Monday 16 November 2015

Dunya TV

Dunya TV

Tennis: Murray, Nadal in dominant mood at Tour Finals

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LONDON (AFP) - Andy Murray and Rafael Nadal produced emphatic responses to the critics as they kicked off their ATP Tour Finals campaigns in dominant fashion on Monday.Murray silenced the doubters who claimed he was distracted by dreams of Davis Cup glory with a gritty 6-4, 6-4 win over David Ferrer, while Nadal, beset by problems during the worst year of his career, showed he isnt finished yet with a 6-3, 6-2 thrashing of French Open champion Stan Wawrinka.Former Wimbledon champion Murray has made it clear his main priority in the closing weeks of the season is Great Britains attempt to win the Davis Cup for the first time since 1936 in their first final since 1978.Britain face Belgium in the final on clay in Ghent next week and Murray had initially suggested he might pull out of the Tour Finals to fine-tune his preparations for the Davis Cup.After learning of potential sanctions from the ATP if he withdrew, Murray settled for spending most of last week practising his clay-court game across London at Queens Club before arriving at the O2 on Friday.It was hardly ideal preparation and inevitably Murrays commitment against Ferrer was under close scrutiny from cynics who doubted whether the world number two really wanted to risk injury with the Davis Cup just around the corner.But Murray assuaged those worries with a typically whole-hearted 90-minute display to see off Ferrer in his opening group match in the prestigious season-ending event.If I didnt play here, I would have gone three weeks or something without playing a match before the Davis Cup Final, Murray said.Obviously its a different surface here, but playing matches against the best players in the world is also fantastic preparation.I feel good just now. Hopefully I can perform well here and in Belgium.While Murray was unable to win a Grand Slam this year, his impressive consistency over the last 11 months has brought him to the verge of finishing second in the year-end world rankings for the first time. The 28-year-old will now be guaranteed that milestone if he wins one of his remaining two group matches against Nadal and Wawrinka.After winning at least one Grand Slam title in each of the last 10 years, 2015 has been a fallow period for Nadal.The injury-plagued 14-time Grand Slam winner saw his long reign as French Open champion ended by Novak Djokovic in the quarter-finals and also suffered shock early exits from Wimbledon and the US Open.Nadal, 29, has lost a career-worst 19 matches this season and at one stage he slumped to 10th in the world -- his lowest position since 2005.In contrast to Nadals struggles, Wawrinka has been in the best form of his life, winning four titles including his second Grand Slam, and the world number four was hoping to cap his year by reaching the final of the Tour Finals for the first time.Wawrinka, 30, made the perfect start against Nadal, who had lost three of his last four encounters with the Swiss, as he earned a break in the opening game, but that was the cue for the Spaniard to spring into action.Nadal broke back in the next game and wore down Wawrinka in a marathon eighth game that lasted nearly seven minutes to secure a second break that settled the set.The Tour Finals is one of the few major prizes to have escaped Nadal in his glittering career and winning it this week would at least partially salvage his disappointing year.Aided by 35 unforced errors from Wawrinka, Nadal took the first step to that goal as he broke twice in the second set to seal the win.Im very happy to be back, the last year has been tough, Nadal said.Im very happy to start like this, thats important for my confidence. I have the motivation to keep improving my tennis.

Tennis: Davis Cup final must go on says Murray

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LONDON (AFP) - Andy Murray insists the Davis Cup final between Great Britain and Belgium must go ahead in the aftermath of the horrific Paris attacks.Murray and his Britain team-mates are due to travel to Ghent next week to face Belgium from November 27 to 29.But concerns have been raised about staging the match so soon after armed men and suicide bombers killed 129 people in Paris last week.And security fears are also an issue after French President Francois Hollande said that Fridays attacks were planned in Syria but launched from Belgium.On Monday, Belgian authorities charged two people with involvement in terrorism after they were arrested over the attacks.Asked if he was concerned about how security would be handled at the final, world number two Murray, speaking after his ATP Tour Finals victory over David Ferrer at Londons O2 Arena on Monday, told reporters: Well, I think everybody right now is concerned about things. But I do think the best thing that we can do is to live our normal lives, not change too much, because then the terrorists are the ones that are winning.We need to go out there and do what we always do and try not to change too much. Thats all we can do.Its a terrible, terrible tragedy. Obviously everyone was very upset by it.Hopefully everyone can come together and try and sort it out.But I dont want to live my life in fear each time I step on a tennis court. So thats what Ill do.Britain are bidding to win the Davis Cup for the first time since 1936 in their first final appearance in 37 years.

