Saeed Ajmal ended with figures of 10-0-37-5 as the Pakistanis secured a seven-run win over Guyana in a closely fought tour match at Bourda

ESPNcricinfo staff12-Jul-2013

ScorecardFile photo: Saeed Ajmal took five wickets as the Pakistanis beat Guyana by seven runs•BCCI

Saeed Ajmal ended with figures of 10-0-37-5 as the Pakistanis secured a seven-run win over Guyana in a closely fought tour match at Bourda.Ajmal took the crucial wickets of Narsingh Deonarine and Leon Johnson, and also later struck twice in the 40th over to help the Pakistanis successfully defend their total of 246.Guyana had earlier won the toss and elected to field. The Pakistanis, batting in slightly overcast conditions, reached 12 in three overs before rain briefly stopped play.The game resumed with openers Nasir Jamshed and Ahmed Shehzad dominating the Guyana bowlers, as the pair put on 62 runs for the opening wicket in 14 overs before Jamshed fell for 19 to Veerasammy Permaul. Mohammad Hafeez departed six overs later, hitting one back to Permaul, who accepted the offer low to his right, to leave the Pakistanis at 86 for 2.Shehzad then put up a 30-run partnership with the captain Misbah-ul-Haq, with Shehzad reaching his 50 from 58 balls with six fours. He eventually made a 79-ball 68 which included nine fours, before getting stumped by Anthony Bramble off Devendra Bishoo.Misbah was the next to go, lbw to Steven Jacobs for 22, and when Umar Akmal and Asad Shafiq were both sent back by Bishoo, the Pakistanis were struggling at 160 for 6, with Shahid Afridi and Wahab Riaz at the crease.But the pair delivered a counterpunch, with Afridi hitting both Jacobs and Keon Joseph for sixes. They put on 31 runs for the seventh wicket, before Afridi was caught by Paul Wintz at long-off, when he looked to clear the boundary off Permaul.A late surge from Umar Amin, who hit two fours during his unbeaten 17, took the Pakistanis to a final score of 246 for 9. Permaul was the pick of the bowlers for the hosts, finishing with figures of 10-3-27-3.Guyana began their run chase in poor fashion, as Mohammad Irfan dismissed the openers Trevon Griffith and Bramble within the first five overs. Ramnaresh Sarwan and Johnson revived the innings, putting on 54 runs for the third wicket before Sarwan edged a delivery from Abdur Rehman to Akmal. The hosts began to grow in confidence as Johnson struck Afridi for two fours in one over and then pulled Rehman over wide midwicket for six, taking the team to 138.But Ajmal turned the game around for the Pakistanis, dismissing Johnson for lbw and later removed Assad Fudadin for 11. Deonarine, who hit five fours and two sixes, put up a fight but was eventually bowled by Ajmal for 55.With Guyana needing 77 from their final 10 overs, Jacobs and Bishoo took the fight to the Pakistanis, as they added 41 for the ninth wicket. Ajmal trapped Jacobs lbw for 27 and Ali completed the victory for the Pakistanis, bowling Bishoo for 28.Pakistan will next play the first ODI against West Indies at Providence on Sunday.*July 12, 0932 GMT: Corrected Kamran Akmal reference to Umar Akmal

Kevin Pietersen scored a fighting century but Australia’s bowlers worked their way through the line-up to maintain hopes of the victory required to stay alive in the series

The Report by Daniel Brettig03-Aug-2013
Scorecard and ball-by-ballKevin Pietersen’s hundred kept England in the game but late wickets lifted Australia•PA Photos

