India tv response After Pakistan 3rd test Against England on 6th feb 2012

Reaction of Indian Media After Pakistan 3rd test Against England on 6th feb 2012

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FOREX-Euro dips as Greece delays debt deal approval

NEW YORK, Feb 6 (Reuters) - The euro dropped against
the dollar on Monday as Greece's political leaders
delayed a decision on a new bailout package, raising concerns of
a disorderly default that could spread to other debt-ridden
countries in the region. 
    A European Commission spokesman said Greece was already past
the deadline for finalizing talks on a second financing package
and needed to move urgently.  
    German Chancellor Angela Merkel told Greece to make up its
mind quickly on accepting the painful terms for a new EU/IMF
bailout, but the country's political leaders responded by
delaying their decision for yet another day.  
    "Headlines out of Europe are affecting sentiment on the
euro. Earlier, we had hit stop losses in the euro and we saw it
trim some losses. But it's more of the same," said Brian Dolan,
chief currency strategist at Forex.com, as investors waited on
Greece. 
    Greece's coalition members must agree to painful terms of
the bailout before euro zone finance ministers next meet. A
meeting of  political leaders in Athens was postponed to
Tuesday. Greece needs the funds by March to meet big debt
repayments.   
    The euro was last down 0.1 percent at $1.3128
after hitting a low of $1.3026 after stop-loss orders were
tripped below $1.3050.  
    If the impasse in Greece persists, the euro could target
$1.3026, the Feb. 1 trough, and more stop-loss orders were said
to be below $1.3020. 
    Nomura Securities analysts said they believe a Greece deal
is close, both in terms of the private sector involvement
process and in relation to negotiations with its lenders around
key program parameters.  
    "Since the implications of bad versus good news is clearly
asymmetric (a bad outcome could have severe implications), it is
a tough set-up to trade with confidence," Nomura said.
"Nevertheless, we believe a 'good' outcome is likely in the very
short term. We are therefore inclined to keep a risk
constructive bias within our portfolio at this time."  
    Nomura said EUR/USD at $1.25 is a reasonable target for the
first quarter, adding it would not be surprised to see a squeeze
higher in the very short term given the still very elevated
speculative shorts. 
    
  
    The IMF's chief economist, Olivier Blanchard, said on
 Monday it looks like the "haircut" on Greek private debt
will be "very large" as negotiations between bondholders and the
government drag on.   
    CitiFX, a division of Citigroup, said even with all the
uncertainty about Greece, the euro has still managed to hold its
ground pretty well.  
    CitiFX saw two potential explanations. First, investors may
still expect an agreement will ultimately be reached. Second,
they may think Greece is too small to matter.  
    "We have long argued that investors are ignoring Greece at
their own risk," the bank said. "We think that the risks of a
credit event in Greece are non-negligible and that the
uncertainty about both the second Greek bailout package and
(private sector involvement) is here to stay. 
    "We also suspect that a potential Greek default could
unleash contagion to other fiscally weak countries in the euro
zone periphery and lead to extensive FX volatility for a period
of time." 
    Against the yen, the euro fell 0.1 percent to 100.54 yen
 while against the safe-haven Swiss franc, it was 0.1
percent lower at 1.2062 francs, not far from the Swiss
central bank's cap at 1.20 francs per euro. 
    The dollar was little changed against the yen at 76.58 yen
, having earlier risen to 76.79 yen, its highest in
over a week.

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Europe crisis could halve China's growth: IMF

A Chinese paramilitary policeman standing guard outside the European Union Delegation in Beijing in 2011 (AFP/File, Peter Parks)

WASHINGTON — An escalation of Europe's debt crisis could slash China's economic growth in half this year, the International Monetary Fund said Monday, urging Beijing to prepare stimulus measures in response.
The IMF, in an economic outlook report on the world's second-largest economy, highlighted China's vulnerability to global demand.
"The global economy is at a precarious stage and downside risks have risen sharply," the IMF said, citing the possible deep crunch in the financial sector in Europe that would be felt around the globe.
"Should such a tail risk of financial volatility emanating from Europe be realized, it would drag China's growth lower."
The IMF outlined the negative impact if the eurozone crisis tipped Europe into a deep recession, dragging China's growth lower mainly due to shocks through trade.
In that "downside scenario" China's growth would fall by around 4.0 percentage points this year from the 8.2 percent rate the IMF projected in January.
"The risks to China from Europe are, therefore, both large and tangible."
In that case, "China should respond with a significant fiscal package."
China's exposure to financial spillovers is limited, it said, noting foreign assets, including sovereign debt, represent only 2.0 percent of Chinese bank assets.
However, the export-dependent economy is highly exposed through trade linkages. Nearly half of China's exports go to Europe and the United States.
Lower global demand would further reduce investment and employment and may trigger a decline in China's property market.
The IMF recalled that China's vulnerability was revealed in the 2008-2009 global financial crisis, when global growth plunged.
China launched a huge credit and fiscal stimulus in response, limiting the sharp impact on the domestic economy -- and yet growth still sank by five percentage points.
"However, a track record of fiscal discipline has given China ample room to respond to such an external shock," the IMF said.
If the euro area falters, the IMF recommended Beijing launch a substantial stimulus program, equivalent to roughly 3.0 percent of gross domestic product spread out over 2012-2013.
That would limit the decline in growth to around 1.0 percent, cushioning the negative fallout on employment and people's livelihoods, the IMF said.
The stimulus measures could include reductions in consumption taxes, advancing plans for social housing and scaling up investments in the social safety net, among others.
"Unlike in 2008, the stimulus package... should pass through the budget and not be reliant upon a public infrastructure," the IMF said, referring to the way the spending boost was previously dealt through the banking system, state enterprises and local government financing vehicles.
"The weak external outlook underscores the importance of accelerating the transformation of China's economy to reduce its vulnerability to the vagaries of global demand," it added.

