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The four captains have said the Asia Cup is ideal for their World Cup preparations, in terms of identifying the right blend of youth and experience

Sa'adi Thawfeeq in Dambulla14-Jun-2010The captains of the four countries participating in the Asia Cup, which begins in Dambulla on Tuesday, have said the tournament is ideal for their World Cup preparations, in terms of identifying the right blend of youth and experience and building confidence.Unlike the last edition in Pakistan in 2008, this one features only the four Test-playing Asian nations and no Associates, making it more competitive. India and Sri Lanka have bolstered their squads with senior players, after resting them for the tour of Zimbabwe which just concluded.Kumar Sangakkara, the Sri Lankan captain who was rested for the tri-series in Zimbabwe, hoped his team would take inspiration from being the defending champions in the 2008 tournament.”The Asia Cup (2008) final was won by two exceptional performances, one was Sanath Jayasuriya’s freakish hundred when we were about 60-4, and when we were defending a score of 274, Ajantha Mendis came and took 6 for 13,” Sangakkara said. “Today, we don’t have either of them in our squad but that gives the opportunity for the rest of the players.”In light of the World Cup being a few months away this tournament is about building confidence and building a team towards the World Cup.”Following their disappointing performance in Zimbabwe, where they failed to qualify for the final of the tri-series, India will start the tournament under pressure. However, their captain MS Dhoni said it was a scenario his team wasn’t unfamiliar with.”We’ve been in situations like this more than once,” Dhoni said. “We have had to cope with pressure hundreds of times. We are fresh and most of the guys have got decent time off cricket and most of the senior guys were rested for the Zimbabwe tour.”Every tournament you play is as important as the World Cup. It’s important to focus on the present. The World Cup is still ten months away so we’ll concentrate on this tournament which is a big one considering the teams that are participating are the big ones from the subcontinent.”His views were shared by Pakistan’s Shahid Afridi, who leads his team in the tournament opener against Sri Lanka on Tuesday. “It is a preparation for the World Cup as well,” Afridi said. “Tomorrow’s game is very important. We are playing against Sri Lanka which is a good team and full of talent.”Bangladesh captain Shakib Al Hasan backed his team to perform better in the one-dayers than they did in the Tests in England, where they lost 2-0. “We have been playing very good cricket, although we didn’t finish well in England in the Tests,” Shakib said. “We have been playing non-stop for the last 12 months. The boys are really looking forward to this tournament. It is very important for us. We know it’s a very difficult task but not impossible. On our day we can beat any side.”Syed Ashraful Haq, Asian Cricket Council secretary, praised the Pakistan and Bangladesh Cricket Boards for altering their international schedules to participate in the Asia Cup. Pakistan had postponed their tour of England by about ten days and Bangladesh had agreed to split their tour of England.

Muttiah Muralitharan has singled out Harbhajan Singh as the only bowler capable of emulating his record feat in Tests

Cricinfo staff07-Jul-2010Muttiah Muralitharan has singled out Harbhajan Singh as the only bowler capable of emulating his record feat in Tests. Murali, the leading wicket-taker in Tests and ODIs, who will retire from the longest format later this month, also said the decline of Tests and 50-over cricket meant slow bowlers would struggle for survival.”I think only Harbhajan can do this,” Murali, who currently has 792 wickets, told . I don’t know how old is he and how long he will continue. But he is the only one who can achieve this feat in Test cricket.” Harbhajan, 30, has bagged 355 wickets in 83 Tests to date.Murali said it would get increasingly difficult for spinners to set the kind of records he has. “In the current scenario Test cricket is dying. One-day cricket does not have bright future. Only Twenty20 is going to survive. So it will be difficult for any slow bowler to survive so long,” he said.Murali’s success was a significant factor in the turn in Sri Lanka’s fortunes as a Test-playing nation, but they were unable to win a Test in India, South Africa or Australia during his 18-year career. The absence of a win in either of these countries during his career, Murali said, remained his biggest regret. “I have achieved everything that an international cricketer can dream about. I have only one regret that I could not win in India, South Africa and Australia. But one cannot get everything in life.”Murali is just eight wickets away from reaching 800 wickets, and said reaching that landmark would mark a satisfactory end to his Test career. “I don’t run after records. I have the world record in my name. Although if I could get eight more wickets, it will be a good way to end. I am sure I will be able to do that in one match. If not, no worries,” he said.When asked who was the toughest batsman he bowled to, Murali said: “If we talk about the consistency, then no other batsman can match Sachin [Tendulkar] and [Brian] Lara. They are the best against whom I have bowled. I had to put in extra effort against them. I am happy that I will be able to bowl Sachin in my last Test.”Murali said he is yet to decide whether to participate in the 2011 World Cup, but was available for the IPL. “I have not given it a thought yet [about the 2011 World Cup]. I cannot say that it is off my radar but I will think about this. After that I will be able to say something about participating in the tournament,” he said. “I want to continue playing in the IPL till the franchise (Chennai Super Kings) needs me.”

