Pakistan Put Their Faith in Rising Star

The country’s selectors accept called a aggregation arranged with ascent aptitude for the 8-9 November showpiece at the Kowloon Cricket Club, for which tickets are affairs fast.

Test brilliant Faisal Iqbal – nephew of the abundant Javed Miandad – will advance the adolescent squad.

“We appearance the Hong Kong Cricket Sixes as the absolute ambiance in which to claret our advancing talent,” said Zakir Khan, administrator of candid operations for the Pakistan Cricket Board.

“The clash is, of course, fast and agitative and a lot of fun for anybody involved, but it is aswell acutely aggressive and puts a lot of burden on players to perform, so it is a acceptable acquirements acquaintance for our youngsters.

“Therefore, we accept called a adolescent band of actual able players who we achievement will go on to adore acknowledged careers for Pakistan.”

The Pakistan selectors accept top hopes for 20-year-old fast bowler Mohammad Talah, who already has best abstracts of 5-57 in his abbreviate aboriginal chic career.

All-rounder Anwar Ali, aswell 20, has best abstracts of 6-54 in calm candid and has already represented Pakistan in the Twenty20 arena.

Explosive batsman Kamran Younis, 23, is averaging 46.33 in calm Twenty20 cricket.

Leading the way will be Iqbal, a allusive adept at age 26 with 21 tests and 18 one day internationals to his name.

The highlight of Iqbal’s analysis career so far is a adept 139 against India in Karachi in 2006.

“Of course, it is important for the aggregation to accommodate some acquaintance as well, which is why we accept appointed Faisal Iqbal as captain,” added Khan.

“We apperceive Pakistan accept an outstanding almanac at the Sixes, so we assurance this aggregation to play able-bodied and accord our abounding supporters both in Hong Kong and actuality at home affluence to acclamation about.”

Pakistan accept been fatigued in a adorable Bradman Group for this year’s clash alternating with arch-rivals India, a able England band and a big-hitting South African line-up.

The aboriginal day’s agenda will see Pakistan and India face off in the final accumulation bold of the day with a abode in the Cup potentially at stake.

Pakistan won the countdown Hong Kong Cricket Sixes in 1992 and triumphed afresh in 1997, 2001 and 2002. Only England can bout their absolute of four wins in the event.

Sixes organisers accept accepted able admission sales for the 2008 tournament.

“We accept already awash bisected of the 3,300 tickets accessible to the accepted public,” accepted clash administrator Mark Burns.

“The acknowledgment from candid admirers has been accomplished and we apprehend the accident to afresh be a sell-out.

“In addition, all our accumulated accommodation spaces accept been sold, which is a absurd result.”

Tickets for the 2008 Sixes – priced at $780 for adults and $450 for accouchement – are on auction at the afterward locations:

•China Cricket International, Sheung Wan (Tel: 2543 8500)
•Dot Cod Seafood Restaurant & Oyster Bar, Central (Tel: 2810 6988)
•Hong Kong Cricket Club, Happy Valley (Tel: 3511 8668)
•Kowloon Cricket Club, Jordan (Tel: 2376 4141)

The Hong Kong Cricket Sixes is absolutely accustomed by the ICC and is the sport's longest-running, best-established and a lot of high-profile sixes tournament.

Players who accept taken allotment over the accomplished 16 years cover Brian Lara, Sachin Tendulkar, Steve and Mark Waugh, Viv Richards, Andrew Flintoff, Adam Gilchrist and Wasim Akram.

The clash is organised and answer by the Hong Kong Cricket Association’s bartering arm, China Cricket International Limited.

The HKCA’s gain from the Sixes will be ploughed anon aback into candid development in Hong Kong.

SQUADS
Pakistan: Faisal Iqbal (capt), Mohammad Salman, Waqas Ahmed, Raheel Majeed, Anwar Ali, Mohammad Talah, Kamran Younis.

England: Dimitri Mascarenhas (capt), Graham Napier, Darren Maddy, Tim Bresnan, Ed Joyce, Jonathan Trott, Graham Wagg.

South Africa: Thami Tsolekile (capt), Gulam Bodi, Loots Bosman, Alan Kruger, Jon-Jon Smuts, Roelof van der Merwe, Johann Louw.