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Brent jumps to 6-month high on Europe cold snap

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Brent oil rose for a fifth straight session on Monday to settle at a six-month high as cold weather in Europe boosted heating fuel demand and pushed the crude's premium to U.S. oil to the highest since November.
European gasoil led gains across the oil complex, rising more than 3.5 percent as bitter weather killed another 33 people in Europe.
Italy announced it would allow electricity providers to fire up oil-fueled generators to limit natural gas after six-straight days of reduced supplies from Russia.
Additional support for Brent came amid supply concerns from OPEC members Iran and Nigeria.
"The cold weather is giving us a lift in the products and that is feeding through to Brent," said Rob Montefusco, a trader at Sucden Financial in London. "Also, any sort of trouble in the Middle East is likely to keep Brent well bid."
U.S crude fell, however, dragged down by concerns about weak consumption and rising inventories that increased the contract's discount to Brent to more than $19 a barrel from more than $2, the largest discount since November.
Traders said the premium could blow out levels eclipsing those seen last year over $28 a barrel as Midwest refinery turnarounds and rising pipeline flows boost inventories in the region, home to the Cushing, Oklahoma, delivery point to the New York Mercantile Exchange's oil futures contract.
Brent March crude rose $1.35 to settle at $115.93 a barrel, highest close since August 2. Monday's trade ranged from $113.65 to $116.22. The $116.22 was the highest since $116.48 intraday on November 8.
U.S. March crude fell 93 cents to settle at $96.91 a barrel, having slumped as low as $96.38.
Heating oil prices traded up nearly 2.3 percent in late activity, despite forecasts that U.S. total heating demand would run about 14.5 percent below normal and heating oil demand would be 20.5 percent below normal.
Trading volumes were heavy, with Brent volume about 22 percent above the 30-day moving average and U.S. crude about 18 percent over that average.
The euro weakened against the dollar after the failure of Greek coalition parties to approve the terms of a new bailout package rekindled worries about a chaotic default.
The dollar index edged up and a stronger U.S. currency can pressure dollar-denominated oil by making the commodity more expensive for consumers using other currencies.
THREATS TO SUPPLY
Traders also eyed developments in the Middle East and Nigeria, where a police station was the site of the latest attack by suspected Islamist militants.
Iran's Revolutionary Guards deputy commander said on Sunday that Tehran would target any country used as a launching pad for attacks against its soil. Iran's supreme leader last week threatened reprisals for the West's ban on Iranian oil exports in the standoff over Tehran's nuclear program.
China, the largest consumer of Iranian crude, will halve its crude oil imports from Iran in March versus year-ago levels as a dispute over payments and prices stretches into a third month, oil industry sources involved in the deals said.
Asia's imports of West African crude are at record highs as sanctions on Iran reduce supplies, a Reuters survey of West African flows suggest.
In Syria an explosion ripped through an oil pipeline feeding a main refinery in the city of Homs, the second in a week to hit the pipeline.
(Additional reporting by Gene Ramos in New York, Claire Milhench in London and Francis Kan in Singapore. Editing by Bob Burgdorfer.)

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Market Watch: Bourse surges to six-month high

 

KSE’s benchmark 100-share index jumps 154 points.

 

KARACHI: The stock market closed at a six-month high on Monday as investors took activity up a notch on rumours of foreign buying and ease in the circular debt in the next few days.