Mark Greatbatch, the New Zealand coach, has singled out fast bowler Ian Butler as the “unluckiest player to miss out” on a central contract for the upcoming term

Cricinfo staff20-Jul-2010Mark Greatbatch, the New Zealand coach, has singled out fast bowler Ian Butler as the “unluckiest player to miss out” on a central contract for the upcoming term. Butler was among five players who were on the list of contracted cricketers last year but missed out this time.”If I have to say who was the unluckiest, it would be Ian,” Greatbatch told the . “He has put in some world-class performances for us over the last 12 months, but he’s been a bit inconsistent with it and that’s hurt him.”Butler has had some impressive performances in the recent past, with rich hauls in the Champions Trophy last year as well as a match-winning spell against Pakistan at the World Twenty20 in May. However, New Zealand placed much more emphasis on results in Tests, a format Butler hasn’t featured in for almost six years. According to the new system of ranking the top 25 cricketers in the country, the selectors reportedly assigned two points for Test performances, and one each for ODIs and T20 internationals; last year Tests were worth 1.25 points, and ODIs one.New Zealand play seven Tests and up to 25 ODIs, including the World Cup, and fewer T20s in the coming year, and that could have affected Butler’s chances.”Another area that’s hurt him is the fact he doesn’t play Test cricket,” Greatbatch said. “With the system we use, he’s handicapped there. He’s missed out, not by very much, and you’ve got to feel for him. He hasn’t been available for Test cricket because there was the feeling his body wouldn’t cope with all three [formats]. He is playing first-class cricket this summer, which we feel is a very positive step.”Another player to miss out was allrounder James Franklin. “James is unlucky but he had the opportunity over a certain amount of games to nail it and he didn’t,” Greatbatch said.Andy McKay, the left-arm fast bowler, is one of the newer players to be handed a central contract and he told the he was itching to make his Test debut. He is currently preparing for the tri-series in Sri Lanka next month and Tests against Bangladesh and India. “I’ve been hearing some pretty scary stories from the other quicks. I haven’t had the luxury of playing there [subcontinent] yet,” McKay said. “To get my first Test cap would be a dream come true. I’ve played more domestic cricket in the longer version so I’m looking forward to that.”McKay has played three ODIs and two Twenty20s for New Zealand. He represented Auckland for five seasons before making a switch to Wellington during the 2009-10 season. McKay impressed captain Daniel Vettori with his pace during his debut ODI series against Bangladesh earlier in the year, but missed the Tests against Australia due to an injury.”I haven’t been radared since the Bangladesh series but for me it’s just a timing thing. It’s feeling good at the moment, the more I bowl the better it gets,” McKay said. “That’s my niche, that’s what the selectors have told me, to bowl with pace and try to run in and take wickets and just be aggressive.The tours to the subcontinent, McKay admitted, would be challenging in terms of keeping fit. “It’s been a really big push. We had a big chat in Miami [after the World Twenty20] about the importance of fitness levels, considering we’re playing a lot in the subcontinent. You have to be a lot fitter in that heat to compete and we really want to start competing over 100 overs rather than 80.”

