Monday 4 June 2012

Adnan Akmal

Adnan Akmal Biography
Full name Adnan Akmal

Born March 13, 1985, Lahore, Punjab

Major teams Pakistan, Agriculture Development Bank of Pakistan, Lahore Lions, Multan, North of Pakistan, Pakistan Cricket Board Blues, Pakistan Under-17s, Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited, Zarai Taraqiati Bank Limited

Batting style Right-hand bat

Fielding position Wicketkeeper

Relation Brother - Kamran Akmal, Brother - Umar Akmal

One of three brothers to play - and keep wickets - for Pakistan, Adnan is the best pure wicketkeeper of the trio; he replaced elder brother Kamran in the Test side when making his debut in October 2010 and he did nothing thereafter to dispel that assessment.

Had it not been for a selection miscommunication back in 2004, Adnan may have played for Pakistan much earlier and longer. Both Kamran and Adnan were called up by accident for a national camp before a tri-series tournament and after much confusion over who was wanted, Kamran was kept. The late Bob Woolmer, Pakistan's coach at the time, felt Adnan to be the best wicketkeeper in the country.

Consistent domestic success, however, and the continuing errors of Kamran kept him in the frame. Ultimately it took the flight of Zulqarnain Haider for him to earn a Test debut but polished performances over four Tests justified the pick. In his last Test he took eight catches, before he was surprisingly dropped from the Test side, without explanation in 2011.

Adnan Akmal

Adnan Akmal
Adnan Akmal 61 vs England 2012

Adnan Akmal

Kamran Akmal Brother Adnan Akmal Stunt

Younis Khan

Younis Khan Biography
Full name Mohammad Younis Khan

Born November 29, 1977, Mardan, North-West Frontier Province

Major teams Pakistan, Habib Bank Limited, Nottinghamshire, Peshawar Cricket Association, Rajasthan Royals, South Australia, Surrey, Warwickshire, Yorkshire

Also known as Younus Khan

Playing role Middle-order batsman

Batting style Right-hand bat

Bowling style Right-arm medium, Legbreak

Younis Khan is fearless, as befits his Pathan ancestry and will forever be remembered as the second Khan to bring home a world title for Pakistan: Younis was Pakistan's captain in the 2009 World Twenty20, leading a successful campaign with stark similarities to the one Imran Khan had led 17 years earlier. Younis retired from the format straight after, a graceful and dignified gesture from a complex but honest man.

It is as a batsman, and a fearless one, that he made his name first, playing with a flourish. He is especially strong in the arc from backward point to extra cover. He is prone to getting down on one knee and driving extravagantly. But this flamboyance is coupled with grit.

Though Younis was one of the few batsmen who retained his place in the team after Pakistan's disastrous World Cup campaign in 2003, he lost it soon after due to a string of poor scores in the home series against Bangladesh and South Africa. He came back for the one-day series against India, but failed to cement a place in the Test side. He is among the better fielders in Pakistan and he took a world-record four catches in one innings as substitute during Pakistan's demolition of Bangladesh in the 2001-02 Asian Test Championship.

But until his return to the side in October 2004, he wasn't a fixture. At the pivotal one-down, against Sri Lanka in Karachi, a century laid the groundwork for his emergence as a force in Pakistan cricket. He was the top run-getter in the disastrous 3-0 whitewash in Australia immediately after and on the tour of India, for which Younis was elevated to vice-captain, he blossomed. After a horror start to the series he came back strongly, capping things off with a match-winning 267 in the final Test. He credits the late Bob Woolmer, to whom he was close, for the turnaround in his career.

Since then, barring minor troughs such as the 2005-06 series against England at home, his career has been one elongated peak, scoring hundreds against India and England for fun and becoming Pakistan's most successful one-down in recent memory. More importantly, the tour to India also showcased his potential as a future captain of Pakistan and his energetic and astute leadership has impressed many people. As captain in Inzamam's absence he led the side to a disastrous loss against the West Indies in 2005 but also to a memorable win against India in Karachi in January 2006.

He blotted his book by suddenly resigning from the captaincy in Inzamam's absence for the Champions Trophy 2006, only to return a day later and lead a scandal-afflicted side to a disappointing first round exit. He was the favourite to take over the captaincy after Pakistan's ignominous World Cup ouster in 2007 but he turned it down, citing mental strain and decided to honour his commitment with Yorkshire by making himself unavailable for Pakistan. In January 2009, however, the PCB came calling a third time, after Pakistan's disastrous home ODI series against Sri Lanka, and appointed him captain in place of Shoaib Malik. Within a few months, with the Twenty20 win, Younis was looking a natural leader.

But the peace, once again, did not last long and several senior players in the team expressed misgivings over Younis' leadership. Things came to a head against New Zealand in Sharjah, after which he announced his resignation from the top-job and sought a break from the team for the tour down under. He was included in the ODI team, midway through a disastrous tour, but struggled for form and runs. His career hit its biggest controversy in March 2010 when, along with Mohammad Yousuf, he was banned by the PCB from all Pakistan teams, for causing infighting within the team, in effect ending his career.