Football: Messi returns to Barca training ahead of Real clash

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MADRID (AFP) - Barcelona star Lionel Messi returned to training with his team-mates on Monday following a knee injury, ahead of the league leaders trip to Real Madrid this weekend. Messi hasnt featured for Barca since sustaining knee ligament damage in a 2-1 victory over Las Palmas at the end of September, but is in line to make his comeback in Saturdays first Clasico of the season at the Santiago Bernabeu.(Mondays training) session included the presence of Leo Messi, who is in the process of recovering from a left knee injury suffered on September 26, read a post on Barcas club website.Barca have performed well in the absence of the four-time Ballon dOr winner, with four straight league victories propelling Luis Enriques men to the top of La Liga, three points ahead of arch-rivals Madrid in second.Neymar and Luis Suarez have scored 10 goals apiece since the Argentine was sidelined, and the duo could again lead the line at the weekend with Spanish media suggesting that Barca may not rush Messi back into the starting line-up as a precaution.Croatian midfielder Ivan Rakitic also returned to training after injuring his calf in a 3-0 Champions League group stage victory over BATE Borisov at the start of the month.

Football: Walters firers Ireland into Euro 2016

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DUBLIN (AFP) - Jon Walters was the toast of Lansdowne Road as his brace against Bosnia-Herzegovina in a 2-0 victory fired Ireland to next summers European Championship Finals in France.The Stoke City striker missed Fridays play-off first leg through suspension but he more than made up for that with a goal in each half that saw Martin ONeills men progress 3-1 on aggregate.Its unbelievable -- I couldnt have written that script. Thankfully I got to play some games and were through -- thats all that matters, Ireland goalkeeper Darren Randolph told Sky Sports.Bosnia manager Mehmed Bazdarevic will be bitterly disappointed with his sides poor showing, but for Ireland it was the most complete performance of a roller coaster campaign, on the most crucial night.The hosts were simply better in every department, bullying the visitors in the first half and taking their chances when they arrived.With an away goal advantage, Ireland could have set out to merely defend, but ONeill sent out a team to attack with Walters starting while retaining the set piece skills of Robbie Brady -- who scored in Zenica -- at left back.Bazdarevic made three changes to his team with Sead Kolasinac, Ongjen Vranjes and Haris Medujanin starting as he returned to a typical 4-2-3-1 formation, with Edin Dzeko spearheading the attack.Ireland came into the game on the back of eight home games without defeat, with last months victory over Germany the standout result, but few of the home crowd expected anything less than a tense night.How wrong they were.While Bazdarevic vowed to attack, Bosnias first half performance was marked by indiscipline with Emir Spahic, in particular, fortunate to remain on the field.Robbie Brady and Jeff Hendrick were central to the best of Irelands play, with much of the attacking play directed at Bosnias right wing.Though Bradys crossing was erratic, he continued to worry the Bosnian defence with Asmir Begovic and Ervin Zukanovic both required to make last ditch clearances from his deliveries.Miralem Pjanic wasnt influencing things as he would have liked for the visitors, while Dzeko was also a fringe figure with just one off target shot to show at the break.Spahic was the first to go into the referees book when he snapped into a tackle on Hendrick, and he was soon followed by Senad Lulic, protesting what was a questionable penalty award against Zukanovic, who handled Murphys cross.Walters, increasingly central to ONeills set up, was nerveless as he calmly found the bottom left of the goal, giving his former Stoke City team mate Begovic no chance.Medunjanin had Bosnias best chance of the half but he failed to control his volley after Dzekos cushioned knockdown.Ireland lived more dangerously in the first ten minutes of the second half with Clark, first, required to clear Medunjanins in-swinging free kick, and then Lulic should really have tested Randolph following good work by Edin Visca on the right wing.ONeill shuffled his deck before the hour, introducing the pace and energy of James McClean and Shane Long for the tiring Wesley Hoolahan and Daryl Murphy.McClean and Long gave Ireland a new dimension in attack, but it was Walters who struck again in the second half -- with Brady finally delivering the kind of precise set piece hes shown before.His whipped cross was too much for Vranjes to deal with and his attempted clearance fell kindly to Walters who showed great composure once more, volleying home past Begovic at the near post.Long almost wrapped things up in the 75th minute when he chased down a hopeful punt from Glenn Whelan, and nipped ahead of the hapless Spahic, but the Southampton forward lost his footing at the crucial moment and sent his shot wide.Vedad Ibisevic thumped a volley on to the crossbar in the dying seconds, but nothing was going to wreck the Irish party and the hosts celebrated a famous win that sees them into just a third ever European Championships.

