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| Pakistan Under-15s destined for another final showdown |
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Wednesday, April 30, 2008
KARACHI: Like hosts West Indies, the smart and impressive Pakistan team also intend to maintain their unbeaten record, as they were to meet Malaysia late on Tuesday, in a Group 2 CLICO International Under-15 Cricket Championship league phase match, at the National Stadium in Providence, Georgetown.
Last week, Pakistan Under-15s had defeated West Indies by the bare margin of two runs in the final of the knockout phase of the tournament — divided in two separate competitions — at the Warner Park in Basseterre, St Kitts. Now, they appeared destined to have a repeat of that final at the Queen’s Park Oval in Port of Spain, Trinidad, this coming Sunday.
Pakistan Under-15s were unbeaten in their campaign in the knockout round. In the first two matches of the league phase, they have simply annihilated the opposition.
The Netherlands were decimated by a 230 runs margin in the first Group 2 match at Providence. At the Bourda on Sunday, they hammered a score of 416 for six in their fifty overs against the Americas Development XI and then bowled out the opposition for a massive 293-run triumph.
The Pakistani young lads have, in fact, already booked a place in the semifinals, which will be played in Grenada on May 1 and 2. And to get here, they have attained several individual performances that one can’t help but notice.
Their opening batsmen have scored almost 600 runs together in the five matches played so far. Rawalpindi’s Mohammad Naeem has three half-centuries in his total of 266 at an average of 53.20.
Skipper Babar Azam from Lahore has been even more impressive, with a total of 321 runs at an average of 64.20. He has crossed fifty in his last three innings, culminating with a marvellous 165 off 140 balls in the match against the Americas.
Karachi’s Ahsan Ali, 162 runs at 40.50, and Rawalpindi left-hander Mohammad Nawaz — 144 runs at 36.00 — have also been among the runs. Wicket-keeper Faizan Khan, a Karachi boy, has so far dismissed 13 batsmen, comprising eight catches and five stumpings.
Lahore’s left-handed Zafar Gohar has shown prowess as an all-rounder. His 96 runs (ave 32.00) with the bat including a highest of 50 not out have bveen complemented by seven wickets at 16.28 runs apiece.
But the spin duo of Usman Qadir, son of the legendary Abdul Qadir, and Ahsan Mirza have been simply magnificent. Leg-spinner Usman has taken 11 wickets at 10.27 runs each. Slow left-arm Mirza has picked up two Man of the Match awards, his 11 wickets costing him a mere 7.90 runs each.
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ISSN 1563-9479 