Kamran Akmal, the Pakistan wicketkeeper, has said being dropped for the second Test against England at Edgbaston gave him an opportunity for reflection and assessment of his game

Cricinfo staff23-Aug-2010Kamran Akmal, the Pakistan wicketkeeper, has said being dropped for the second Test against England at Edgbaston gave him an opportunity to reflect on and assess his game. Kamran was dropped after a poor run with the bat and the gloves but returned for the third Test at The Oval after his replacement, Zulqarnain Haidar, was ruled out of the remainder of the tour due to a fractured finger.Kamran’s form has been under scrutiny for a long while now and he experienced an all-time low in the Sydney Test against Australia in 2009-10 when a series of lapses contributed to defeat in a Test Pakistan were poised to win. “There have been some technical issues with both the bat and the gloves,” Kamran told . “I have been looking at the batting issues with Ijaz Ahmed and more recently with Mohammad Yousuf. Missing the match at Edgbaston gave me the ideal opportunity to assess my game and it was the perfect time for some reflection.”Alec Stewart provided me with some tips on my wicketkeeping and I have been implementing Alec’s ideas and thoughts. In addition to Alec Stewart’s help, Paul Farbrace and Wasim Bari have also provided me with some advice and guidance on a couple of technical issues. I’ve taken on board all of the advice that has been given to me and it definitely paid dividends at the Oval.”Kamran had a rewarding game at The Oval, with eight catches in Pakistan’s four-wicket win. However, he has had a hard time with bat in the recent past; his scores in his last six innings read 15, 13, 0, 0, 10, 0. Kamran sought inspiration from Alastair Cook’s return to form. “All players suffer a bad spell in their career with the bat. Take a look at Alistair Cook who has been struggling with the bat of late, but he has bounced back with a century at The Oval. I will look at the way he has fought back with the bat as an inspiration and hope that I can do the same at Lord’s.”Pakistan are trailing the Test series 1-2, but Kamran backed his team to draw level, adding that the return of Mohammad Yousuf from retirement had made a major difference. “Yousuf’s introduction to the squad has made a huge difference to everyone’s morale and belief. He’s such an experienced campaigner and his calmness really rubs off on the rest of us. Amir’s in great form and Wahab Riaz bowled very well on debut. We’ll give it our best shot at Lord’s and I hope that we can level the series.”England and Pakistan play the final Test on August 26.

Ryan Sidebottom has announced his immediate retirement from international cricket. The 32-year-old Yorkshire-born fast bowler has played 22 Tests, 25 ODIs and 18 Twenty20s

ESPNcricinfo staff20-Sep-2010Ryan Sidebottom has announced his immediate retirement from international cricket. The 32-year-old Yorkshire-born fast bowler has played 22 Tests, 25 ODIs and 18 Twenty20s for England, including the recent World Twenty20 triumph in the Caribbean, in an international career that spanned nine years.Sidebottom made his Test debut for England in 2001 at Lord’s against Pakistan, but was made to wait a further six years for his second opportunity, which eventually came against West Indies in 2007. His most impressive performances, however, came in 2008 on a tour of New Zealand where he picked up 24 wickets including a hat-trick at Hamilton and 7 for 24 in the final Test in Napier, which went a long way towards him being named England’s Player of the Year.Sidebottom enjoyed plenty of success in limited-overs cricket for England, with a starring role in the side that beat India and Sri Lanka in consecutive ODI series in 2007. Sidebottom’s final appearance in an England shirt came in the second Twenty20 on September 7 at Cardiff, where he took 2 for 22 to help England secure a 2-0 series win against Pakistan.Sidebottom said: “I have had a truly fantastic period of my life with England but now it is time to hand over the ball to those a little younger. If I look back on my international career I have achieved more than I could ever have dreamed.”Winning the ICC World Twenty20 in the West Indies, my Test debut at Lord’s, a Test hat-trick against New Zealand, plus a man of the series award are just a few of the highlights which spring to mind.”I have been fortunate enough to live the dream and I would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone who has helped me so much throughout my career. It has been a fantastic time but I have no doubts that now is the right time to announce my retirement.”Andy Flower, England team director, said: “Ryan Sidebottom has been an important member of the squad in recent years and has excelled in the shorter formats of the game, particularly Twenty20 cricket. His contributions in the West Indies were instrumental in England winning our very first global title and on behalf of the team I’d like to thank Ryan for the enthusiasm and commitment he has shown when playing for England and wish him all the very best for the remainder of his career.”Hugh Morris, Managing Director- England Cricket, said: “On behalf of the ECB I would like to thank Ryan for his contribution to England cricket. Ryan has been a popular member of the squad and has had some outstanding performances from England in his nine year career and I’ve no doubt he still has plenty to offer the sport.”Sidebottom’s most recent endeavours came with bat and ball at Old Trafford, where he helped guide Nottinghamshire beyond 400 runs in an unbeaten tenth-wicket partnership with Darren Pattinson to secure a crucial bonus point in their final County Championship match of the season, before claiming the wicket of Karl Brown to help the county to claim the three wickets they needed to win the title for the first time since 2005.

