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World Cup 2015: Australia vs Pakistan (Match Preview)
Adelaide: World is expecting cracker of a match when home team Australia will take on the in-from Pakistan team in the quarterfinals of the World Cup at the Adelaide Oval tomorrow.
After Indian team winning today’s match against Bangladesh and reaching the semifinals of the tournament expectations are that Pakistan might thump the Aussie team and it would be another ‘Mauka’ match when India and Pakistan will meet each other in the semifinals.
While four-time World Cup winners Australia can easily be termed as favourites going by the past performance and the arsenal they possess, pressure of expectations will be high on Michael Clarke’s men.
They finished second in Pool A with four wins. They lost a match against New Zealand and shared a point with Bangladesh due to rain. They will once again be hoping to overcome the pressure of expectations and Pakistan on a pitch expected to suit fast bowlers.
Meanwhile Misbah-ul Haq’s Pakistan are on a roll. They won four consecutive matches to enter the last eight contest after losing the first two games against India and the West Indies.
The worry for Pakistan will be whether it can weather Australia’s bowling attack, as only one Pakistani player has hit a century in the tournament so far, and that was only in the dying stages of their win over Ireland last week.
While opener Sarfraz Ahmed has delivered the most against Ireland and South Africa, Misbah, 40, has been a solid, steadying influence on the team whose middle and lower middle order have failed so far.
Pakistan will once again look up to veterans Misbah and star all-rounder Shahid Afridi — both will quit One-Day International (ODI) cricket after this tournament — for inspiration.
While Afridi, a veteran playing in his fifth World Cup, has failed so far — only 93 runs and two wickets in six matches, captain Misbah has been a leading light. The right-hander has scored 316 runs that include four half-centuries.
In the quarter-final, Misbah needs support from his younger batsmen Ahmed Shehzad, Umar Akmal, Haris Sohail and Afridi.
“Yes, they (Australia) are favourites but there is no hard and fast rule that favourites are always going to win the game,” Misbah said.
“It’s on the day, the team that performs better, the team who has better chances, better luck, can really defeat any team. So we are hopeful and we are very positive.”
Contrastingly, Australia’s batting goes all the way down to Number 9 and 10, with all-rounders Shane Watson, Glenn Maxwell, Mitchell Johnson, James Faulkner and Mitchell Starc all able to swing the willow.
Along with the all-rounders, David Warner, Aaron Finch, Michael Clarke and veteran wicketkeeper-batsman Brad Haddin will have the responsibility to provide stability during batting.
While Pakistan’s pacers have found their rhythm and may trouble the Australian top order, they will rue the absence of Mohammad Irfan. The tall left-armer suffered a stress fracture of the pelvis and was sidelined for the rest of the tournament.
However, Wahab Riaz, Rahat Ali and Sohail Khan are all capable of toppling any batting order on a lively Adelaide pitch.
For a team not having its first-choice seamer Junaid Khan and leading spinner Saeed Ajmal and a senior all-rounder like Mohammed Hafeez, can be detrimental. But Pakistan’s ability to produce talented cricketers on a regular basis was not in doubt and this tournament has proved it again.
It will be interesting to see whether coach Waqar Younis fields spinner Yasir Shah or goes with Afridi as the lone spinner.
World No.1 Australia, too, have fearsome quicks of their own and should have ascendancy with the ball. Left-arm seamers Johnson, Starc, Faulkner and right-armer Pat Cummins are difficult to score off and Pakistan will have to be careful of them.
“Fast bowling will play a big part tomorrow, especially if they leave that grass on the wicket like there is now – fingers crossed,” Clarke said at the pre-match media conference.
“But both teams have good fast bowlers in their line-ups so the batters, we’re going to have to make sure we play really well.”
Clarke suggested Pakistan’s inferior ODI rankings (seventh) may indeed be misleading.
“I think Pakistan have been under-rated for a long time, especially in the shorter form of the game,” Clarke said.
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Dr. Abhishek Verma Dedicates a Shelter in Memory of His Mother, Veena Verma, at KGMU; Inaugurated by Daughter Nicolle Verma
World-renowned business tycoon Dr. Abhishek Verma has supported Foodman Vishal Singh’s Hunger-Free World mission. In memory of his mother, Late Veena Verma, who was a 3 term Rajya Sabha MP.
Dr. Verma dedicated a state-of-the-art free permanent shelter for the attendants of patients at KGMU Medical University, Lucknow, under the aegis of Vijay Shree Foundation. His daughter, Nicolle Verma, inaugurated the shelter.
During the event, Foodman Vishal Singh honored Nicolle Verma by presenting her with a memento. Mrs. Nidhi Sharma and Avantika Yadav, associated with the organization, welcomed her with garlands. Following this, Nicolle Verma distributed essential items to the attendants and also handed out fruits. She became emotional remembering her grandmother on her birth anniversary.
On this occasion, she also inaugurated the “Veena Verma Sevalaya” in memory of her grandmother, Veena Verma, to serve the attendants. She expressed, “I feel proud that my family is engaged in nation-building as well as social service. Today, in collaboration with Vijay Shree Foundation founder Foodman Vishal Singh Ji, I feel immensely proud to dedicate this shelter for the poor, helpless, and needy attendants of patients battling serious illnesses like cancer. I am honored to be associated with the Hunger-Free World Mission for humanity.”
Inspired by the continuous humanitarian service provided by Vijay Shree Foundation over the past 17 years, Nicolle Verma donated 10 lakh rupees to support the cause. The purpose of this donation is to ensure that services continue for the needy attendants of patients suffering from severe illnesses in hospitals, as facilitated by Foodman Vishal Singh.
It is noteworthy that Dr. Abhishek Verma’s family has a legacy of public and philanthropic service. They are helping millions to carry forward the values and service work of their parents. On the occasion of his mother’s birth anniversary, Dr. Abhishek Verma dedicated this state-of-the-art permanent shelter at Lucknow Medical College to serve the attendants of patients through the Vijay Shree Foundation.
Supporting Foodman Vishal Singh’s Hunger-Free World mission, Dr. Abhishek Verma assured that he would continually support keeping this flame of humanity alive. He also promised to assist in providing medicines to the helpless patients.
Continuing her grandmother’s legacy of service, Nicolle Verma personally served food to the needy patients and attendants. She said, “It is our good fortune to have received the joy of doing this noble work today through Foodman Vishal Singh. I have taken another step forward in carrying my family’s values and cooperation by joining hands with the Vijay Shree Foundation. My father taught me to serve and help the needy, and I feel happy when I bring a smile to someone’s face.”
On the birth anniversary of the late Veena Verma, the event organizer, Vijay Shree Foundation founder Foodman Vishal Singh, said, “We feel proud and happy that Dr. Abhishek Verma, a globally renowned business tycoon, has extended his support to uplift our country from the hunger index. Today, on his mother’s birth anniversary, he inaugurated a state-of-the-art permanent shelter at Lucknow Medical College, which will always be helpful for the needy attendants of patients. It is a pleasure for me and the organization to receive the affection of Mr. Verma.”
The event was attended by General Manager Verma Family Office Hemant Garg, Sonu Rajput, and the organization’s volunteers, including Sandeep Singh, Parmeshwar Ji, Prashant Rao Gautam, Balram Singh, Ramesh Chaudhary, Suman, Jeetu, Anil, Suraj, Vinay, Manish Bhadauria, Manas Mehrotra, Vivek, Apurv, Happy, and others.