The Karachi Stock Exchange’s (KSE) benchmark 100-share index jumped 1.29 per cent or 154.3 points to end at the 12,136.92 point level.
“Term Finance Certificates are expected to be issued in the next few days to resolve the circular debt issue,” said JS Global Capital analyst Shakir Padela.
A healthy intra-day upward correction was also witnessed after reports surfaced that Supreme Court suspended membership of a few senators and parliamentarians including Finance Minster Abdul Hafiz Shaikh.
Foreign institutional investors were net buyers of Rs313 million worth of shares, according to data maintained by the National Clearing Company of Pakistan Limited.
Trade volumes surged to 196 million shares compared with Friday’s tally of 130 million shares.
National Bank of Pakistan closed the day on its upper circuit on expectations of high cash and bonus payout with the full year result, added Padela. The country’s largest bank by asset was up 5% to Rs45.29.
Second tier banks were also in limelight as result driven rally finally gathered momentum. Bank Alfalah rose 2.1%, Askari Bank gained 7%, Standard Chartered Bank 7%, Bank of Punjab 12% and NIB Bank gained 3%.
Shares of 353 companies were traded on Monday. At the end of the day 195 stocks closed higher, 79 declined while 79 remained unchanged. The value of shares traded during the day was Rs5.57 billion.
Jahangir Siddiqui and Company was the volume leader with 32.14 million shares gaining Re0.1 to finish at Rs7.56. It was followed by DG Khan Cement with 12.63 million shares gaining Rs0.61 to close at Rs24.83 and Lafarge Pakistan with 9.83 million shares firming Rs0.06 to close at Rs2.29.

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How the major stock indexes fared on Monday

Stock indexes closed slightly lower Monday as talks dragged on between Greek political leaders over a package of spending cuts and other measures required for the country to get more bailout loans.
President Nicolas Sarkozy of France and German Chancellor Angela Merkel warned Greek leaders that they need to push through another package of cost-cutting measures or risk letting the country go bankrupt.
The Dow Jones industrial average fell 17.10 points, or 0.1 percent, to close at 12,845.13.
The Standard & Poor's 500 index slipped 0.57 of a point to 1,344.33.
The Nasdaq composite fell 3.67, or 0.1 percent, to 2,901.99.
For the year so far:
The Dow is up 627.57 points, or 5.1 percent.
The S&P 500 is up 86.73 points, or 6.9 percent.
The Nasdaq is up 296.84 points, or 11.4 percent.

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Deeper Iran sanctions; US targets its central bank

 

FILE- In this April, 9, 2007, file photo Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, speaks at a ceremony in Iran's nuclear enrichment facility in Natanz, 300 kms 186 (miles) south of capital Tehran, Iran. For the first time in nearly two decades of escalating tensions over the Iranian nuclear program, it appears that world leaders are genuinely concerned that an Israeli military attack on the Islamic Republic could be imminent, an action that many fear might trigger war, terrorism and global economic havoc. Photo: Hasan Sarbakhshian / AP

