify, finishing at number 2 with 10 points
• WAPDA and winner of SNGPL vs HBL (tied at 8 points) will go through
• If SNGPL wins: SNGPL will finish 3^rd and WAPDA 4^th
• IF HBL wins: WAPDA will finish 3^rd and HBL 4^th
• SSGC will drop to number 5 or lower
• IF PTV loses against SSGC:
• 4 teams will be tied at 8 points – PTV, WAPDA, SSGC and winner of SNGPL vs HBL
• SSGC will qualify (most probably at number 2, the final ranking will depend on the margin of results in SSGC vs PTV and SNGPL vs HBL matches)
• PTV will qualify (most probably at number 3, the final ranking will depend on the margin of results in SSGC vs PTV and SNGPL vs HBL matches)
• If SNGPL wins: SNGPL will qualify with NRR 0.069+ and WAPDA will drop to number 5 with NRR -0.031- . HBL will finish at 6^th with 6 points.
• If HBL wins: (Most likely, WAPDA will finish number 4^th, HBL 5^th and SNGPL 6^th)

Following table provides a quick guide to possible outcomes and its likely impact on the final standings in the group:

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Rising eagle eyeing elusive Kiwi

The Eagle, fresh from its fascinating flight at the ICC Champions Trophy, has landed down under. The target in sight, this time, is that elusive kiwi that has remained a tough prey to hunt, especially, in its own backyard.

Read on publisher’s portal: https://scoreline.asia/rising-eagle-eyeing-elusive-kiwi/

The history of ODIs between the two sides coincides with the very first ODI these two sides ever played. They were the first opponent for each other in this format. Over the years, the two sides have faced-off 98 times in this format, where Pakistan won 53 times and Kiwis came out on top 42 times. Once the contest ended in a tie and twice without any result.

Over the years, the two sides have faced-off 98 times in this format, where Pakistan won 53 times and Kiwis came out on top 42 times 

Pakistan’s slight edge in bilateral contests is primarily based on Pakistan’s dominance over the opponent in multi-team tournaments and the bilateral encounters in Pakistan.

69 of those ODIs have been played as part of bilateral series while 29 were played during multi-team tournaments. The Kiwis have their noses in front, literally, with 34 wins to Pakistan’s 32 wins in those 69 bilateral encounters (1 tie, 2 n/r).

In multi-team tournaments, however, Pakistan has simply dominated with 21 wins in comparison to 8 wins of New Zealand in 29 contests. Similarly, New Zealand’s slight edge over Pakistan in bilateral contests (34-32) is primarily due to the dominance of Kiwis over the Eagles on Kiwi soil.

New Zealand’s 26 wins, out of total 34 in bilateral ODI series with Pakistan, have come in New Zealand while they have won only 3 in Pakistan and 5 at neutral venue. In comparison, Pakistan has won 13 bilateral contests in New Zealand, 16 in Pakistan and 3 on neutral venues.

The neutral venue in this context is UAE, the adopted home of Pakistan Cricket in recent years. Hence, if those games are also counted as Pakistan’s home games, Pakistan still maintain a clear lead of 19-8 at home in comparison to New Zealand’s dominance at home with 26-13.

If the mode of measurement is changed more specifically to the results of bilateral ODI series between the two sides then it paints even more interesting picture. There have been 19 bilateral ODI series played between Pakistan and New Zealand.11 of those ODI series have been played in New Zealand, 6 in Pakistan, while 2 have been staged in UAE. Only 1 of those 19 bilateral ODI series ended in a draw (2-2 in New Zealand in 1995/96).

It may come as a surprise to some, New Zealand has won more bilateral ODI series than Pakistan. New Zealand has won 11 of those series while Pakistan managed to come out victorious on 7 occasions. Out of Pakistan’s 7 ODI series wins against the Kiwis, 5 have come at home and none at the neutral venue (UAE).

