SHARJAH: A hat trick coming on the heels of an unbeaten 49 off 35 balls, by man ‘of the match Wasim Akram helped Pakistan to retain the glittering golden Australasia cup, with a36 run victory over Australia in the final at the Sharjah cricket stadium ‘on April 4th.
Pakistan had won the inaugural Australia cup here in 1986, when Javed Miandad had hit Chetan Sharma for an unforgettable ‘six off the last ball of the match, to slip it ‘across India.
Today’s match was nearly as exciting, before an end of innings collapse by the Australians left them 36 runs short of their objective.
Pakistan, batting first after skipper Imran Khan won the toss, piled up 266 for seven in the allotted 50 overs, thanks mainly to a cultured knock of 87 (104 balls) by Saleem Malik, and by Akram and Mushtaq Ahmed (not out 17 off 15 deliveries),
In reply Australia made an excellent start, with David Boon and Mark Taylor putting on 62 for the opening wicket in 163 overs. Run out of Boon(37:in 58 balls) caused a minor collapse as Dean Jones and Allan Border were consumed in quick succession by man of the series Waqar Younus.
Younus clean bowled in form Jones, and claimed Aussie skipper leg before to add two to his bag of 15 wickets from the earlier three matches.
The stadium, with about 19,000 spectators erupted in sheer ecstasy as Akram punched the air repeatedly in joy,
Pakistan had richly deserved their triumph, and went home with the winner’s purse worth 30,000 U.S, dollars. Australia ‘took 20,000 dollars as runners up prize.
‘After receiving the cup from Shaikh Faisal Al Qassimi, chairman of the cricketers benefit fund series, organizers of the tournament, Pakistan team did a lap of honor.
It was yet another victory for them at their favorite venue, where they have beaten arch rivals India eight times in succession and gained revenge against Australia for defeat in the final of the Benson and Hedges triangular series earlier this season,
SHARJAH: Scoreboard of the final between Australia and Pakistan in the Australia cup cricket tournament here:
Pakistan Saeed Anwar C, Healy B Rackemann 40
Saleem Yousuf LBW B Alderman 5
Javed Miandad C Healy B Waugh 14
Saleem Malik C Border B Taylor 87
Ejaz Ahmed C Healy B Rackemann 20
Imran Khan C Healy B Rackemann 2
Mansoor Rana Run Out 10
Wasim Akram Not Out 49
Mushtaq Ahmed Not Out 17
Extras (B-3, LB-10, W-9) 22
Total (For seven wkts 50 overs) 266 Fall of wickets 1-40, 2-54, 3-80, 4-149, 5-154, 6-179, 7-207.
Bowling: Terry Alderman 5-1-22-1, Merv Hughes 10-0-55-0, Carl Rackemann 10-049-3, Simon © Donnel 10-0-66-0, Steve Waugh 5-0-22-1, Peter Taylor 10-0-39-1.
SHARJAH: Yet another magnificent demonstration of accurate fast bowling by man of the match Waqar Younus enabled Pakistan to crush New Zealand by an eight wicket margin in the first semifinal of the 150,000 dollar Australasia cup cricket tournament, at the Sharjah cricket stadium Tuesday.
The kiwis, which opted to bat first, were all at sea against pace and spin alike, and were bowled out for a miserable total of 74 off only 31.1 overs.
After early inroads had been made by Left arm paceman Wasim Akram (two for 17) and Aaqib Javed (one for 22) it was Waqar who broke the back of the New Zealand middle order, with an analysis of 9.2205,
‘Only one batsman managed to reach double figures — Andrew Jones, who was last out for a gallant 47 off 85 balls.
Such a small total presented no problem for the Pakistani batsmen, and through the ‘openers were dismissed early, Salim Malik (not out 31 off 47 deliveries) and Imran Khan (not out 13 off 26 balls) guided them home in the 16th over with an unbroken 44 run stand for the third wicket.
‘Wicket keeper Saleem Yousuf had contributed a quick fire 25 off just 17 balls with four hits to the fence.
For the kiwis, it was like re-living Sharjah nightmare. At the same venue, in the same tournament four years ago, they had been dismissed by the Pakistanis for an even lower total 64. The debacle had been caused by a magical four wicket haul by leg spinner Abdul Qadir, who was omitted from the Pakistani line up Tuesday. His replacement and clone, Mushtaq Ahmed, had a fine analysis of 4.1-2-4-2,
In the final, scheduled for Friday, the Pakistanis will take on the winners of the other semifinal between Australia and Sri Lanka to be played on Wednesday.
New Zealand went into the match with a side that was unchanged from the one that had beaten minnows Bangladesh by a huge 161-run margin in the last group match. The Pakistanis excluded Mansoor Rana and paceman Zakir Khan from the XI that had taken on Sri Lanka on Sunday. Wasim Akram and Sajjad Akbar regained their places, while Mushtaq Ahmed was preferred to his fellow leg spinner Abdul Qadir.
The kiwis never recovered from the loss of their best batsman, Martin Crowe off the first ball of the third over. Wasim Akram, bowling off a shortened run up, got the ball to fly from just short of a length, and Crowe could not resist flashing at it. The snick was taken by a diving Saleem Yousuf, whose wicket keeping in this tournament has been of the highest order.
Aaqib Javed, who was driven and cut by Andrew Jones for fours, snared wright with the last ball of his own third over with a Yorker that crashed into the stumps, and when Akram in the 11th over of the innings, had Mark Great batch caught by substitute Mansoor Rana (who stood in for Javed Miandad after the Pakistani vice-captain injured his leg in a collision with Wright) at point, it was clear that the Kiwis had already shot their bolt.
The arrival of Waqar Younus only hastened the debacle. The slightest built paceman had Ken Rutherford, scoreless for a long while, caught behind. From then on, it was a procession of batsmen to and from the pavilion, as Waqar tore the heart out of the kiwi batting. Only the obdurate Andrew Jones offered any resistance, and should have got a richly deserved half ‘century, but for the fact that he ran out of partners and finally left to a desperate shot.
A total of 74 was not going to bother Pakistani batting line up, but Saeed Anwar wasted a good opportunity of improving his batting average by slashing wildly at the awkward Jonathan Millmow, and being caught by Shane Thomson. ‘Yousuf, who has got runs in every one of his three essays thus far, made a neat 25, reaching the ropes on four occasions before he too became a millmow victim.
Salim Malik, whose two early failures made him extra cautious this time, took his time before getting into his stride, but later produced some fine off drives and steeps in 247 ball knock,. His unbroken third wicket stand with Skipper Imran produced 44 runs, in which Imran’s contribution was but 13 off 26 bas.
With this five wicket bag, Waqar Younus now heads the list of bowlers by a wide margin. In three games thus far, he has scalped as many as 15 batsmen, at a total cost of 88 runs, from 29 overs. That gives him an average of fewer than six runs per wicket claimed — truly a magnificent display of swing bowling in most unhelpful conditions. It would seem there can be no other candidate for the award of man of the series.
Article extracted from this publication >> May 11, 1990