WASHINGTON (AP) — Targeting Iran's economy, the U.S. ordered tough new penalties Monday to further pinch the country's financial system and encourage Israel to give sanctions more time before any military action against Iran's nuclear program.
The new, stricter sanctions, authorized in legislation that President Barack Obama signed in December, will be enforced under an order he signed only now. They give U.S. banks new powers to freeze assets linked to the Iranian government and close loopholes that officials say Iran has used to move money despite earlier restrictions imposed by the U.S. and Europe.
The action against the Central Bank of Iran is more significant for its timing than its immediate effect. It comes as the United States and its allies are arguing that tough sanctions can still persuade Iran to back off what the West contends is a drive to build a nuclear bomb.
The U.S. and Europe want to deprive Iran of the oil income it needs to run its government and pay for the nuclear program. But many experts believe Iran will be able to find other buyers outside Europe.
The European Union announced last month it would ban the import of Iranian crude oil starting in July. The U.S. doesn't buy Iranian oil, but last month it placed sanctions on Iran's banks to make it harder for the nation to sell crude. The U.S., however, has delayed implementing those sanctions for at least six months because it is worried about sending oil prices higher at a time when the world economy is struggling. Iran exports about 3 percent of the world's oil
The faster and more painfully sanctions can be seen to work, the better the case to shelve any plan by Israel to bomb Iran, a pre-emptory move that could ignite a new Mideast war. Taking this initial step against the Central Bank, the first time the U.S. has directly gone after that major institution, is one way the Obama administration can show momentum now.
Israel, meanwhile, has been increasingly open about its worry that Iran could be on the brink of a bomb by this summer and that this spring offers the last window to destroy bomb-related facilities. Many Israeli officials believe that sanctions only give time for Iran to move its nuclear program underground, out of reach of Israeli military strikes.
White House spokesman Jay Carney denied that Monday's unexpected announcement of new banking sanctions was a sign of heightened worry about an Israeli attack.
"There has been a steady increase in our sanctions activity and this is part of that escalation," he said.
Carney said U.S. sanctions on Iran are already squeezing Iran's economy and have exacerbated tensions within the Iranian leadership.
"There is no question that the impact of the isolation on Iran and the economic sanctions on Iran have caused added turmoil within Iran," he said.
Iran is the world's third-largest exporter of crude oil, giving its leaders financial resources and leverage to withstand outside pressure. Last year, Iran generated $100 billion in revenue from oil, up from $20 billion a decade ago, according to IHS CERA, an energy consulting firm.
If Iranian oil is prevented from getting to market, other suppliers could make up the difference. The U.S. has been pressuring other Middle East and African nations to step up production for sale to Europe. Saudi Arabia has said it could increase production to make up for any lost Iranian crude.
Iran's disputed nuclear program became a global concern more than five years ago, when the extent of the country's research and uranium enrichment began to be known. Since then a web of international economic and other sanctions have failed to stop Iran's progress toward a point when it could build one or more nuclear devices.
U.S. intelligence agencies say Iran is indeed close to that ability but has not yet decided to go ahead. Iran says its nuclear program is peaceful and denounces sanctions as aggression.
The new U.S. penalties were unexpected now. The sanctions were included as an amendment in the wide-ranging defense bill the president signed in late December, though when and how they were to be levied on Iran was unclear.
The White House had previously said it would take months to evaluate the likely effect on the fragile global economy before taking the next large steps, including new penalties on the Central Bank.
Now, U.S. institutions are required to seize Iranian state assets they come across, rather than rejecting the transaction involved.
The value of Iranian assets affected by the new order was not clear. Iran does almost no direct business with the United States after three decades of enmity, but its money moves through the world financial system and its oil is sold in dollars.
In a letter to Congress, Obama said more sanctions were warranted, "particularly in light of the deceptive practices of the Central Bank of Iran and other Iranian banks."
He cited the hiding of transactions of people or institutions and other loopholes.
In an interview Sunday with NBC, Obama said the U.S. has "a very good estimate" of when Iran could complete a nuclear weapon, and he spoke favorably of the effect of sanctions and diplomacy to resolve the impasse.
Obama addressed the concern about Israel but suggested there is still time.
"I don't think Israel has made a decision on what they need to do," Obama said.
He did not answer a question about whether Israel has promised to notify the United States before any pre-emptory strike.
Republican presidential candidates have accused Obama of being too timid in his dealings with Iran, and while U.S. officials reject that characterization they acknowledge they are stepping cautiously because of fear of upsetting the global economy.

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Canadian ambassador to remain in Syria

OTTAWA - Canada will not shut its embassy in Syria, officials say, after the United States evacuated all diplomatic staff and closed its embassy in the country on Monday.
A spokesman for Foreign Minister John Baird said that Canada is not considering following the U.S. lead.
``The U.S. as a sovereign nation makes decisions based on its situation,'' wrote Rick Roth in an email. ``We make decisions based on ours.''
Roth said Canada's ambassador to Syria - retired vice-admiral Glenn Davidson - will remain in Damascus to voice Canada's displeasure at the ongoing government crackdown in the country.
``Canada has extremely strong views about the abhorrent actions of the current regime,'' he wrote. ``And our ambassador continues to deliver those messages at the highest levels.''
``We have been clear: Assad must go,'' Roth wrote.
In August, Davidson was named Canada's ambassador to Afghanistan, but has not yet left Syria to assume his next post due to the continuing turmoil in the Middle Eastern country.
Opposition foreign affairs critic Helene Laverdiere said Monday it's time for Canada to recall its ambassador to Syria.
``We think that it would be time to recall our ambassador to Syria, as to send a strong message to the Syrian regime,'' the NDP MP told reporters in Ottawa Monday. ``This will send a very clear message to the Assad regime.''
Anti-government protesters have been calling for President Bashar al-Assad to step down since unrest began in January 2011. The regime has fought back against the uprising, and is currently shelling civilian areas of the revolutionary city of Homs. Syrian opposition groups say 50 were killed in the most recent attack on Homs.
The United States cited security concerns as the reason for closing its mission to Damascus.
Laverdiere, a former career diplomat, said Canada should not go so far.
``It's not a question of cutting diplomatic ties completely,'' she said. ``Our position doesn't go as far as that of the United States.''
With many Canadians still in Syria, the embassy must remain open to provide consular services, she said.
``It's clear the Canadian government has a responsibility to Canadians who find themselves in Syria,'' Laverdiere said.
On Jan. 31, Baird issued orders to reduce the number of diplomatic staff in Syria.
``Due to the growing instability in Syria, Canada has reduced its diplomatic staff in Syria to core personnel only,'' he said. ``Canada's embassy remains open and continues to offer limited services in Damascus and in Aleppo through our honorary consulate.''
The visa and immigration section of Canada's mission in Damascus has been closed, Baird said, and those services have been transferred to neighbouring countries.
Baird said Canadians have begun leaving Syria, and he urged all other Canadians to do the same.
``Since Dec. 15, approximately 300 Canadians have informed us that they have left Syria,'' he said. ``We hope that more will follow their example.''
``We continue to urge Canadians still in Syria to leave now.''