Golf: Wait over as McDowell claims Mexico victory

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PLAYA DEL CARMEN (AFP) - Graeme McDowell said he hopes his first PGA Tour victory in more than two years can act as a springboard to Major championship glory on Monday after clinching a play-off victory in the weather-hit OHL Classic at Mayakoba.The 36-year-old Northern Irishman has endured a miserable 2015, failing to post a top 10 finish while watching his world ranking slide as low as 80th, way down from his peak position of fourth in 2011.But the European Ryder Cup star wiped away the disappointment when play resumed at the El Camaleon Golf Club on Monday, winning a three-way play-off to defeat Jason Bohn of the United States and Scotlands Russell Knox. It really gives me something to grab onto, a delighted McDowell said afterwards. You go through a year like this and you think Am I finished? Am I not good enough? You ask yourself all the questions, weve all been there. Ive been dreaming of this day. And I said to myself that I was going to appreciate it when it came -- and Im going to appreciate this one let me tell you, because this years been a grind. This is special. This is a nice step back to where I want to be. Because I want to be back up there, winning more Major championships, more major tournaments. McDowell sealed victory with a superb birdie on the first hole of the play-off, tapping in a three-foot putt after a sublime five iron second shot which kissed the cup. He advanced to the play-off after a nervy final few holes as the final round was completed early Monday. He three-putted the 16th and then rolled in a tricky 10-foot putt to save par on the final hole. Knox meanwhile, who had been bidding for back-to-back victories after winning the WGC-HSBC Champions tournament in Shanghai earlier this month, saw his dream of victory falter after he bogeyed the last hole in regulation.

Australian paceman Mitchell Johnson retires

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PERTH (AFP) - Searing Australian paceman Mitchell Johnson Tuesday announced his retirement from all international cricket at the end of the ongoing Test against New Zealand, joining a host of fellow veterans who recently called it quits.I feel now is the best time to say goodbye, the 34-year-old said in a statement ahead of the fifth days play at Perths WACA Ground.Its been an incredible ride. But the ride has to come to an end at some point and to do so here at the WACA is very special.He follows Michael Clarke, Brad Haddin, Ryan Harris, Chris Rogers and Shane Watson into retirement, who all quit after the recent Ashes series against England.Speculation had been rife about Johnsons future ahead of the second Test against the Kiwis, with the bowler admitting last week that he thought about retirement most days.On his adopted home ground which has been the scene of some of his most lethal spells during a 73-Test career, he returned dismal figures of 1-157 in the first innings against New Zealand.His sole wicket moved the left-armer past Brett Lee and into fourth place on the all-time Test wickets list for Australia, with 311. He sits behind Dennis Lillee (355), Glenn McGrath (563) and Shane Warne (708).Ive given the decision a lot of thought, said Johnson, who emotionally told his teammates of his decision at the conclusion of play on the fourth day.Beyond this match, Im just not sure that I can continue competing consistently at the level required to wear the baggy green.After making his first class debut with Queensland in 2001, Johnson got his start in the Test team in 2007. He later moved to Western Australia.His best haul was 8-61 against South Africa, at the WACA Ground, in 2008.Described by Australian great Lillee, who was his long-time mentor, as a once in a generation bowler, the former ICC Cricketer of the Year also claimed 239 wickets in 153 one-day internationals.My career has certainly had its up and downs but I can honestly say I have given it my all and am proud of everything I have achieved, Johnson said.At times his form was curtailed by injuries and his career had stalled until a stunning comeback in the 2013-14 summer, when he was recalled to the Australian side and tormented England with blistering pace to take 37 wickets at 13.97 as the home side completed a 5-0 clean series sweep.Johnson also played 30 Twenty20 internationals and was a handy lower order batsman capable of clean striking, with a Test top score of 123 not out and 11 half-centuries.I am sure there are many batsmen around the world breathing a sigh of relief right now, knowing that they no longer have to face him, said Cricket Australia chairman David Peever.He leaves the game as one of our all-time great bowlers.

