Pakistan eye clean sweep

Big Picture

With the series decided via the means of a Super Over, Pakistan and Australia are intent on some more high intensity preparation for the World Twenty20 in Sri Lanka during the final match in Dubai. For Pakistan, the match provides a chance to employ some players not yet used, including Mohammad Sami and Yasir Arafat. It also offers the tantalising prospect of a clean sweep over Australia, something seldom achieved in any format.

The Australians, by contrast, are simply hopeful that the upward trend of their T20 form in the series - a hiding in the first match, a far better showing in the second - will continue with a victory to take them to Sri Lanka with some level of confidence. To that end, the only likely change to the team is the recall of the young allrounder Glenn Maxwell, whose hitting prowess could have been useful in the latter stages of the chase in game two. Australia's coach Mickey Arthur was satisfied with how the team's batsmen had attacked with conviction on Friday, David Warner in particular seeming to turn a corner in the belief he applied to his strokes.

But all that progress will be set back by another defeat, one that Pakistan will be keen to inflict and so leave Dubai with the greatest momentum possible for their tilt at the world title.

Form guide (Complete matches, most recent first)

Pakistan WWWLL 

Australia LLLWL

Watch out for

Having not batted nor bowled in the opening match, Abdul Razzaq was barely seen until the closing moments of the second, coming on cold to bowl the final over of the innings and preventing Australia - by one run - from chasing down the target. He then went out to bat with Umar Akmal as Pakistan cuffed the winning runs from the Super Over. Flushed with confidence from those efforts, Razzaq can be expected to play a more central role this time around.

With a pair of starts and a couple of reasonable spells, Shane Watson has been feeling his way back into rhythm after injury, and there were signs during game two that he was getting closer to the destructive T20 force he has been in the past. A strong display during the final match would greatly enhance Watson's belief before the trip to Sri Lanka, and there is no question that a confident and in-form Watson would make a great difference to Australia's chances when they get there.

Team news

Pakistan's coach Dav Whatmore has flagged possible changes to the team given that the series has been secured, though Shahid Afridi's inclusion will not be one of them, as he is still battling a left hand injury. Saeed Ajmal complained of left shoulder soreness after the second match but is expected to play.

Pakistan (possible) 1 Mohammad Hafeez (capt), 2 Imran Nazir, 3 Nasir Jamshed, 4 Kamran Akmal (wk), 5 Umar Akmal, 6 Shoaib Malik, 7 Abdul Razzaq, 8 Sohail Tanvir, 9 Raza Hasan, 10 Umar Gul, 11 Saeed Ajmal

Australia have added Glenn Maxwell to the XI chosen for the second match, and he may come in for one of Cameron White, Dan Christian or David Hussey.

Australia 1 David Warner, 2 Shane Watson, 3 Michael Hussey, 4 David Hussey, 5 George Bailey (capt), 6 Cameron White/Glenn Maxwell, 7 Matthew Wade (wk), 8 Daniel Christian, 9 Brad Hogg, 10 Pat Cummins, 11 Mitchell Starc.

Pitch and conditions

The third match to be played on the same surface means there will be greater wear and tear, and less pace for bowlers and batsmen to work with.

Stats and trivia

A win for Pakistan would give them their second clean sweep of a T20 series against Australia, having won 2-0 in as many matches in England in 2010.

A win for Australia would take them back above Ireland on the ICC rankings table.

No batsman on either side has yet passed 50 in the series so far, Nasir Jamshed and Mohammad Hafeez going closest with 45 apiece in the second match.

Whatmore happy with Pakistan's Twenty20 progress

Pakistan coach Dav Whatmore on Sunday said he was happy with the team's progress in the shortest format of the game ahead of this month's World Twenty20, saying the team was responding well. 

Pakistan pulled off a sensational super over win against Australia in the second Twenty20 here on Friday, taking an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-match series with the final match also in Dubai on Monday. 

Whatmore said it was good to have wins on the board. 

"I am very much delighted," Whatmore told reporters. 

"We can't do any more than to win two out of two, it was an exciting finish but it's good to have the experience of the super over leading up to the World Twenty20." 

The 58-year-old former Australian batsman said his team responded well after losing the preceding one-day series 2-1. 

"We played consistent cricket and the players have responded well after the ODIs because there was just one day in between the change of the format," said Whatmore, who took over in March this year. 