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Sharapova sets sights on London Olympics

PARIS: Maria Sharapova is making the London Olympics one of her top priorities this year after missing the Beijing Games with an injury.

The third-ranked Russian has already won three Grand Slams but has never competed at the Olympics.

Sharapova said on Monday that "representing my country will be a huge honor," and is something she has wanted to do "since I was a young kid."

Sharapova missed the 2008 Beijing Olympics because of a shoulder injury.

Sharapova reached the final of the Australian Open last month and said she hopes that will be a springboard for winning another Grand Slam title this year.

She is competing in the Open GDF Suez for the first time this week.

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No Israel decision on attacking Iran: Obama - Pakistan Times

US President Barack Obama has said that Israel has not made a decision yet on attacking Iran's nuclear installations, noting that he still prefers to use diplomacy.
"I do not think Israel has taken a decision on what they need to do," Obama told the NBC news. Obama said he believes that the tough international sanctions are hurting the Iranian regime.
"We have mobilised the international community in an unprecedented way. They are feeling the pinch. They are feeling the pressure," he said.
Until Iran commit itself to peaceful use of nuclear energy and leaves its nuclear weapon programme, both the US are Israel are going to be very concerned about it. "We have closure military and intelligence consultations than we ever had. My first priority continues to be the security of the US, but also the security of Israel. We are going to make sure that we work in lockstep, as we proceed to try to solve this - hopefully, diplomatically," Obama said.

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69 dead as US closes Damascus embassy

Syria

The Syrian army on Monday launched a new assault on Homs, killing 42 people and wounding dozens, according to activists .
This new offensive, again denied by the regime, comes on the eve of a visit to Damascus by Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov, whose country has vetoed Saturday with China a UN resolution condemning repression in Syria.
In total, the violence has killed at least 69 people Monday, including 66 civilians according to the Syrian Observatory of Human Rights.
On its part, the Syrian National Council, the main opposition coalition, urged the international community to "act quickly" to "prevent another massacre" in Homs, where shelling killed more than 330 dead on Saturday.
After the failure of diplomatic efforts at the UN, the U.S. and the EU have announced plans to strengthen sanctions against the regime, while London said it would take "other means of putting pressure" on Damascus.
London on Monday recalled its ambassador to Damascus, while Washington has closed its embassy, entrusting Poland task to represent the USA in Syria.

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Pakistan Supreme Court suspends 28 lawmakers

Islamabad: Pakistan's Supreme Court on Monday suspended membership of 28 parliamentarians elected in by-elections held on the basis of what were said to be flawed voters' lists.
Their membership will remain suspended until an amendment to the constitution is passed by the parliament to endorse their election, the court ruled.
Among the suspended are nine members of the National Assembly, the lower house of the parliament, and three members of the Senate, the upper house. The senators include Finance Minister Abdul Hafeez Shaikh and Petroleum Minister Asim Hussain.
The affected members of provincial assemblies include eight from Punjab, four from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, three from Sindh and one from Balochistan province.

Of the Punjab Assembly members hit by the decision, seven belong to the Pakistan Muslim League-N and one to the Pakistan People's Party.
A four-member bench headed by Chief Justice Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry passed the suspension order after hearing a petition regarding bogus entries in the electoral rolls.
The petition was filed by popular politician and former cricket hero Imran Khan, chairman of Pakistan's Tehreek-e-Insaaf party (PTI).
The bench observed that the government had failed to get its proposed 20th Amendment to endorse the election of the 28 in by-polls passed by the parliament in the given time frame.
The court rejected PTI leader's plea to stop by-elections until new electoral rolls are provided by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP).
It said the National Database and Registration Authority has assured that by the stipulated deadline of February 25 it will be able to provide fresh lists of voters to the ECP to conduct polls in the required constituencies.

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England needs to learn from humiliation: Strauss

"We are disappointed that we have not coped better to the challenges that came our way," Strauss said. (Reuters Photo)

DUBAI: England captain Andrew Strauss has called on his underperforming batsmen to learn from its struggles on the spin-friendly pitches in the humiliating series loss to Pakistan with Test tours to Sri Lanka and India looming.

Pakistan clinched its first whitewash against England with a clinical 71-run win in the third and final Test on Monday, having won the first match by 10 wickets and the second by 72 runs in a series in which a fifth day's play was never required.

"We are disappointed that we have not coped better to the challenges that came our way," Strauss said. "This is a good eye-opener for us and good wake-up call that things are not easy in this part of the world."

The subcontinental-like pitches in the United Arab Emirates took spin from the first day, and England will need to improve before its trip to Sri Lanka next month and its tour of India later this year.