For a little more than two hours, England asserted the measure of control they required to secure this match, and the Ashes themselves. Though Australia’s bowlers had toiled manfully and persistently, finding life where their opposite numbers had not, Kevin Pietersen and Ian Bell stood firm, the former thrusting to a fine hundred, the latter caressing his way towards a third such score of the series.But right at the moment the tourists may have begun to flag, Ryan Harris found a way through the previously impassable Bell, tilting back his off stump and revitalising Australia. The wickets of Jonny Bairstow and Pietersen himself followed, leaving the Old Trafford Test finely balanced with two days remaining and maintaining Australia’s heartening revival as belatedly serious contenders for the urn.On a day of high quality and considerable intrigue, Harris, Mitchell Starc, Peter Siddle and Shane Watson all delivered searching spells. Pietersen and Bell can seldom have played better, their calculated attack on Nathan Lyon a critical passage on a pitch taking turn and bounce throughout. There were imponderables, too. Pietersen on 62 would have been out lbw had Michael Clarke assented to Watson’s opinion that his old-ball inswinger was bound for the stumps. When Starc dismissed Pietersen lbw there was Hot Spot evidence of the merest nick.Starc’s contribution should not be underestimated, for his knack of taking wickets countered a tendency to lose his length and line at times. A mediocre delivery accounted for Alastair Cook thanks to a supreme leg-side diving catch by Brad Haddin, but Bairstow and Pietersen fell victim to a sublime spell of reverse movement as the evening drew in.Recovered from an apparent stomach bug, Harris had opened up for Clarke alongside Siddle. Their early overs were relentlessly probing, offering only the most occasional scoring chances for Cook and Jonathan Trott, neither of whom looked comfortable despite a ball that was no longer new and a pitch possessing few demons.Trott, who had begun the series in grand touch, was particularly scratchy, becalmed in much the same way Joe Root had been the previous night. Unable to get off strike, or hit the middle of the bat, Trott ultimately succumbed while doing his best not to play a shot at all, edging to Clarke at second slip while trying to leave Harris.Pietersen’s first few deliveries were no more convincing, as he fiddled loosely at balls zinging past him outside off stump as though wanting to offer a nick to the Australia cordon. Harris nearly burst a yorker through Pietersen also, but the entry of Starc and Watson to the bowling attack – while Lyon was oddly given only two overs – allowed a little pressure to be relaxed.With Pietersen scoring freely and Cook carrying on stoically, England appeared set to reach lunch without further loss. But 12 minutes before the break a Starc delivery angling towards Cook’s hip drew a fine leg glance and a rasping catch by Haddin, clasping the chance in the tip of his right glove as he threw himself full length. In the dying moments of the session Bell may have given up the thinnest of edges to Haddin off Starc, but only Australia’s wicketkeeper went up for the catch.That moment did not linger too much in Australian minds, but there was to be another midway through the afternoon. Pietersen and Bell had counter-attacked confidently and fruitfully, their chief achievement the removal of Lyon from the attack despite Australia’s offspinner bowling well on a pitch that offered turn and bounce. Twice Pietersen lofted Lyon for six and Bell followed up with one of his own; not once could the bowler be said to have offered up something to hit.Nonetheless, his withdrawal left Clarke searching for wickets, but when Watson found a hint of swing after replacing Lyon, the moment of success passed without the captain realising it. Pietersen had lurched forward and across to play through midwicket, and though Watson seemed adamant in his appeal Haddin and Clarke suggested the ball was swerving down the leg side.But Hawk-Eye revealed it to be hitting leg stump squarely enough for Tony Hill’s verdict to be overturned, and the sight of Darren Lehmann raising a glum finger from the balcony left Clarke pondering whether his moment had passed. Certainly there were few other glimmers offered by Pietersen and Bell, both well entrenched by the time the interval arrived and already taking some shine off the second new ball.Safe as both batsmen looked, Australia required something beyond the sturdy stuff dished up in the first two sessions. True to his form so far in the series Harris would provide it. Moving most deliveries fractionally away from Bell, he conjured a nip-backer that beat an accomplished technician for length, pace and deviation, striking the top of off stump and reviving his team.Bairstow and Pietersen then prospered for a time, but never with the security of the previous stand. Each bowler troubled Bairstow in turn, while Watson singed Pietersen’s outside edge with a series of deliveries bending subtly away. Watson’s frustration at this sequence was plain, but it did not prevent him from pouching a sharp low chance when Starc’s angle eventually tempted Bairstow to flirt at a ball whirring across him.Starc was by now finding the reverse swing that won him selection ahead of Jackson Bird, and two overs later he ensured Australian hope would be raised for the remainder of the match by pinning Pietersen lbw. The ball straightened down the line and would have crashed into middle stump, though there was the suspicion of an edge so thin that even Pietersen did not pick it up. Stuart Broad and Matt Prior were left to scratch around in the lengthening shadows, the match and the series still tantalisingly open.