On the other hand, New Zealand has won 8 out of 11 ODI series at home, 1 out of 6 in Pakistan and 2 out of 2 in UAE.New Zealand’s only series win against Pakistan in Pakistan came in the very first bilateral series of the two sides in Pakistan, back in 1976/77 when the visitors won the 1 match series 1-0. The two teams have played 2 ODI series in UAE, both won by New Zealand.

Pakistan managed to defeat New Zealand in New Zealand in an ODI series only twice – once when Pakistan’s World Champion side defeated New Zealand 3-1 in 1993/94 and then just before the 2011 World Cup when Pakistan beat New Zealand 3-2 in New Zealand.

Since the last time these two sides met in an ODI series, in New Zealand in 2015/16, New Zealand has played 8 bilateral ODI series while Pakistan has participated in 6.During this period, Pakistan, played 4 away series – against Ireland, England, Australia and West Indies – winning against Ireland and West Indies.

Meanwhile, New Zealand played 5 home series – two against Australia, one against Bangladesh, South Africa and West Indies each – and managed to win all except against South Africa. In a nutshell, Pakistan hasn’t won anything notable away from home while New Zealand hasn’t lost much at home.

8-2 and 26-13 (New Zealand’s tally in bilateral ODI Series and ODIs respectively) simply goes to show how elusive the win against New Zealand in New Zealand has been for Pakistan. This is one elusive kiwi that the eagle has failed to tame often enough. Would this contingent of eagles be able to tame the kiwis this time? Only time will tell. The eagle is on the rise, again.

Just recently, from the one being in danger of missing out the direct qualification for the next World Cup, they flew to the top of the world. Nothing looks undoable for this pack of eagles. Will they succeed? May the luck be on the best side’s side.

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Reshaping of ODI Rankings

At the last ICC ODI Rankings Annual update on May 1, 2017, ICC ODI World was dominated by the usual names. South Africa occupied the top spot with 123 points, followed by Australia with 118 points, then India at 117 and New Zealand at 115. England ranked 5^th with 109 points, Sri Lanka 6^th with 93, Bangladesh 7^th with 91 and Pakistan at 8^th with 88 points constituted the list of top 8 ODI sides in the world.

At exactly the halfway point in ICC ODI Rankings Season 2017-18, it is probably the right time to have a look at how different International Teams have performed since then. During exactly six months of this season, the ICC ODI Universe has received a vibrant shake up. To ascertain the impact of performances of last six months on overall ICC ODI Rankings, let’s have a supposed scenario.

Let’s assume that no more ODI Cricket will be played between now and till the next ICC Annual Update on May 1, 2018. What will be ICC ODI Rankings after that update? If this assumption is applied, England - leapfrogging from the 5^th spot - would emerge as the new number 1 team in ICC ODI Rankings with 124 points while Pakistan, who were struggling, just a couple of months ago, even for the direct qualification for 2019 ICC World Cup, would jump to number 4 ranking in ICC ODI Ranking.

Australia would drop to number 5 and Sri Lanka, who were at number 6 with 93 points, would slip to number 8, only 0.6 points ahead of West Indies who will remain at number 9. This is how much the results of last six months have remained unconventional and against the trends.

This is how the ICC ODI Rankings would look under the assumption:

All this shift and reshaping in ICC ODI Rankings is based on unusually good by some teams and, equally, unusually bad performances by some teams. If the rating points earned by different teams only in this period are considered, here’s the summary of their performances:

England and Pakistan have been exceptional during this period. Pakistan have lost only 1 out of their 10 ODIs which was against India, their first game in Champions Trophy. England have played 14 ODIs in this period and lost only 2, 1 against Pakistan during Champions Trophy and 1 against South Africa just before the tournament. India has been a bit patchy. Out of 23 ODIs India played in this period (the most by any team), they lost 5, 1 each against Bangladesh and Pakistan in the Champions Trophy, and then 1 each in their ODI series with the West Indies (away), Australia (home) and New Zealand (home).