England hasn't won for a decade in India, Pakistan or Sri Lanka, mainly because of its batsmen's inability to conquer slow, turning tracks on which the ball doesn't come on to the bat.

"English sides generally have not played well in these sort of conditions in the past," Strauss said. "We need to break that tradition and we are not going to do that by doing the same things."

Strauss hit 150 runs in six innings, featuring in one of only three half-centuries scored by England's top six batsmen in the series.

England's batsmen had no answer to the brilliance of offspinner Saeed Ajmal and left-arm tweaker Abdur Rehman, who combined for 43 wickets in the series.

Ajmal had claimed he would unveil a mystery delivery in the series, but in the end it wasn't required with his "doosra" - a delivery disguised as an offbreak that actually turns away from the right-handed batsman - doing the damage.

"I haven't been involved in any series where so many of our batsmen have had a hard time as much as this one," Strauss said. "We have all got some questions to answer individually, some soul searching and thoughts to put into how we can do things better.

"Pakistan bowlers are quite unique," he added. "They are different type of spinners. They made life difficult for us and when we did get in front of them in the tests, they were able to wrest the initiative back in their favor."

England had won six straight test series _ including a 4-0 whitewash of India _ and then took a five-month break before arriving in the UAE to take on a Pakistan team which had drawn with South Africa in 2010 and defeated Sri Lanka in October.

The team had an ideal chance to level the series in the second Test when requiring only 145 runs to win, but Rehman and Ajmal combined to skittle out England's batsmen for just 72.

While hinting there may be changes for the Sri Lanka tour, Strauss is happy with the players he has been leading.

"Look, nobody has the right to play for England forever," Strauss said. "I think it's important for us to take some time to let the dust settle, start thinking about what went wrong individually.

"I still believe that, by and large, the best players in England are here in Dubai."

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Pakistan vs England - England 'Greenwashed'

Pakistan completed ‘Greenwash’ of England by thrashing them on the fourth day at Dubai in the third Test. No side since 1907 has won after making fewer than 100 in the first innings of a Test - a feat last achieved by England against South Africa at Headingley 105 years ago.

Match Report – Day4, 3^rd Test, Dubai, February 3-6(7), 2012

Pakistan’s start of the fourth day was shocking. Two chances went begging - Adnan Akmal's fumble behind the stumps to catch Strauss and Umar Gul's failure to catch Cook, on 28, at deep backward square.
Pakistan struck through the dismissal of Andrew Strauss who fell in the sixth over of the morning, lbw on the back foot to Rehman. Strauss reviewed it but the on-field umpire’s decision remained firm. Jonathan Trott and Alastair Cook threatened to build a stand but Ajmal removed Trott.
Trott, while sweeping Saeed Ajmal's doosra from outside off, top-edged to deep square-leg fielder Abdur Rehman, who flung the ball into the turf to vent disappointment of earlier drops.  Meanwhile, in the morning session, Cook became the second youngest person, at 27 years and 43 days, to reach 6,000 Test runs. Only Sachin Tendulkar has reached the landmark at a younger age.
Kevin Pietersen joined Cook and was looking dangerous as he flexed his muscles and started to attack. Saeed Ajmal produced an orthodox off-spinner on a good length in the 61^st over’s last ball which bowled Pietersen through that gate curtailing Pietersen’s brief stay at the crease.
An over later, Saeed Ajmal removed Alastair Cook. Cook, while playing a ball towards leg, gave an edge which was caught at slip by a flying Younis Khan. Morgan and Bell then provided resistance but that wasn’t enough to stop an energetic Pakistan.
Umer Gul produced a half-tracker outside off-stump which Bell lobbed tamely to cover point where Asad Shafiq ran to his right to take a sitter. Then Gul removed Morgan who faintly edged towards Adnan Akmal.
After tea, Stuart Broad, while trying to play a big shot against Gul, gave a catch to Taufeeq Umer in the deep. Graeme Swann, then, drove a Gul delivery but was caught at point by Asad Shafiq who took a smart catch low down. 
Matt Prior and James Anderson frustrated the Pakistanis with their brief stay but Ajmal removed Anderson who was caught by Younis Khan at slip. Then Rehman removed Panesar to complete the Greenwash!

Summarised Scores:
Pakistan 99 and 365 beat England 141 and 252 (Prior 49*, Gul 4-61) by 71 runs
Hero of the Day: Umer Gul
Disappointment of the Day: Kevin Pietersen  
Flop of the Day: Ian Bell
Man of the Match: Azhar Ali
Man of the Series: Saeed Ajmal

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England in danger of losing world No 1 status after miserable Pakistan whitewash

England's lead at the top of the ICC's Test rankings has been cut to a solitary point following their series whitewash against Pakistan.
On 125 points going into the three-match series in the United Arab Emirates, England slipped to 118 and now hold just a one-point margin over second-placed South Africa, who can now usurp Andy Flower's men ahead of the April 1 end-of-season awards and claim the £110,000.