Gen Raheel visits Pentagon, meets top US military officials

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WASHINGTON (Dunya News) - Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Raheel Sharif visited Pentagon, the headquarters of the United States Department of Defense, on Monday and held meetings with top ranking US military officials.General Raheel Sharif, who is currently on a five day official viset to the United States also called on US army chief General Mark A Milley. They discussed war against terrorism and bilateral military-to-military relationship during their meeting.Also Read: COAS Gen Raheel Sharif reaches Washington on 5-day visitPakistan army chief also held a meeting with Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Joseph Dunford during which issues of mutual interest were discussed.Army chief General Raheel Sharif also called on US defence secretary Ashton Carter during which successes and achievements of Pakistan army in the ongoing Operation Zarb-e-Azb were discussed.During his stay in the United States, General Raheel Sharif will also meet US Vice President Joe Biden, Secretary of State John Kerry and members of the US congress.

Pakistan, England third ODI today

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SHARJAH (Dunya News/Agencies) – The third One Day International (ODI) of the four-match series between Pakistan and England will be played at the Sharjah Cricket Association Stadium today (Tuesday). The match will start at 4:00pm (PST).After outplaying England in the first ODI for a convincing six-wicket victory in Abu Dhabi, a batting fiasco two days later at the same venue meant the hosts Pakistan threw away their 1-0 lead after folding for a meagre 188 in the chase of 284.Pakistan will miss the services of Yasir Shah, the highest wicket-taker in the preceding Test series, after the leg-spinner picked up a knee injury during the practice session on the eve of the game. Pakistan can bring in uncapped left-arm spinner Zafar Gohar, who is also a useful batsman, to replace Yasir Shah.Pakistans head coach, Waqar Younis, has already sounded a word of caution to his team ahead of the crucial tie. We need to play well to make it 2-1, Waqar said, admitting that their complacency costed them the precious series lead. England bounced back and bounced back well. We probably were not thinking that they are going to play that well and now we have to play out of our skins to make it 2-1.The visitors, meanwhile, would be banking on their batting to go 2-1 ahead at Sharjah. The English team management would have heaved a sigh of relief with Alex Hales match-winning 109 in Abu Dhabi. Jason Roy, the opener and Joe Root, the No. 3 bat, couldnt have timed their half-centuries better after being dismissed for ducks in the series opener.The four-match series is currently tied at 1-1 with the fourth and final match slated to be played in Dubai on November 20.Teams:Pakistan (probable): 1 Azhar Ali (capt), 2 Ahmed Shehzad, 3 Mohammad Hafeez, 4 Iftikhar Ahmed, 5 Shoaib Malik, 6 Babar Azam, 7 Sarfraz Ahmed (wk), 8 Anwar Ali, 9 Wahab Riaz, 10 Zafar Gohar, 11 Mohammad Irfan.England (probable): 1 Jason Roy, 2 Alex Hales, 3 Joe Root, 4 Eoin Morgan (capt), 5 James Taylor, 6 Jos Buttler, 7 Moeen Ali, 8 Chris Woakes, 9 Adil Rashid, 10 David Willey, 11 Reece Topley.