Zimbabwe also seems to be on the improvement path. Other than Pakistan, England, India and South Africa, Zimbabwe is the only team that has managed to win more matches than they have lost during this period. They played 7 and won 4. Out of 5 games against Sri Lanka, they won 3 times.

The biggest disappointment of the season has been Australia who have won only 1 out of their 8 matches during this season. In effect, they have earned only 84 rating points this season which is pretty unusual for an Australian side. West Indies has maintained itself, albeit on their disappointing standard.

But it has been Sri Lanka whose performance have gone from even worse to painful. During this season, Sri Lanka has played 18 ODIs and have lost 15 of them. Their only win against a team other than the lower ranked Zimbabwe was against India during the Champions Trophy. Other than that, they have mostly remained listless in ODI series against India and Pakistan.

Whatever the results be in the next six months and whatever the ICC ODI Rankings be after the next ICC Annual Update, one thing is pretty clear from the results of the first half of this season. That is, the trends are changing, the ICC ODI Universe is reshaping, and some old mates have returned to the party to challenge the boys at the top. It’s a refreshing shift in ODI Cricket that must go on, at least for a while, for its own benefit.

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Career Best ICC ODI Rankings for Pakistan Bowlers

@RealHa55an becomes number 1 bowler in ICC ODI Rankings.
Here's the career best ratings of of Pakistan's all-time best ODI bowlers#PAKvSL pic.twitter.com/tBakq42Hz3

— Kamran Muzaff3r (@Krick3r) October 20, 2017

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From MisYou to AzAs

If Pakistan’s last Test in Roseau, Dominica marked the end of MisYou era, the Abu Dhabi Test is going to annotate the dawn of AzAs age. It will be the first time Azhar Ali will take the field not as the most experienced batsman in the side but also the most experienced player overall with 60 Test caps next to his name. Asad Shafiq will be the next most experienced player with 56 Tests to his name.

• No player with 60+ Tests, for the first time since 2011 vs West Indies
• Pakistan squad slips from 16^th to 287^th most experienced side ever
• The most inexperienced eleven since 2011, vs Sri Lanka at Dubai
• Pakistan’s batting lineup slips from most experienced ever to 255th
• First-ever Test without Misbah and Younis in 7 years, after 58 Tests
• Only Azhar, Amir, Sarfaraz played a Test without Misbah and Younis
• Azhar to appear as Senior Most Player for the first time ever
• The expected top-7 batting order to go in with 181 Tests in Total
• 83% - 151 out of those 181 Tests played by Azhar, Asad and Sarfaraz
• 3 others will go in with 30 Tests in between them
• 1 guaranteed debutant in top 7

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Fawad Alam - Pakistan Cricket's Enigma

The following piece was first posted on May 26, 2016 on Scoreline Portal. 16 months on,the situation is still the same.

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Brief Mention in Indian Express

A brief mention in "The Indian Express" today. Glad they picked the pertinent part of the show on PTV Sports and referred to it in the right spirit.

Click here to read full article on The Indian Express website

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Game On Hai - 30 August 2017

A discussion with former Pakistan Cricket Captain, Rashid Latif and Dr Nauman Niaz, the renowned Cricket historian and anchor in the flagship sports show "Game On Hai" of PTV Sports. "Game On Hai" is the most watched Sports show in Pakistan with highest TRP in Sports category. PTV Sports is the Sports channel of Pakistan's National Broadcaster, PTV.

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Game On Hai - 29 August 2017

A discussion with former Pakistan Cricket Captain, Rashid Latif and Dr Nauman Niaz, the renowned Cricket historian and anchor in the flagship sports show "Game On Hai" of PTV Sports. "Game On Hai" is the most watched Sports show in Pakistan with highest TRP in Sports category. PTV Sports is the Sports channel of Pakistan's National Broadcaster, PTV. 

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Pakistan Cricket, PSL and Najam Sethi

August 17, 2017 

While we remain aware of the empty half of the glass, the filled half of the glass can not be left unappreciated. At the same time, the efforts of those who had put all they had on stake to fill whatever there is in the glass, can not be ignored either.

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