Bad day at the office: England lost the three-match series against Pakistan

To do that, the Proteas would have to win their series against New Zealand next month 3-0.
Pakistan, meanwhile, move within striking distance of the top four in the world after leaping from 99 points to 108, just three behind India and Australia.
They also now hold a 10-point margin over sixth-placed Sri Lanka, their next Test opponents in May and June.

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Pakistan whitewash England with third Test win

 

DUBAI: Pakistan's bowlers sealed an emphatic 71-run win in the third and final Test against England on Monday; inflicting a 3-0 series whitewash humiliation in the process.

Set a daunting 324-run target, England were bowled out for 252 with paceman Umar Gul taking 4-61 and off-spinner Saeed Ajmal (4-67) to help Pakistan achieve a first-ever Test clean sweep against their opponents.

With the ball turning again it was always a difficult task for England's batsmen, who have been unable to play the Pakistani spinners throughout the series, on a weary fourth day pitch at Dubai Stadium.

Pakistan won the first Test by ten wickets and the second by 72 runs in Abu Dhabi.

Pakistan have also become the first team to win a Test after being bowled out for under 100 since 1907 when England, shot out for 76, beat South Africa at Leeds.

It was England's seventh series whitewash, their first at the hands of Pakistan. Pakistan have now recorded five series whitewashes, their last coming in a 3-0 win over Bangladesh in 2003.

England's last series whitewash came in 2007 when they were routed by Australia 5-0.

So dominating have been Pakistanis spinners that Ajmal finished the series with 24 and Rehman with 19.

England, 89-2 at lunch, were still in with a chance with Alastair Cook (49) and Kevin Pietersen (18) batting well but they lost four wickets in the space of 84 runs. They went to tea at 173-6.

Pietersen, who struggled for runs in the series, hit Abdul Rehman for a boundary and then hoisted him for a six to post England's 100. But Ajmal struck from the other end.

The off-spinner produced a beautiful delivery to bowl Pietersen through the gate for 18. He had a mere 67 runs for the series during which he was out to spinners on five occasions.

In his next over, Ajmal produced another sharp turning delivery which caught the edge of Cook's bat and was smartly held by a diving Younis Khan in the lone slip.

Ian Bell (10) and Eoin Morgan (31) added 37 for the fifth wicket but again failed to produce a big score in the series as Gul dismissed them in the space of just three runs.

Pakistan took the second new ball at 196-6 and the first ball saw Gul dismissing Stuart Broad (18) and then Graeme Swann on one.

Matt Prior remained not out at 49 when Monty Panesar was dismissed by Rehman for nine.

England had looked for big partnerships after resuming at 36-0 but that never transpired.

Pakistan could have wrapped the match earlier had they not dropped two crucial catches, the first off Strauss on 26 when wicket-keeper Adnan Akmal grassed a simple chance off Gul.

But that didn't hurt Pakistan as Rehman trapped England captain in the very next over. Strauss challenged the decision by Australian umpire Steve Davis but his review failed.

Gul then let off Cook at 24 when he failed to hold a top-edge sweep off Rehman.

Cook had also benefited from a dropped catch on Saturday when Taufiq Umar let him off in the third slip off a miscued drive off Gul when he was four.

Ajmal then broke a dangerous looking 37-run stand between Cook and Jonathan Trott (18) by forcing a top-edge sweep which was smartly snapped up by Rehman at square-leg.

The teams will now play four one-day and three Twenty20 internationals.

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Pakistan v England: Gul and Ajmal seal whitewash

England slumped to a 71-run defeat in the third Test in Dubai to suffer a series whitewash by Pakistan for the first time.

Set 324 to win, the England top order was undone by spin before Umar Gul (4-61) ripped through the middle order.
Alastair Cook (49) offered some resistance, only to succumb to off-spinner Saeed Ajmal (4-67).
Matt Prior showed late aggression and was unbeaten on 49 as England were bowled out for 252.

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Pakistan Whitewashes England 3-0 defeat England by 71 Runs

Dubai - humari news, Pakistan defeated England by 71 runs in 3rd test against England and whitewashed England 3-0 in the series.This is a new record that a team who bowled out 99 in first inning and than defeated his opposite team in the match.Afridi congrates Pakistan team talking with HUMARI NEWS.He said that Pakistan team is going on a right path and Pakistan will now aiming to white wash England in ODI too.Pakistan team creates a history after whitewashing England.England is ICC TEST no.1 side.Defeating England and with whitewash is not an easy job like eating a piece of cake.A team who defeated Australia & India is now defeated by ICC no.4 side PAKISTAN.Fans of Pakistan is now too much happy and glad with their teams performance against ICC no.1 test side England.