Crude prices gain after IS oil operations targeted

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NEW YORK (AFP) - Crude prices pushed higher Monday after US-led coalition jets targeted the Islamic State groups oil operations in retaliation following the deadly attacks on Paris.The gains were not whole-hearted; early weakness in the market came after Japan, a major importer, reported a second straight quarter of economic contraction.At the end of trade, US benchmark West Texas Intermediate (WTI) for delivery in December added $1.00 at $41.74 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange. Brent North Sea crude for January rose nine cents to $44.56 a barrel in London deals.The gain reversed a steady decline since November 5, mostly driven by signs that major producers were not cutting back, and by mounting stockpiles especially in the United States, in part due to the very mild fall weather.Fridays devastating attacks on Paris, blamed on the Islamic State group, stirred expectations of a rise in the level of conflict in the Syria-Iraq region that some fear could disrupt oil output.The market has been flip-flopping back and forth about the concerns over oversupply and the damage to demand, said Phil Flynn of Price Futures Group.There have been reports that the US is now targeting ISIS (Islamic State) oil tankers, oil facilities, and that definitely is giving the market a little bit of a boost, he said.But Phillip Futures analyst Daniel Ang said: Price increases fueled by geopolitical tensions will only be for the short term. For the longer term, the main driver for prices will be global supply and demand, and with the glut it would be a bit more difficult for prices to move up a lot further, he told AFP.Ang said Mondays uptick was also underpinned by bargain hunting after prices dropped to two-month lows Friday. In early Monday trade, WTI sank sharply for a short period to test the $40 line, but buyers jumped in and reversed the trend.Oil prices have plunged by more than half since reaching peaks of above $100 a barrel in mid-2014 owing to the supply glut and a slowdown in the global economy, particularly major energy user China.

Dollar firms as investors seek haven after Paris attacks

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NEW YORK (AFP) - The dollar firmed against the euro Monday as investors sought the safety of the US currency after the Paris terror attacks renewed concerns about the struggling eurozone economy. In the first day of trading since suspected jihadists launched attacks against civilian targets in Paris late Friday, killing 129 people and wounding more than 350, the euro neared a seven-month low against the greenback.Safe havens like the US dollar were in demand Monday as the attacks on Paris added a new layer of uncertainty for markets, said Joe Manimbo, senior market analyst at Western Union Business Solutions.Investors proved their mettle in the face of the attacks, however, with currencies showing no unusually large moves, said Kathy Lien of BK Asset Management. Just like people, financial markets typically face down terrorism with resilience, she said.The euro traded at $1.0687 around 2200 GMT, down from $1.0687 at the same time Friday.The yen was under pressure after data showed the Japanese economy slipped back into recession for the second time in as many years, raising speculation that the Bank of Japan will boost its stimulus program.The dollar rose to 123.18 yen from 122.62 yen Friday.The biggest question on everyones minds now is whether the attacks will cause the Federal Reserve to back away from raising interest rates next month, said Lien.Considering that the markets reaction has been muted and the eurozone economy was facing troubles before the attacks, it is too soon to say whether international developments will encourage the (US) central bank to wait.