"There is a very strong bond between the players, that's very good and they support each other and are ready to play for each other and for the country," said Whatmore, who also coached Sri Lanka to the 1996 World Cup title. 

Whatmore said he was sure of the team's combination for the World Twenty20, where Pakistan is in Group D along with Bangladesh and New Zealand. 

"I am sure of the combination. We certainly need to know the conditions in Kandy where our first two matches are to pick the best combination. We don't have easy opponents because we think all the teams are tough," said Whatmore. 

Whatmore hinted Pakistan might not risk Shahid Afridi on Monday after the allrounder injured his left hand in the third one-day but was confident off-spinner Saeed Ajmal will recover from a shoulder problem.

World Cup T20 2012 Schedule

Date and Time	Match	Weather
Tue Sep 18           14:00 GMT | 19:30 local 19:00 PKT 1st Match, Group C - Sri Lanka v Zimbabwe Mahinda Rajapaksa International Cricket Stadium, Sooriyawewa, Hambantota N/A Wed Sep 19           10:00 GMT | 15:30 local 15:00 PKT 2nd Match, Group B - Australia v Ireland R Premadasa Stadium, Colombo N/A Wed Sep 19           14:00 GMT | 19:30 local 19:00 PKT 3rd Match, Group A - Afghanistan v India R Premadasa Stadium, Colombo N/A Thu Sep 20           14:00 GMT | 19:30 local 19:00 PKT 4th Match, Group C - South Africa v Zimbabwe Mahinda Rajapaksa International Cricket Stadium, Sooriyawewa, Hambantota N/A Fri Sep 21           10:00 GMT | 15:30 local 15:00 PKT 5th Match, Group D - Bangladesh v New Zealand Pallekele International Cricket Stadium N/A Fri Sep 21           14:00 GMT | 19:30 local 19:00 PKT 6th Match, Group A - Afghanistan v England R Premadasa Stadium, Colombo N/A Sat Sep 22           10:00 GMT | 15:30 local 15:00 PKT 7th Match, Group C - Sri Lanka v South Africa Mahinda Rajapaksa International Cricket Stadium, Sooriyawewa, Hambantota N/A Sat Sep 22           14:00 GMT | 19:30 local 19:00 PKT 8th Match, Group B - Australia v West Indies R Premadasa Stadium, Colombo N/A Sun Sep 23           10:00 GMT | 15:30 local 15:00 PKT 9th Match, Group D - New Zealand v Pakistan Pallekele International Cricket Stadium N/A Sun Sep 23           14:00 GMT | 19:30 local 19:00 PKT 10th Match, Group A - England v India R Premadasa Stadium, Colombo N/A Mon Sep 24           14:00 GMT | 19:30 local 19:00 PKT 11th Match, Group B - Ireland v West Indies R Premadasa Stadium, Colombo N/A Tue Sep 25           14:00 GMT | 19:30 local 19:00 PKT 12th Match, Group D - Bangladesh v Pakistan Pallekele International Cricket Stadium N/A Thu Sep 27           10:00 GMT | 15:30 local 15:00 PKT 13th Match, Super Eights, Group 1 - TBC v TBC (C1 v D2) Pallekele International Cricket Stadium N/A Thu Sep 27           14:00 GMT | 19:30 local 19:00 PKT 14th Match, Super Eights, Group 1 - TBC v TBC (A1 v B2) Pallekele International Cricket Stadium N/A Fri Sep 28           10:00 GMT | 15:30 local 15:00 PKT 15th Match, Super Eights, Group 2 - TBC v TBC (D1 v C2) R Premadasa Stadium, Colombo N/A Fri Sep 28           14:00 GMT | 19:30 local 19:00 PKT 16th Match, Super Eights, Group 2 - TBC v TBC (B1 v A2) R Premadasa Stadium, Colombo N/A Sat Sep 29           10:00 GMT | 15:30 local 15:00 PKT 17th Match, Super Eights, Group 1 - TBC v TBC (A1 v D2) Pallekele International Cricket Stadium N/A Sat Sep 29           14:00 GMT | 19:30 local 19:00 PKT 18th Match, Super Eights, Group 1 - TBC v TBC (C1 v B2) Pallekele International Cricket Stadium N/A Sun Sep 30           10:00 GMT | 15:30 local 15:00 PKT 19th Match, Super Eights, Group 2 - TBC v TBC (B1 v C2) R Premadasa Stadium, Colombo N/A Sun Sep 30           14:00 GMT | 19:30 local 19:00 PKT 20th Match, Super Eights, Group 2 - TBC v TBC (D1 v A2) R Premadasa Stadium, Colombo N/A Mon Oct 1           10:00 GMT | 15:30 local 15:00 PKT 21st Match, Super Eights, Group 1 - TBC v TBC (B2 v D2) Pallekele International Cricket Stadium N/A Mon Oct 1           14:00 GMT | 19:30 local 19:00 PKT 22nd Match, Super Eights, Group 1 - TBC v TBC (A1 v C1) Pallekele International Cricket Stadium N/A Tue Oct 2           10:00 GMT | 15:30 local 15:00 PKT 23rd Match, Super Eights, Group 2 - TBC v TBC (B1 v D1) R Premadasa Stadium, Colombo N/A Tue Oct 2           14:00 GMT | 19:30 local 19:00 PKT 24th Match, Super Eights, Group 2 - TBC v TBC (A2 v C2) R Premadasa Stadium, Colombo N/A Thu Oct 4           13:30 GMT | 19:00 local 18:30 PKT 1st Semi-Final - TBC v TBC (Super 8 Group-1 1 v Super 8 Group-2 2) R Premadasa Stadium, Colombo N/A Fri Oct 5           13:30 GMT | 19:00 local 18:30 PKT 2nd Semi-Final - TBC v TBC (Super 8 Group-2 1 v Super 8 Group-1 2) R Premadasa Stadium, Colombo N/A Sun Oct 7           13:30 GMT | 19:00 local 18:30 PKT Final - TBC v TBC R Premadasa Stadium, Colombo N/A