“Highlights package” is how the South Africa ‘A’ captain, Justin Ontong, described Shikhar Dhawan’s record-breaking 248 in the final league game of the A team tri-series

Firdose Moonda12-Aug-2013″Highlights package” is how the South Africa A captain, Justin Ontong, described Shikhar Dhawan’s record-breaking 248 in the final league game of the A team tri-series in Pretoria that put up an imposing target of 434 for the home side. Ontong said they were “butchered” by Dhawan’s batting, but added they could have won the game had someone batted through during the chase.”Dhawan summed up conditions quickly,” Ontong said. “Every shot he hit found the gap or went over the fielders. It was like watching a highlights package. He hit so many good shots, it’s hard to pick out one that stood out. There were a few sixes that went into the construction site.”It was probably the best one-day innings I’ve seen. But I am also really proud of the boys. We showed some character when we were batting and if someone batted through, we could have won the game.”India A won the toss and were 161 for 1 at the halfway stage. But on a flat pitch and on a ground with short boundaries, Dhawan seamlessly switched gears to tear into the bowling, reaching his double century with just over 10 overs still left to play.”There was nothing the bowlers could do,” Ontong said. “They were bowling the lines and lengths they wanted to be bowling and he just hit them off those lines and lengths.”Ontong conceded that the South Africa players were left in despair by the innings, but coach Vincent Barnes reminded the team of the match when South Africa had successfully chased down Australia’s 434 in Johannesburg.”There was a bit of humour at the lunch break, because that’s what you need in situations like that, ” he said. “Some of the boys had their heads down but the coach, Vincent Barnes, came and said a few words. He told us that he was part of that 438 game and that if we put on partnerships we could get there.”South Africa came close to the target after opening batsman Reeza Hendricks and Vaughn van Jaarsveld scored centuries to keep the team interested till the last few overs.”It was a flat wicket with nothing in it and for 80% of the time we chased really well. It’s not every day you get two guys scoring a hundred and the team is still on the losing side, Actually, its not everyday you get four hundreds in a one-day match.”Reeza and Vaughn scored two very special hundreds and our bowlers were exposed to international players of top quality. When you play ODI cricket, you will sometimes play on flat wickets, although this one was maybe a little flatter than you get elsewhere and the outfield was also very quick.”

Shane Watson will lead the Australian XI in their two-day tour match against the England Lions in Northampton, with the captain Michael Clarke and vice-captain Brad Haddin both resting from the fixture

Brydon Coverdale15-Aug-2013Shane Watson will lead the Australian XI in their two-day tour match against the England Lions in Northampton, with the captain Michael Clarke and vice-captain Brad Haddin both resting from the fixture.Watson has been passed fit to bat in the match, which starts on Friday, but he will not bowl as he continues to work towards full fitness after suffering pain in his right hip/groin during the fourth Test. However, the Australians are confident Watson will be able to bowl in the final Test at The Oval, which begins next Wednesday.Haddin, Ryan Harris and Peter Siddle have already headed to London to prepare, and Clarke, Chris Rogers and Jackson Bird are the other squad members who will sit out of the Northampton game. That leaves Mitchell Starc and James Faulkner as the only pace bowlers in the team, although the coach Darren Lehmann floated the possibility of wicketkeeper Matthew Wade sending down some seamers if required.Wade bowled his only first-class over during the Hobart Test against Sri Lanka in December and it was impressive, skiddy and quicker than expected. Lehmann said the match would be a good opportunity to get a large amount of overs from spinners Nathan Lyon and Ashton Agar, and also to give the batsmen some time in the middle.”We’ll give them [Agar and Lyon] a decent bowl,” Lehmann said. “You’d be mad not to. It’s a great opportunity to bowl a lot of overs. Steve Smith will bowl a few, you might see Wade or Warner bowl a few. We’ll see how we go.”The thing for us is to just get the batters some time in the middle. We can only bat for a day and bowl for a day. I suppose it’s like a longer training session, if you like, and it’s not first-class. For us it’s still a chance to impress the selectors and perform really well and get to where we want to get to. It’s still important, it’s two long days.”The match will be played to a maximum of 100 overs per side for the first innings.Australian XI Shane Watson (capt), Ashton Agar, Ed Cowan, James Faulkner, Phillip Hughes, Usman Khawaja, Nathan Lyon, Steven Smith, Mitchell Starc, Matthew Wade (wk), David Warner.England Lions Eoin Morgan (capt), Moeen Ali, Gary Ballance, Keith Barker, Jos Buttler, James Harris, Simon Kerrigan, Alex Lees, Liam Plunkett, Ben Stokes.