The BCCI has made major changes to the IPL governing council, halving its strength, slashing the term of its members and limiting their powers, during its annual general meeting

ESPNcricinfo staff29-Sep-2010The BCCI has made major changes to the structure and functioning of the IPL governing council, halving its strength, slashing the term of its members and limiting their powers. The decisions were announced after the board’s annual general meeting on Wednesday, at which it also decided to investigate alleged irregularities committed by three franchises.The one decision taken by default was the removal in toto of Lalit Modi, the man most closely identified with the IPL, from its operations. He is no longer part of the BCCI or the IPL, which he raised from its official status of a subcommittee to a billion-dollar organisation. “Modi is not part of the BCCI any more,” board president Shashank Manohar said. “Now he cannot say that he is the suspended IPL chairman.”Instead, the board formally installed Chirayu Amin as the chairman of the governing council, which includes five other members – Arun Jaitley, Ranjib Biswal, Anurag Thakur, Ajay Shirke and Rajiv Shukla. I S Bindra, the former BCCI president and currently adviser to the ICC, and Farooq Abdullah have been dropped from the panel.The committee will also include two former cricketers, who will no longer receive the Rs.1 crore (approx $220,000) annual salary. One of those is Ravi Shastri who, Manohar said, had agreed to work in an honorary capacity. Manohar said he was yet to talk to Sunil Gavaskar or Mansur Ali Khan Pataudi, the two other former cricketers on the original council. When pressed about Gavaskar, Manohar’s response was sharp. “Who said he is not included?,” he asked, and continued, “we haven’t spoken to him because we have to talk to them before we appoint them. Earlier they were paid Rs 1 crore for being on the governing council but now they have to work honorary so we have to get their consent.”Gavaskar admitted he had not been approached but said he was wiling to work with the board in any capacity. “Nobody from the BCCI has contacted me. I don’t even know what has happened. I have not heard anything and I still don’t know whether I am in or out of the Governing Council,” Gavaskar told news channel . “I will get associated with it (cricket) if board asks me to do so. It’s a privilege and I have no issues. What I am today is because of cricket.”The term of the council’s membership was slashed to one year – the earlier tenure was five years. The constitution has been amended so that only the board secretary, currently N Srinivasan, is authorised to sign contracts on behalf of the IPL. The board also unanimously decided that no payment will be made to any member of the governing council.The BCCI also appointed new committee heads: Jyotiraditya Scindia (finance), Farooq Abdullah (marketing), Ajay Shirke (NCA construction and infrastructure committee) and Venkat Sundaram (grounds and pitches). Anil Kumble takes charge of the National Cricket Academy (NCA), replacing Ravi Shastri. Dilip Vengsarkar will chair the cricket development committee, which includes former cricketers Arshad Ayub, Chetan Chauhan, Pranab Roy and Prashant Vaidya.The board also decided to issue showcause notices against three IPL teams – Rajasthan Royals, Kings XI Punjab and the newly constituted Kochi franchise – for various irregularities committed during their contracts. The Rajasthan and Punjab sides will receive notices for irregularities, and for the breach of the terms and conditions of the franchise agreement. Kochi, on the other hand, will be asked to incorporate their joint venture within ten days or face action from the BCCI.During the meeting, the board was appraised of several irregularities discovered during the audit of IPL 2010 Accounts. As a result, the members have decided to lodge police complaints against the companies Ticket Genie and Visual Impact.The board also decided to withdraw the suit filed against its former president and one-time ICC chairman Jagmohan Dalmiya in the Bombay High Court, and the expulsion imposed on him in 2006. Dalmiya said he felt vindicated by the board’s decision.

