Pakistan players rise in latest Test player rankings

For Bangladesh, Shakib Al Hasan’s scores of 89 not out and 13 have helped him move up five places to a career-high 30th

Pakistan players rise in latest Test player rankings - Cricket News
Yasir Shah (20th) has moved into the top 20 for the first time in his career after rising six places.

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Following Pakistan’s 328 run victory over Bangladesh in the second Test in Mirpur on Saturday, a number of its players have made gains in the latest Reliance ICC Test Players Rankings

Younus Khan has moved up one place to seventh in the Reliance ICC Player Rankings for Test Batsmen after scores of 148 and 39, while Azhar Ali has also moved up five places to 16th position after compiling 226 and 25 in the match which helped steer the visitors to a 1-0 series win. On way to his maiden Test double-century, Azhar also passed the 3,000-run landmark (and now stands at 3,185 in 41 Tests).

For Bangladesh, Shakib Al Hasan’s scores of 89 not out and 13 have helped him move up five places to a career-high 30th.

Though the top 10 in the Reliance ICC Player Rankings for Test Bowlers has remained unchanged, there were some big movers with Pakistan left arm opening bowler Junaid Khan moving up two places to 15th after claiming match figures of three for 71.

Yasir Shah (20th) has moved into the top 20 for the first time in his career after rising six places following match figures of seven for 131, Mohammad Hafeez has climbed five places to a career high 34th position and Wahab Riaz has gained 10 places to raise to 52nd spot.

Bangladesh’s Mohammad Shahid has vaulted 36 places to 84th after match figures of four for 95, while Shuvagata Hom has broken into the top 100 for the first time in 87th spot (up by 15 places) after claiming three for 94 runs.


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Tamin Iqbal stars credit in Bangladesh's historic win over Pakistan

Tamim Iqbal smashed a second consecutive century to steer Bangladesh to their first ever one-day series win over Pakistan with an emphatic seven-wicket victory in Dhaka on Sunday

The left-handed opener hit an unbeaten run-a-ball 116 as the hosts, chasing Pakistan's 239 for six, cruised home in the 39th over to take an unbeatable 2-0 lead in the three-match series.
The new-look Pakistan, with just four World Cuppers in their ranks and led for the first time in a series by Azhar Ali, needed a massive improvement after their 79-run defeat in Friday's opening match.

But a top-order collapse pushed them in a corner and left the tourists seeking a consolation win in the third and final match at the same Sher-e-Bangla stadium in Dhaka on Wednesday.

Bangladesh captain Mashrafe Mortaza, who had missed the opening match due to a one-match ban for his team's slow over-rates at the World Cup, wanted his team to push for a 3-0 whitewash.

"The boys are obviously very happy, but the job is not done yet because we have one more match to go," he said. "This one was almost a perfect match for us and we want to continue like this.

"Tamim and Rahim have been brilliant with the bat in this series and Shakib has led from the front with the ball."

Pakistan's Ali said the two games so far were were a learning exercise for his young, inexperienced team.

"I don't think 240 was enough on this good wicket and that was because we did not bat well at the top," he said.

"But as everyone knows, Pakistan are in the process of rebuilding. The boys will learn from this and help them come back strongly. We have to trust the younger players and be patient with them

Saad Nasim and Wahab Riaz hit unbeaten half-centuries to lift Pakistan to a seemingly competitive score after they were reduced to 77-5 by the 22nd over of the day-night international.

Tamim, who made 132 in the previous match, made a mockery of the target after racing to his half-century off just 31 balls.
Junaid Khan removed fellow-opener Soumya Sarker cheaply for 17, but Tamim calmed the home supporters' nerves with three successive boundaries off both Saeed Ajmal and Wahab Riaz.

By the time Ajmal bowled Mahmdullah for 17 to give Pakistan their second wicket, Bangladesh had taken control of the game by reaching 100 in just 14 overs.

Mushfiqur Rahim, who also hit a century in the first game, continued his good form with 65 off 70 balls as Bangladesh ended their series drought against Pakistan with 71 ball deliveries to spare.

Shakib Al Hasan hit the winning run soon after Tamim, who struck 17 fours and six, completed his sixth one-day century by gliding Junaid to fine-leg.

Earlier, Nasim was unbeaten on 77 in only his second international and Riaz struck 51 off 40 balls as Pakistan crossed the 200-run mark on the slow pitch.

Nasim began the rescue act by adding 77 for the sixth wicket with Haris Sohail, who made 44.

Ali and Sarfraz Ahmed put on an opening stand of 36 before the top-order crumbled in dramatic fashion.

Mortaza, playing his 150th one-day international, claimed one wicket when he took a return catch to end Sohail's resistance.

Pakistan will also play a Twenty20 match and two Tests on their month-long tour of Bangladesh.

collocted from:http://sports.yahoo.com

Pakistan spinner Raza Hassan faces two-year drugs ban

Raza has represented Pakistan at ODI and T20 level // Getty Images

Left-armer to be to front committee after testing positive for cocaine

Pakistan spinner Raza Hassan has tested positive for cocaine and faces a two-year ban from all forms of cricket.The left-armer failed a dope test at a World Anti-Doping Agency accredited laboratory in India after a sample was taken during the Pentangular Cup in Karachi.

Hassan, who has represented his country at one-day international and T20 level, tested positive for the banned recreational drug while playing for Punjab Badshahs.

"The results of the second sample are still awaited but on the basis of the first sample results, the board has already established a two-member committee to chargesheet the spinner and seek an explanation from him," a source close to the Pakistan Cricket Board told the Press Trust of India.

The two-member committee includes former Pakistan Test wicketkeeper Colonel Naushad Ali and a qualified sports medicine doctor.

"The PCB is taking the matter very seriously because this is the first time any player has tested positive for the use of cocaine," the source said.

"If Hassan can't clear himself before the inquiry committee, he faces a two-year ban from all cricket.”

Former Pakistan fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar tested positive for steroids in 2006, the same year fellow paceman Mohammad Asif was also banned for steroid use, but the PCB overturned both bans.

Ex-Australia Test spinner Jason Krejza tested positive to cocaine in 2006, but the off-spinner claimed his drink was spiked and further testing revealed no trace of the drug.

Shane Warne was infamously banned for 12 months on the eve of the 2003 Cricket World Cup after testing positive for a banned diuretic which helps increase the removal of water from the body and also acts as a masking agent.

Warne returned a year later and played on until the 5-0 Ashes whitewash in the summer of 2006-07 before retiring as the game’s leading Test wicket-taker.


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