Left-arm spinner Abdur Razzak, who last played a Test for Bangladesh in August 2011, was named in the squad for the first Test against New Zealand, which starts on October 9

Mohammad Isam02-Oct-2013Left-arm spinner Abdur Razzak, who last played a Test for Bangladesh in August 2011, was named in the 14-man squad for the first Test against New Zealand, which starts on October 9. The only new face in the list was pace bowler Al-Amin Hossain, while there were recalls for Anamul Haque, Marshall Ayub and Naeem Islam too.Mahmudullah was retained in the squad despite his poor Test form. He is the vice-captain, and will once again bat at No. 8, his regular position in the line-up.Al-Amin is currently the second highest wicket-taker in the ongoing Dhaka Premier Division with 18 wickets. He had an impressive tour of England for Bangladesh A in August and had been in the selectors’ gaze for quite a while, having been a prolific bowler for Khulna Division in the National Cricket League.”Like any other cricketer, it was my dream to make it to the national team,” Al-Amin said. “I am really excited about the opportunity. My next aim is to make it to the playing XI, and take as many wickets as I can.”He could however miss out on a Test debut as both Robiul Islam and Rubel Hossain are in the squad. Robiul is recovering from a hamstring injury, while Rubel had muscle stiffness, but the bowlers are expected to be fit in time. Bangladesh are unlikely to pick three seamers, given that Sohag Gazi and Shakib Al Hasan are automatic picks.As a result, Razzak’s inclusion isn’t much of a surprise and is he unlikely to play unless there is an injury. He has been the perennial back-up spinner in the Test squad previously too, despite his bags of first-class wickets. He is considered a limited-overs specialist and has done well in both ODIs and Twenty20s. He, however, had an impressive first-class season in 2012-13, picking 54 wickets for Khulna and South Zone in the two longer-version tournaments.Naeem returns after a good two Tests against West Indies where he looked like a long-term prospect at No. 4. He scored a century in the first Test, but a careless injury in the Bangladesh Premier League cost him two consecutive tours – Sri Lanka and Zimbabwe. Marshall was in the Test squad for Sri Lanka, but didn’t get a chance to play there. He continued to score runs domestically, scoring six centuries.Anamul, who missed the tour to Zimbabwe due to college exams, has replaced Jahurul Islam and will open with Tamim Iqbal. There are going to be a few contenders for the No. 3 and 4 positions, with Naeem, Mominul Haque and Marshall picked to give the team management options for the two places.Squad for first Test: Mushfiqur Rahim (capt.), Mahmudullah, Anamul Haque, Tamim Iqbal, Shakib Al Hasan, Nasir Hossain, Abdur Razzak, Naeem Islam, Sohag Gazi, Rubel Hossain, Mominul Haque, Marshall Ayub, Robiul Islam, Al-Amin Hossain

Nottinghamshire fast bowler Luke Fletcher is joining Surrey on a month’s loan for red ball cricket, but will remain available for Notts Outlaws in the NatWest T20 Blast

ESPNcricinfo staff15-May-2015Nottinghamshire seam bowler Luke Fletcher is joining Surrey on a month’s loan for red-ball cricket, but will remain available for Notts in the NatWest T20 Blast.He will be with Surrey for Division Two fixtures against Northamptonshire, Kent, Lancashire and Leicestershire as they seek to cover pace-bowling deficiencies that threaten to derail their promotion challenge.Fletcher is yet to make an appearance for the Nottinghamshire first team in 2015, but director of cricket Mick Newell expects him to feature prominently between now and the end of the season.”If we’re going to challenge in three competitions, we need a strong squad of bowlers,” said Newell. “Having that strong group isn’t just about having them in the squad, it’s about maintaining their form and match fitness too. This is a good opportunity for Fletch to get some red ball bowling under his belt.”If he takes wickets down there and comes back with some confidence and form behind him, it will certainly help his chances of playing in our four day team. It would be good for Fletch, good for Notts and good for Surrey if that was the case.”In the meantime, we know what he’s all about in Twenty20 cricket. He has a set of skills with the white ball that he consistently executes. Even if the batsmen know what’s coming, it’s another thing batting against it, so Fletch will have a big role to play for us in T20 cricket, during this loan and beyond it.”Fletcher has taken 203 first-class wickets in 66 appearances for Nottinghamshire, as well as earning plaudits for his specialist death bowling in the shorter formats of the game.