Steve O’Keefe pushed South Australia to the verge of defeat with four wickets – and seven for the day – as they slumped in their follow-on

ESPNcricinfo staff13-Oct-2010

ScorecardSteve O’Keefe grabbed seven wickets on the third day•Getty Images

Steve O’Keefe pushed South Australia to the verge of defeat with four wickets – and seven for the day – as they slumped in their follow-on. New South Wales dismissed their opponents for 255 in the second session before the hosts cruised during an 82-run opening stand, but they quickly lost five for 11.At stumps they were 7 for 176 and need another 98 to make the Blues bat again. O’Keefe, the left-arm spinner who was with the Test squad in England during the winter, finished with 4 for 39 to follow his first-innings 3 for 25.He removed James Smith to a catch behind for 63 after the opener started well with Dan Harris (20), and followed up by removing Aiden Blizzard first ball. Cameron Borgas (13) and Daniel Christian (13) also fell to O’Keefe while Trent Copeland removed Michael Klinger and Graham Manou cheaply.Blizzard, playing his first Sheffield Shield game since moving from Victoria, had been the mainstay of the hosts’ first bat with 96 before he was caught behind off Copeland. Copeland finished with 3 for 78 while Moises Henriques, who did some damage on the second afternoon, collected 4 for 53.

South Africa will go left field, including looking at other sports, in its quest to win a World Cup

Firdose Moonda05-Nov-2010South Africa will go left field, including looking at other sports, in its quest to win a World Cup. Gerald Majola, CSA’s chief executive officer, said it would also look at improving transformation among black Africans and the amateur cricket structure.”We’ve been number one or two in the world for a long time, but we don’t win major events. We can’t find a solution” Majola told the Gauteng audience of the CSA road show at the Wanderers on Thursday.It’s not for a lack of trying. Majola and his team organised meetings with players, coaches and administrators to find out why they thought the team couldn’t bring home ICC silverware. “All the discussions were in secret, so no one would know what anyone else said. Everyone could say what they wanted to,” Majola explained. Then added, tongue in cheek: “Like the Gibbs book.”Those meetings brought them no closer to a solution, so experts such as manager of coaching Anton Ferreira were deployed to other countries, including England and Australia, to analyse their winning skills. Similarly, people from those countries were invited to South Africa to examine where they were lacking. “Sadly, they found that our systems are the best in the world. We have the best structures,” lamented Majola.Hence the plan to think out of the box. “We are going to look at other sports and see how their teams prepare for major tournaments. In 2008, I went to Chelsea (football club) and saw that the way they do things compared to us is like chalk and cheese. Maybe the solution is outside cricket. We are going to appoint a consultant to look at other sports for us, because I believe we can win all the World Cups.”Beyond what he may have found at Stamford Bridge, Majola cited transformation among black Africans and a worrying amateur cricket structure as two credible reasons for South African cricket sometimes stalling – two “glaring weaknesses”.”We did a transformation review last year and it became evident that the pace of transformation on the black African community is slow. We have three black Africans on the CSA board and we will be sending them on an audit to find out where the Africans are in our structures at all levels.” Majola’s point has only been emphasised by the international retirement of Makhaya Ntini, the first black African to represent South Africa, on Tuesday. Ntini was considered the black face of the game in the country.Despite the lack of consistent black African representation in cricket, Majola insisted that there would be no quotas. “I have been in this job for ten years and we have not used the word quota. We believe in targeted transformation. It’s not a numbers game. At national level, the target is four players of colour. They’ve used two, three and sometimes five players. If the target cannot be met, we will look for reasons to explain that. We want to make sure that people who play at the national level are capacitated to play there.”CSA created the franchise system six seasons ago to prepare players for higher honours and Majola said he believed that decision wass paying dividends with the likes of David Miller, Colin Ingram and Rusty Theron all performing for South Africa. The concern now is that the amateur players come into the franchise system undercooked.For that reason, CSA want to add a semi-professional competition to their season. The competition will involve all 14 teams who compete in the current provincial three-day and one-day tournaments, and will consist of a twenty-over event. “It will be played before the Standard Bank Pro20. The national selectors will pick players out of that tournament to form two teams, one Inland and one Coastal. Those two teams will play in an expanded, eight team Pro20 and should one of them progress to the final, they will be eligible to play in the Champions League,” explained Majola. The proposal for this competition is still in the planning phase and will be put to the board on November 19 for approval.Majola’s aim is to create enough depth to keep the national team strong and among the top four revenue draw-cards in world cricket. “India are number one, and England second. South Africa and Australia are third and fourth. We are closer to third because of our timezones,” said Majola, who thinks South Africa can clinch third place more firmly. “If Australia’s cricket continues to go the way it is, they could be in serious trouble.”CSA reported a turnover of Rand 492 million ($72 million) with a profit of R143 million ($21 million), largely thanks to the Champions Trophy. “This season we expect a turnover of R700 million ($102 million), because we are hosting India,” Majola said.This season will not only be a first for CSA in terms of breaking revenue bounds, but also from a television coverage perspective. Previously CSA sold both the production itself and the rights, but now they own the production while only the rights have been sold to SuperSport. Majola explained that this will allow them to instruct the producers to put sponsors on screen at given times because “it’s important that they are shown,” and to highlight CSA’s development programmes. “We can have an insert on KFC mini-cricket, for example.” Kass Naidoo, CSA’s brand and corporate relations manager, was quick to add that “SuperSport’s independence is always guaranteed.”CSA have visited all 12 venues since mid-September for their road show, taking with them information on the body, its structures. They’ve also tried to spread their message of “good governance and diligence” amid an inquiry into bonus payments made after the Indian Premier League. Majola repaid over R1 million ($140,000) after it was alleged that he took the money without proper authorisation. The findings of an internal review into the payments are expected in two weeks time. Will CSA adopt the same candid attitude to that as they did to their road show? Majola insists his message is simply that “there are no Holy cows.”