Note: Same post and also more about Pakistan team whitewash England available at  http://pakihungama.blogspot.com/2012/02/pakistan-whitewashes-england-3-0.html

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Pakistan required 1 more wicket to white wash England and creating a history

 Pakistan team requires only 1 wicket to create a history of 100 years that a team who all out in first inning defeats his opponent team.

The sunny disposition of Saeed Ajmal and the stiff-limbed tenacity of Abdur Rehman have tormented England throughout this Test series and there was the slimmest likelihood of escape at tea on the fourth day of the final Test in Dubai as Pakistan sought to inflict a whitewash upon England for the first time.

There was plentiful spin for Pakistan's spinners, leaping spin at times when the ball struck the rough, and England, still 151 runs short of victory with only four wickets remaining, looked bound for a 3-0 defeat in the series.

Ajmal, spinning the ball both ways, not extravagantly but often, dismissed Kevin Pietersen and Alastair Cook in the afternoon session, to add to Jonathan Trott before lunch. Rehman counted Andrew Strauss as his sole success as he bowled unchanged for two sessions, 30 overs sent down with unerring accuracy. He is the sort of spin bowler who looks slightly weary from the outset, but never noticeably tires after that.

Pietersen was bent upon playing enterprisingly. The first ball of the afternoon provided a reminder of his vulnerability when a bat-pad against Rehman flew high past short leg, but he had the fleeting satisfaction of striking him straight for six before Ajmal, from around the wicket, spun one through the gate and beamed at further bounty.

Cook put up statuesque resistance. Along the way he became the second youngest person, at 27 years and 43 days, to reach 6,000 Test runs. Only Sachin Tendulkar has reached the landmark at a younger age. His most attacking shot of the morning, a loft into the leg side against Rehman, caused the bowler to taunt him with applause. He lived on scraps, combating the turning ball with thoughtful defence and numerous works to the leg side and that proved his undoing as a leading edge was brilliantly held by Younis Khan, diving to his left at first slip.

The emphasis has been upon spin, but Umar Gul reminded England that the quicker bowlers should not be entirely discounted as he got the old ball to reverse swing as much as at any time in the series. Ian Bell's state of mind is such that a long hop is quite enough. He averaged more than 100 last summer, less than 10 in this series, and when Gul offered up a gift he mistimed it wide of point. The ball that dismissed Eoin Morgan, caught by the wicketkeeper Adnan Akmal, who embarked upon a merry dance, was of higher quality.

England, 36 runs banked the previous evening, needed a further 288 at the start of play. Strauss fell in the sixth over of the morning, lbw on the back foot to Rehman. That was lbw No. 42 in this three-Test series, one short of the all-time record for a series of any length. Strauss reviewed it, although it smacked of a captain's review and he would have been better to head smartly for the dressing room. But when it comes to captain's reviews Strauss cannot match Misbah-ul-Haq. Misbah has been lbw on five occasions in this series and he has taken a review every time. It must be a captain's prerogative.

Without lapses in the field, Pakistan could have been in a stronger position. They had dropped Cook the previous evening, a relatively simple chance to Taufeeq Umar at third slip and Gul's drop in the shadows of the stand at deep square gave him another reprieve as Pakistan lost the efficiency that has characterised their cricket throughout this series. Rehman made his frustration clear when he caught Trott at deep square as he flung the ball into the turf with feeling at the errors that had gone before.

Adnan's fumble behind the stumps to reprieve Strauss, although not costly as the England captain was out in the next over, was the worst miss of all. Adnan has had a good series behind the stumps and has the opportunity to be Pakistan's first-choice keeper for many years to come but his excitable chatter had reached a peak. As Pakistan press for victory, it is in danger of becoming counterproductive. Strauss' edge flew to him at comfortable height but he put it down. For a few minutes he was quiet and you could hear your ears ringing.

Adnan's cacophony of cries often rent the air for inexplicable reasons. As do parrots, Adnan vocalises for many reasons. He may be excitedly greeting the day or summoning his family at sunset. He may be screeching when he is excited or when he is merely trying it on. He may screech when he thinks things have got too quiet or when he thinks it is his duty to scream. He just likes screeching. At one point he burst out coughing as if in sore need of a lozenge and Trott looked at him in deadpan fashion.

Adnan is also incorrigibly optimistic about reviewing umpiring decisions. "Do it, do it, yes, yes, all good," you can sense him saying. Misbah has learned not to take his evidence into consideration and looks askance at him. But Pakistan challenged umpire Steve Davis' not-out ruling when Ajmal beat Cook on the sweep. Hawk-Eye showed that the ball pitched outside leg. There again, disturbingly, it seems that Hawk-Eye also cannot read Ajmal's doosra, probably because it is English.

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