Corey Anderson will play no further part in New Zealand’s tour of England due to a back problem that has restricted his involvement since the first Test

ESPNcricinfo staff12-Jun-2015Corey Anderson will play no further part in New Zealand’s tour of England due to a back problem that has restricted his involvement since the first Test. Anderson will return home for further assessment on the stress-related injury.The news will also come as a blow to Somerset, with the county having signed him as one of their overseas players for the NatWest T20 Blast.Anderson was recovering from a finger fracture when he arrived in England from the IPL but featured in the Lord’s Test, scoring a counterattacking half-century in the second innings. He was only able to bowl eight overs, however, and missed the second Test and the first two ODIs.An MRI scan subsequently revealed a “bone stress related injury to his lumbar spine”, which requires investigation, ruling Anderson out of the remaining three ODIs and T20.”Corey has been working hard to get back to full fitness for the ODI series but he hasn’t been able to overcome this injury,” New Zealand’s coach, Mike Hesson, said. “We felt the best course of action was to send him back to New Zealand for further assessment.”New Zealand have not yet called up a replacement to their 15-man squad.

Kaushal Silva’s 80 and 77 from Sri Lanka captain Angelo Mathews helped Sri Lanka finish the second day of the second Test with a lead of 166 runs

The Report by Rachna Shetty26-Jun-2015
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsAngelo Mathews held Sri Lanka’s innings together after a wobble in the second session•AFP

Kaushal Silva’s 80 and 77 from Sri Lanka captain Angelo Mathews helped Sri Lanka finish the second day of the second Test with a lead of 166 runs. The hosts will, however, be disappointed with a few of their dismissals on the day, which held them back from a more dominating performance. For Pakistan, Yasir Shah was the best bowler, picking up 5 for 95 – his second, successive Test five-for – and crossing a few personal milestones on the way.Mathews was the common thread between two partnerships that stabilised Sri Lanka after wobbles had threatened to erode the advantage of a lead. In the first session, Mathews and Silva came together after Kumar Sangakkara and Lahiru Thirimanne had been dismissed within a short span of time. The pair added 72 for the fourth wicket, seeing the side through to a crucial period of play before lunch, and then capitalising on the loose deliveries on offer from a Pakistan attack that had to shoulder the extra burden of Wahab Riaz’s absence.It was Mathews’ partnership with Dhammika Prasad, however, that was far more crucial for Sri Lanka. The lead had been gained but the advantage seemed to be slipping away when Silva, Dinesh Chandimal and Kithuruwan Vithanage were dismissed for an addition of 11 runs to the score. Mathews, himself, received a few reprieves. He came close to being run-out for 25 in the 69th over when a throw from an off-balance Yasir Shah bought him time. He was dropped on 32 when Yasir Shah couldn’t hold on to a top-edge at mid-on, and then poor communication resulted in Silva’s run-out.He then had to watch as Dinesh Chandimal and Kithuruwan Vithanage played poor shots to fall quickly before Prasad held steady at the crease after surviving an lbw appeal off his first ball. The onus of scoring rested largely on Mathews, but Prasad didn’t hold back on poor deliveries, even stepping out to Babar to score a four over mid-off. By the time the partnership was broken Prasad had contributed 35 runs to Mathews’ 36. That partnership helped Sri Lanka’s lead swell from 64 to 137.Mathews, who came into bat a few overs before lunch, started off with a four off Yasir, using his wrists to play against the turn and he steadily accumulated runs, seeing Sri Lanka through a tricky period before lunch. He favoured the legspinner’s bowling, taking four of his eight boundaries off Yasir, including a powerful reverse-sweep, where he dragged the ball from outside leg stump and played it past point. He even came down the track to Junaid Khan, drilling it straight down the ground for a four.Unfortunately for Sri Lanka, both batsmen were dismissed in successive overs. Prasad was trapped plumb in front by Mohammad Hafeez, while Mathews became Yasir’s 50th Test wicket. The Sri Lanka captain was hit on the pads by a quicker delivery that stayed straight and kept low. He reviewed the on-field umpire’s call, but replays showed there was no inside edge. That wicket helped Yasir become the fastest Pakistan bowler to 50 Test wickets. Soon after, he got rid of Tharindu Kaushal to overtake James Anderson and Stuart Broad as the top Test wicket-taker in 2015 with 24 wickets.The five-for was also a just reward for long spells of bowling, a burden that all Pakistan bowlers had to bear after Wahab was ruled out of the Test due to a knuckle fracture he suffered on the first day. Yasir bowled 34 overs in the day, Babar bowled 25 and Junaid Khan bowled 17.2 overs. Mohammad Hafeez who did not bowl during Sri Lanka’s session on the first day, pitched in with ten overs and took Prasad’s wicket.Resuming from an overnight score of 70 for 1, Sri Lanka were cautious in the first session as Kumar Sangakkara and Silva strove to negate any early-morning advantage the Pakistan bowlers might have. There was little on the track, however, and the first wicket of the day came against the run of play, after the pair had settled down.At the start of the 44th over, Sangakkara made it back to the striker’s end just in time to avoid being run out after a misunderstanding with Silva. When Babar tossed the ball up, Sangakkara stepped out and his lofted shot was held by Asad Shafiq at long-on, who completed an overhead catch.Babar came close to another breakthrough, when Thirimanne turned the ball to Azhar Ali at short-leg. The fielder couldn’t hold on to the catch, but the drop did not prove too costly for Pakistan, as Thirimanne fell to a similar shot off Yasir Shah only three overs later.Silva’s confidence grew as the session progressed. He brought up his half-century with a square-drive off Junaid Khan and he pushed Sri Lanka into the lead with another four off Babar, this time a pull through midwicket. He was finally dismissed for 80, stranded mid-pitch after a poor call while batting with Mathews.