Canada will begin their World Cup preparations in earnest by sending a squad of players to the World Cricket Academy in India as part of a tour that includes games against teams from Delhi, Raipur, Nagpur and Mumbai

ESPNcricinfo staff03-Dec-2010Canada will begin their World Cup preparations in earnest by sending a squad of players to the World Cricket Academy in India as part of a tour that includes games against teams from Delhi, Raipur, Nagpur and Mumbai.Two of Canada’s matches will be played in World Cup venues, the Jamtha International Stadium in Nagpur and the historic Bombay Gymkhana ground, while eight games will be against strong Indian domestic opposition.The majority of the squad who played the ODIs against Ireland earlier this year will tour but John Davison (work) and Geoff Barnett (work) will join for the final fixtures while Henry Osinde (school) will join midway through. Rizwan Cheema, Khurram Chohan and Hamza Tariq are having to remain in Toronto until their visas are granted. Umar Bhatti is the only one unable to attend due to an injury to his lower leg.The trip gives Canada a chance to train in the diverse conditions they will confront at the World Cup in February next year, hosted jointly by India, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka. Ingleton Liburd, Canada’s head of cricket, thinks the experience will be vital for the tournament.”Our commitment is to ensure that the team has every available resource is put into supporting our team ahead of the World Cup,” he said.Cricket Canada’s President, Ranjit Saini, was understandably excited to have secured the tour and was grateful for the assistance of the BCCI in making it possible. “BCCI and its member associations have been generous and kind in giving access to good venues and arranging quality teams to play against in an exceptionally busy domestic season,” he said. “The spirit of cooperation and the willingness to help has been exceptional.”Tour schedule:15-Nov-2010 Canada XI vs. DDCA u22 (Delhi)
17-Nov-2010 Canada XI vs. DDCA XI (Delhi)
21-Nov-2010 Canada XI vs. Chattisgarh Cricket Association XI (Raipur)
23-Nov-2010 Canada XI vs. Chattisgarh Cricket Association XI (Raipur)
25-Nov-2010 Canada XI vs. Chattisgarh Cricket Association XI (Raipur)
28-Nov-2010 Canada XI vs. Vidarbha u22 (Nagpur)
29-Nov-2010 Canada XI vs. Vidarbha XI (Nagpur)

01-Dec-2010 Canada XI vs. D Y Patil Sports Academy (Mumbai)
02-Dec-2010 Canada XI vs. Air India XI (Mumbai)
03-Dec-2010 Canada XI vs. Bombay Gymkhana (Mumbai)

Pakistan weathered a hostile spell from the seamers that reduced them to 42 for 3 in the first hour, worked their way to safety in the second session, and made a half-hearted attempt to win the match before settling for a draw

The Bulletin by Nitin Sundar19-Jan-2011
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsYounis Khan’s trademark flourish shone through despite the dullness of the proceedings•Getty Images

