Miandad also praised veteran captain Misbahul Haq, who led the team from the scandal of spot-fixing in 2010 to the glory of number one ranking: “He (Misbah) has kept the side united and fired up especially after the spot-fixing scandal that took place in 2010”.
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Pakistan rose to become the No. 1 Test team in the International Cricket Council rankings for the first time ever on Monday, after the fourth Test between India and West Indies was washed out. “Yes, the stadium is not as big, but it is a ideal ground when it comes to the playing area”.
“Too many young players are jumping the gun and not wanting to play Test matches because of the attraction of T20 cricket”, Richards said. But the critical point is you (have to) play some good cricket. This announcement immediately sparked the imagination of cricket fans around the world as the two T20 heavyweights were set to face off in unfamiliar territory for the first time. But experience-wise he is not a force to reckon with having just played three Tests, 14 ODIs and eight T20s.
West Indies take on India in the first game of the two match Twenty20 global (T20I) series at the Central Broward Regional Park Stadium Turf Ground on 27 August (Saturday).
The main aim of this short series is to promote cricket in the region and which better teams than World Champions West Indies and India to do so. His recent records in limited-overs cricket are not enviable either – since the World Cup past year, Dhoni has overseen series defeats against Bangladesh, South Africa and Australia.
Indian coach Anil Kumble was, however, still optimistic about a good performance in what will be his first assignment with Dhoni.
India will be facing a much stronger side under Brathwaite than they encountered in the four-Test series which they won 2-0.
The West Indies have been given a three-day practice match against the PCB patrons eleven under lights at Sharjah to prepare them for the day and night Test. No further play could be held over the next four days. “It is more in the mind”, the former skipper said. “Going forward I think being India cricketers, expectations are something that you always have and I hope I can live up to the expectations and keep winning games for the country”, he added.
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Although Brathwaite had stated that T20 players were “mature enough” to handle the leadership change, coach Simmons observed that the primary objective of the new captain would be to carry on the “good work” that his predecessor Darren Sammy had done while at the helm of the team.