Coffee-drinkers less likely to die from certain diseases

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MIAMI (AFP) - People who report drinking three to five cups of coffee per day are less likely to die prematurely from heart disease, suicide, diabetes or Parkinsons disease, US researchers said Monday. Both caffeinated and decaffeinated coffee were shown to have benefits, said the study by researchers at the Harvard University Chan School of Public Health published in the November 16 edition of the journal Circulation.The study compared people who dont drink coffee, or drank less than two cups daily, to those who reported drinking moderate amounts of coffee, or up to five cups daily.The study did not prove a cause-and-effect for coffee and the reduced likelihood of certain diseases, but uncovered an apparent link that aligns with previous research, and that scientists would like to probe further.Bioactive compounds in coffee reduce insulin resistance and systematic inflammation, said first author Ming Ding, a doctoral student in the Department of Nutrition. That could explain some of our findings. However, more studies are needed to investigate the biological mechanisms producing these effects.No protective effect was found against cancer in this study. Some previous research has pointed to a link between coffee consumption and a lower risk of certain cancers.The study was based on data gathered from three large, ongoing surveys including some 300,000 nurses and other health professionals who agree to answer questionnaires about their own medical conditions and habits at regular intervals over the course of 30 years. In the whole study population, moderate coffee consumption was associated with reduced risk of death from cardiovascular disease, diabetes, neurological diseases such as Parkinsons disease, and suicide, said the findings. Researchers also accounted for potential confounding factors such as smoking, body mass index, exercise, alcohol consumption, and diet. But the fact that the research relied on surveys, which use self-reported behavior, could raise questions about its reliability.And experts warned that coffee -- a substance adored by many devotees -- may not be right for everyone.Regular consumption of coffee can be included as part of a healthy, balanced diet, said senior author Frank Hu, professor of nutrition and epidemiology at Harvard. However, certain populations such as pregnant women and children should be cautious about high caffeine intake from coffee or other beverages.

Yasir Shah out as Pakistan seek right combination

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SHARJAH (AFP) - Pakistan will be without injured leg-spinner Yasir Shah as they look for the right combination to win the third day-night international against England in Sharjah on Tuesday, with skipper Azhar Ali admitting his team needs to improve.Team manager Intikhab Alam said a knee injury has ruled Shah out.We dont want to risk him as he is nursing a knee injury so he will not be considered for Tuesdays game, Alam told AFP.Uncapped left-arm spinner Zafar Gohar will fill in for Shah as seeking a sixth bowler in the limited over series, Pakistan have not been able to include opener Ahmed Shehzad in the first two matches.The series is tied at 1-1 after Pakistan won the first encounter by six wickets while England fought back to level the series with a 95-run win - both matches in Abu Dhabi.Azhar said Pakistan suffered multiple problems and was forced to use 11 different opening combinations in the last 12 months. Ideally, we want to have a set opening pair but unfortunately in the last one year or so we had a lot of injuries plus we had some problems with our allrounders as well, said Azhar.(Mohammad) Hafeez is not allowed to bowl, said Azhar of the spinning allrounder banned from bowling over illegal action since July this year. Then we have injury to Imad Wasim, said Azhar of the newcomer who was ruled out of the four-match series with a hand injury.These things create problems in picking the right combination and if there is a weak link in bowling then you can struggle to control the flow of runs and I think that can damage the combination of the team and you have to sacrifice a player to have a better combination, said Azhar who backed his spinners.Yasir bowled well in the first game, said Azhar of the spinner who took 15 wickets in Pakistans preceding 2-0 Test wins but managed 1-108 in two one-day matches.You bank on spinners in this part but there was less support for the spinners in Abu Dhabi, the other thing is that some times the other team also hanldes spinners well so there is no issue on their abilities, said Azhar.Azhar said Pakistan was better than its number eight one-day rankings suggests.We are a better team than our rankings suggest but for now we are focused on this series and we will take it series by series and in future like to improve our rankings as well, he said.

Under scrutiny Umar Akmal denies wrongdoing

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LAHORE (AFP) - Pakistans talented but controversial batsman Umar Akmal Monday denied any wrongdoing in a party which led to his axing from the Twenty20 team for the three-match series against England later this month.Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) last week said Umar was in contention for the 16-man squad but was dropped over an incident in Hyderabad in which he was alleged to have misbehaved with women at a party. The PCB has also served a show cause notice to the 25-year-old batsman whose career has been chequered with disciplinary problems.Umar, younger brother of Kamran and Adnan Akmal who also played for Pakistan, Monday responded to the PCB show cause notice.I attended a dinner party after being granted official permission by my team manager, said Umar in his response to the PCB notice.Last year Umar was jailed in Lahore after he had a scuffle with a traffic warden over running a red light.He was also left out of the team after the 2015 World Cup, with head coach Waqar Younis complaining about his insubordination during the event.PCB chairman Shaharyar Khan last week said Umar would be given an opportunity to defend himself.Umar meanwhile has labelled the allegations baseless.I am not answerable to anyone apart from the department I am playing for, Umar told reporters. Cricket is my love and I want to represent Pakistan for a long period of time.Pakistans Twenty20 captain Shahid Afridi has also reportedly backed the embroiled batsman, asking the PCB to clear Umar and then reinstate him in the squad. Pakistan play England in a three-match T20 series with matches in Dubai (November 26 and 27) and Sharjah on November 30.

