SA, Pakistan gear up for WC
Friday, 29 October 2010
ABU DHABI, Oct 28 (AFP): South Africa and Pakistan gear up for next year's World Cup with a five-match one-day series starting here from Friday, as captains Graeme Smith and Shahid Afridi urged their teams to keep focus.
South Africa are in top form after thumping a hapless Zimbabwe 3-0 in a one-day series at home and beat Pakistan in both the Twenty20 matches here comfortably in a prelude to the 50-over matches.
Smith, who handed Twenty20 captaincy to Johan Botha last month to prolong his career, said development of the side is key ahead of the 2011 World Cup to be jointly hosted by India, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh starting February.
"It will be the first taste of the sub-continent conditions before the World Cup," Smith said of the series here. "South Africa is keen on the development of the side before the World Cup and are excited to be here."
South Africa, one of the top teams not to have won the World Cup, will also play two Tests in Dubai and Abu Dhabi in a series shifted to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) due to security fears in Pakistan.
Smith hoped cricket will remain in focus after Pakistan's recent tour of England marred by spot-fixing allegations which damaged the game at international level.
Teams:
Pakistan: Shahid Afridi (capt), Imran Farhat, Shahzaib Hasan, Mohammad Hafeez, Younis Khan, Asad Shafiq, Umar Akmal, Misbah-ul-Haq, Fawad Alam, Abdul Razzaq, Zulqarnain Haider, Umar Gul, Shoaib Akhtar, Wahab Riaz, Tanveer Ahmed, Saeed Ajmal, Abdul Rehman
South Africa: Graeme Smith (capt), Hashim Amla, AB de Villiers, Johan Botha, Jean-Paul Duminy, Colin Ingram, Jacques Kallis, Charl Langeveldt, David Miller, Albie Morkel, Morne Morkel, Wayne Parnell, Robin Peterson, Rusty Theron, Lonwabo Tsotsobe.
South Africa are in top form after thumping a hapless Zimbabwe 3-0 in a one-day series at home and beat Pakistan in both the Twenty20 matches here comfortably in a prelude to the 50-over matches.
Smith, who handed Twenty20 captaincy to Johan Botha last month to prolong his career, said development of the side is key ahead of the 2011 World Cup to be jointly hosted by India, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh starting February.
"It will be the first taste of the sub-continent conditions before the World Cup," Smith said of the series here. "South Africa is keen on the development of the side before the World Cup and are excited to be here."
South Africa, one of the top teams not to have won the World Cup, will also play two Tests in Dubai and Abu Dhabi in a series shifted to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) due to security fears in Pakistan.
Smith hoped cricket will remain in focus after Pakistan's recent tour of England marred by spot-fixing allegations which damaged the game at international level.
Teams:
Pakistan: Shahid Afridi (capt), Imran Farhat, Shahzaib Hasan, Mohammad Hafeez, Younis Khan, Asad Shafiq, Umar Akmal, Misbah-ul-Haq, Fawad Alam, Abdul Razzaq, Zulqarnain Haider, Umar Gul, Shoaib Akhtar, Wahab Riaz, Tanveer Ahmed, Saeed Ajmal, Abdul Rehman
South Africa: Graeme Smith (capt), Hashim Amla, AB de Villiers, Johan Botha, Jean-Paul Duminy, Colin Ingram, Jacques Kallis, Charl Langeveldt, David Miller, Albie Morkel, Morne Morkel, Wayne Parnell, Robin Peterson, Rusty Theron, Lonwabo Tsotsobe.