Former Ireland captain Trent Johnston has been appointed interim head coach of New South Wales following the departure of Trevor Bayliss to England

Ger Siggins 19-Jun-2015Former Ireland captain Trent Johnston has been appointed interim head coach of New South Wales following the departure of Trevor Bayliss to England.Johnston, 41, has been an assistant coach at the Blues for the past nine months, and also worked with the youth “Pathways” squad. “It’s a fantastic opportunity for me to taste what it’s like to be head coach of this great organisation”, he said. “We are currently in pre-season, and it’s my job to prepare the squad for the upcoming season.”Johnston is also expected to be a candidate for the job when NSW appoint a full-time head coach. Hailing from Wollongong, Johnston played five first-class games for the state between 1998 and 2000, before moving to Ireland for whom he qualified to play through marriage.He played 97 international matches for Ireland, captaining them to their first World Cup appearance in 2007, where they claimed notable wins over Pakistan and Bangladesh.At the time of his appointment last summer, NSW cricket manager David Moore said, “Trent has an outstanding cricketing background and as a former Blue who has played cricket around the world with Ireland, he will bring a great deal of experience and knowledge to our coaching set-up.”He was a hard-working cricketer who made the most of his abilities and he will bring those qualities to Cricket NSW. We are confident that he will be an invaluable addition to our current group of coaches.”Johnston took up coaching towards the end of his playing career and led Leinster Lightning to four trophies in his two seasons in charge of the Irish province. He also coached the Ireland women’s team at the World T20 and to an excellent victory over Pakistan.

Anurag Thakur, the BCCI secretary, has said that any bilateral series between India and Pakistan was unlikely until the political relationship between the two countries was stable

ESPNcricinfo staff27-Jul-20151:13

No good relations, no good cricket – Anurag Thakur

Anurag Thakur, the BCCI secretary, has said that any bilateral series between India and Pakistan was unlikely until the political relationship between the two countries was stable.Thakur was speaking on Monday soon after a gunfight in the Gurdaspur district in Punjab – close to India’s border with Pakistan – led to several civilian casualties. Though security agencies in India were yet to determine who was responsible for the attack, Thakur, who is also a Member of Parliament from India’s ruling BJP, cited the incident as an example of why he believed the time was not right for a cricket series with Pakistan.”Even today there is a terrorist attack, in Gurdaspur. On one hand there is a rise in terrorist activity from Pakistan, on the other you can’t expect to play a cricket series with Pakistan,” Thakur told ESPNcricinfo. “For me the safety and security of my countrymen is more important than a cricket series. This is not the way to go ahead. I was never against the dialogue process. At the same time, if you do not have good relations, you can’t have good cricket.”Last month the PCB chairman Shaharyar Khan, while visiting India, had said Pakistan had a “Plan B” should the series not go ahead. “We know there is always such a possibility when it comes to Indo-Pak relations but we think the situation will be clear in two months time,” Shaharyar had said. “We have a plan B in case the series (against India) cannot be held but I can’t share the details of that now. If such a situation is created we can call alternative teams.”India have not played a bilateral Test series against Pakistan since 2007, though they did host them for two T20Is and three ODIs between December 2012 and January 2013.