Taylor praises England for countering Pakistan spin

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SHARJAH (AFP) - James Taylor Monday praised his fellow England batsmens ability to negotiate Pakistan spinners in the one-day series, saying the talent in the limited over team is exceptional.England meet Pakistan in the third of four one-day internationals in Sharjah on Tuesday, with the series tied at 1-1.Pakistan won the first game by six wickets while England levelled with a thumping 95-run win in the second -- both in Abu Dhabi.Pakistans spinners have managed just four wickets in the two one-day internationals, which Taylor believes is down to his teams ability to counter spin.A lot of credit has to go to our batsmen and the way theyve played Yasir (Shah), said Taylor.Pakistans leg-spinner Shah, who took 15 wickets in the preceding 2-0 Tests series win, has taken just one wicket in two games and was ruled out of the third with a knee injury.I think the boys in general have played spin pretty well on this trip. I think the talent weve got in this one-day group is exceptional, we showed glimpses of that in the second match.Taylor, who at 5 foot, two inches (1.6metres) is the shortest player around, said facing Pakistan paceman Mohammad Irfan -- the tallest-ever to play cricket at 7feet, one inch (2.2m) -- was amusing.I havent suddenly become this small overnight. Ive been around the lads for a while now, so its nothing different. Hes (Irfan) just an exceptionally tall bowler, so its always amusing when I come up against him.I had neckache for half-an-hour afterwards, said Taylor. I quite enjoy facing the big guys, because it means the ball should bounce - and that plays to my strengths.But hes obviously exceptionally tall, and Im pretty short - so the height difference is quite funny. I find it amusing looking up at him, and Im sure everybody else around the ground did as well.Taylor, who scored a half-century in the third and final Test in Sharjah, said he has learnt how to play on dry sub-continent pitches.Ive learned a lot, playing again in the sub-continent, how tough the environment and the conditions are - and how good a side Pakistan are.As a team weve learned a lot, and I think that is the most important thing. But most importantly, weve come here to win - and so far, were won one and lost one. So its all to play for.We know theyre going to come back hard at us.

Taylor has his eyes on the prize

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PERTH (AFP) - A visit to an eye specialist paid a rich dividend for New Zealands Ross Taylor, who broke a number of batting records in the second Test in Perth on Monday.So concerned was Taylor by his poor form after making a duck and 26 in the series opener against Australia at the Gabba, he sought the help of the specialist before the second Test at the WACA Ground.He had been worried he was unable to see the ball clearly in Brisbane, due to a condition in his left eye known as pterygium.The result was Taylor producing the innings of his career at the WACA on Monday, a career-best 290, which is the third highest individual score by a Kiwi Test batsman.It was his first century since November last year and also the highest-ever score in Australia by a touring batsman.I had to get my eyes tested in between, Taylor revealed.I couldnt really see the ball so the eye drops obviously worked.Taylor said he also changed his approach to batting.I was anxious, its a big tour and we put a lot of pressure on ourselves and I wanted to do well and was all at sea, he said.Id put too much pressure on myself so I just relaxed, leading into this I let it all go to see where it took me.I got on the balls of my feet and played straight.He added: Chalk and cheese from where I was a week ago.Taylor said although he was disappointed to fall just shy of joining captain Brendon McCullum as the only Kiwis to have made Test triple centuries, he rated it as probably the best innings of his career.He played down the failure of the Australian players to congratulate him when he was dismissed, saying they were busy celebrating with spinner Nathan Lyon for the wicket and he was in a hurry to get off the field anyway.
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