Younis Khan

Younis Khan 200* Vs Bangladesh 2011 HD

Younis Khan

Younas Khan Completes 300 runs in 1 innings against Sri Lanka 24/02/2009

Taufeeq Umar

Taufeeq Umar Biography

Full name Taufeeq Umar

Born June 20, 1981, Lahore, Punjab

Major teams Pakistan, Habib Bank Limited, ICL Pakistan XI, Lahore, Lahore Badshahs, Mumbai Champs, Pakistan Reserves

Batting style Left-hand bat

Bowling style Right-arm offbreak

Relation Uncle - Pervez Akhtar

A left-hand opener from Lahore, Taufeeq Umar first made his mark in the Lombard World Under-15 Challenge in England in 1996. He made 87 against England in the semi-final, and in the final, which Pakistan lost to India, he opened with Hasan Raza, who was to play Test cricket shortly afterwards. A front-foot player who drives well, Taufeeq is nonetheless a good cutter. He can also bowl some handy offspin. Taufeeq could not have asked for an easier initiation into international cricket - he played his first Test against Bangladesh, and duly notched up a hundred to become the eighth player to score a century on Test debut for Pakistan. But far more impressive were his subsequent performances - an 88 against a top-class Australian attack was followed by a flawless 135 against South Africa at Cape Town. On those bouncy pitches, Taufeeq had ample time to play the seamers. He did not get much opportunity in the World Cup, but showed himself to be an absolute asset in Pakistan's home series against South Africa, scoring a hundred and three fifties in four innings.

Yet, as a result of Pakistan's lack of patience with their openers, he was axed a few Tests later after a string of moderate performances. Since then he has been in and out - more out - of the team. When he has been given a chance since, he has looked understandably nervous but given that no opener in Pakistan has been allowed to settle into the side, the door remains ajar.

Taufeeq Umar

Taufeeq Umar
Taufeeq Umar scores 236 Pakistan vs Sri Lanka

Taufeeq Umar
Taufeeq Umar's 200 runs

Salman Butt

Salman Butt Biography

Full name Salman Butt

Born October 7, 1984, Lahore, Punjab

Major teams Pakistan, Kolkata Knight Riders, Lahore Blues, Lahore Eagles, Lahore Lions, Lahore Reds, Pakistan Cricket Board Blues, Pakistan Cricket Board Patron's XI, Pakistan Cricket Board Reds, Punjab (Pakistan), Punjab Stallions

Playing role Batsman

Batting style Left-hand bat

Bowling style Right-arm offbreak

Because he is left-handed and possessed of some supple wrists, it is easy to compare Salman Butt with the delightful Saeed Anwar. His drives and cuts through the arc between extra cover and backward point are inevitably flicked, often scooped and it is a high-scoring region. He doesn't mind pulling either and off his toes, he is efficient rather than whippy as Anwar was. Further, like Anwar, Butt's footwork doesn't really hold him back. But in attitude and temperament Butt is more Anwar's long-time partner, Aamir Sohail.

He has a confident air about him, a spikiness and is one of the few younger players confident when speaking English. His breakthrough period was the winter of 2004, where he first scored an ODI century against India at Eden Gardens and then went further by scoring a fifty and a maiden Test century in Sydney later in the year. For most of 2005, he failed to build on that and despite another ODI century, also against India, doubts about his defensive technique and overt dash crept in, resulting in him dropping in and out of the team. But against England to end the year, he responded to criticism by unveiling a startling restraint and change of tempo, hitting a century and two fifties in the Tests, each innings commendably restrained. Though his consistency isn't up to the mark, he still remains a vital member of the Test team. Following the disastrous tour of Australia in 2009-10, where senior players were slapped with serious punishments by the PCB, Butt came through unharmed and was given the vice- captaincy for the Asia Cup and England tour in 2010.

He had made impressive strides at age-level matches before making his Test debut against Bangladesh in 2003-04, playing in the Under-19 World Cup and touring South Africa with Pakistan's Academy team, smashing 233 against the South African Academy side. His strokeplay has never been in doubt and he is capable of providing electrifying starts when needed but with the tightening of his defense, Butt could be one half of the opening conundrum that has so haunted Pakistan since...well, Anwar and Sohail left the scene.

2010 became a significant year for him as he finally cemented his place in all three formats and eventually succeeded Shahid Afridi as Test captain. But after winning much praise for his leadership on and off the field - and leading Pakistan to Test wins against Australia and England - his career was rocked by charges of involvement in spot-fixing and, in February 2011, he was handed a ten-year ban (with five years suspended) by the ICC.

Salman Butt

Salman butt 101 vs India

Salman Butt

Salman butt hundred vs India at Peshawar

Saeed Ajmal

Saeed Ajmal Biography

Full name Saeed Ajmal

Born October 14, 1977, Faisalabad, Punjab

Major teams Pakistan, Faisalabad, Islamabad Cricket Association, Khan Research Labs, Water and Power Development Authority

Playing role Bowler

Batting style Right-hand bat

Bowling style Right-arm offbreak

Saeed Ajmal, an offspinner, received a call-up to the Pakistan squad for the Asia Cup at the age of 30 after an impressive domestic season with Khan Research Labs in 2007-08, during which he took 38 wickets in 12 first-class matches at an average of 29 apiece, and 12 wickets in nine list A games. He made an immediate impression with his subtle variations, unafraid to use the doosra. But his career took off with a series of ODI performances that bewildered Australia in Dubai and Abu Dhabi; he gave away few runs and his doosra was nigh-on unreadable. The ICC called him for his action, though it was cleared soon after. The pressure didn't get to him and immediately after, he played a crucial role in Pakistan's drive to the 2009 World Twenty20 title, regularly bottling up the middle overs with Shahid Afridi. He ended the joint second-highest wicket-taker in the tournament, with an exemplary economy rate as batsmen around the world struggled to pick a big turning doosra or even cope with his changes in flight, pace and angle. Consistent performances in the ODI version have quickly earned him a reputation for choking the runs in the middle overs with clever variations.

Saeed Ajmal

HD Saeed Ajmal 3 wickets Vs Sri Lanka

Saeed Ajmal
Saeed Ajmal First Wicket In ODI Vs India