Pakistan weathered a hostile opening spell that reduced them to 42 for 3 in the first hour, worked their way to safety in the second session, and made a half-hearted attempt to win the Test before settling for a draw that gave them the series 1-0. It was their first series victory outside the subcontinent since the triumph in New Zealand in 2003-04, and their first anywhere since 2006-07. It was another impressive result for a team that has managed to hold its own on the field – with Test wins against England and Australia, and a drawn series against South Africa – despite facing a mountain of problems off it.Pakistan’s resistance was led by Misbah-ul-Haq and Younis Khan for the second time in the match, after Chris Martin and Tim Southee had hustled out the top three. The action unraveled at a furious pace in the morning before settling into classic Test-match grind during the afternoon. New Zealand’s woes were compounded by Daniel Vettori’s disappointing show, on a pitch where even Mohammad Hafeez’s part-time fare had turned viciously on day four. As things transpired, Pakistan adopted the path of complete caution, which ultimately left them short of time to push for a win against an attack that withered, despite a late surge from Vettori in his last Test as captain.New Zealand’s bowlers began in stark contrast to the manner in which they finished. Martin bounded in from wide of the crease and bent his inswingers into the right-handers, while Southee got his legcutters to straighten lethally. Their menacing rhythm crippled Pakistan’s chase before they could find their bearings.Taufeeq Umar succumbed first ball, as Southee got one to land on off stump, straighten and burst through the forward press to hit the back pad. Martin got the inswingers going, and mixed them cleverly to plant seeds of doubt in the batsmen’s minds. Hafeez was conscious to push forward and negate the inward movement, but ended up groping for the ones that held their line. He played one off a thick outside edge through the covers, and survived a possible edge off Martin that umpire Rod Tucker did not spot.Tempers frayed, and words were exchanged between Southee and Hafeez following a couple of pacy short balls that were dispatched to the boundary, but Martin plugged away without a fuss. Azhar Ali walked into a flick to be trapped by another inswinger, and Younis barely survived a couple of deliveries that whistled past his outside edge. Hafeez eventually ran out of luck, as Martin enticed him to edge one behind, and the dejected batsmen slapped his helmet with the bat in admonishment as he walked off.Younis overcame the uncertain start to settle down with an assurance that justified his enviable fourth-innings record. With the ball losing its shine, Martin’s inswing disappeared, allowing Younis to pick him for boundaries behind square, straight and through gully. Vettori held the key, but his ineffectiveness was epitomised by the fact that his only weapon was the quicker one that skidded through. Younis handled him with clear and decisive footwork, while Misbah resorted to playing inside the line with soft hands.With the main bowlers failing in their opening spells after lunch, Vettori resorted to James Franklin who nearly produced the breakthrough. With the score on 108, Misbah carved him uppishly past the covers, his only major error on a day of immense resolve. On either side of that blemish, Misbah was so efficient that he was almost completely unnoticed. He only opened up with tea in sight, pulling and steering Southee off the back foot to take his side past 150.Misbah’s approach meant the spotlight was completely on Younis, and his trademark flourish shone through despite the dullness of the proceedings. His hallmark in the first innings was his shot selection, but today it was his judgment. Brent Arnel tested him with a slew of full deliveries, but Younis played him out before capitalising on a half-volley. When the spinners – Vettori and Martin Guptill – came back in search of turn, Younis pounced, stealing five boundaries to leave New Zealand worried. His dismissal at the stroke of tea, edging a harmless delivery behind, was completely out of character and against the run of play, and it decisively altered Pakistan’s approach after the break.The final session was an anti-climactic period of attrition, with both sides more anxious to avoid defeat than to push for a victory. With Younis gone, Misbah fastened the shutters he had already downed. Defending 114 in a minimum of 33.2 overs, New Zealand were not keen on a full frontal attack, either. Asad Shafiq was on a pair for 22 balls before opening his account with a six and a four through Vettori’s open straight fields. He later unfurled a couple of pleasing hook shots when a tiring Southee pitched short. Misbah was not tempted so easily, scoring almost exclusively when he was fed on his pads, to move to his sixth successive half-century, three of them unbeaten.Realising that Pakistan had shut shop, Vettori brought some fielders close in and removed Shafiq in the 84th over. It was the first time in the day that he had managed to look threatening, and it had come too late for his side. His loud appeals as the game sputtered to a close were in contrast to Misbah’s unwavering calmness. The battle may have ended in stalemate, but Misbah had won the war for his side.