England batting dismantled by confident South Africa

South Africa 119 for 3 (Kallis 48*, Duminy 47* ) beat England 118 for 7 by seven wickets

This was a flaccid England batting display which will fill them with misgivings ahead of World Twenty20 in Sri Lanka. Ravi Bopara's batting, at least, suggests that he remains scarred by his recent emotional upheavals and the ability of younger batsmen to succeed on turning pitches will be further doubted after the way they were dismantled by a confident South Africa.
South Africa's pursuit of 119 on northern England's version of a slow turner was a stroll in the park and, even though England's new-ball attack created some ersatz excitement by taking 3 for 29 in reply, it did not last long.
The one they needed was Jacques Kallis and, with a single to his name, he edged Steven Finn just short of Alex Hales at first slip. He never faltered again. Kallis and JP Duminy quietly assembled South Africa's highest fourth-wicket partnership in T20s against England in a stand of 90 at a run a ball and a seven-wicket win meandered into view in textbook fashion with an over to spare.
Kallis' timing of the chase was impeccable, one lazy despatching of Jade Dernbach's slower offcutter pronouncing: "I have logged your variations and have now programmed my response." Duminy, drawing confidence from Kallis' presence, ducked and carved alongside him. They won to barely a murmur.
South Africa rested Hashim Amla and his replacement Faf du Plessis, on debut, made only 4 before he was lbw to Finn. There were two wickets for Dernbach, too. But England were roundly outplayed. Whatever the rights and wrongs of the dispute involving Kevin Pietersen, and the issue has not been short of analysis, this England team is weaker for his absence.
If selecting Bopara in his current state is adamant, for him to bat at No. 3 looks increasingly delusional. He took time off last month as he was beset by relationship problems and since his return his batting has been clouded by self doubt. He does not look in a good place.
England are desperate for him to succeed as his bits-and-pieces bowling balances their side, but his troubled batting run continued as he managed only 6 from 11 balls. South Africa brought Dale Steyn into the attack added a slip and Bopara, with a lack of foot movement, edged to first slip. It was adventurous captaincy by AB de Villiers to bring in a slip outside the Powerplay overs, although as Bopara has been repeatedly edging it in this direction for weeks it was perhaps less daring than it appeared.
South Africa's domination did end at Bopara. Presented by a slow Chester-le-Street turner, not too far removed from the surfaces they may encounter in Sri Lanka, Robin Peterson and Johan Botha did not disappoint. They dared to bowl slowly, turned the ball and were backed up by solid fielding.
England's surfeit of one-day internationals against three different opponents this summer had attracted criticism for overkill, but a three-match T20 series had obvious relevance. South Africa are ranked No. 1; England are defending champions with a good recent record. Even the losers in this NatWest Series will feel happier than Australia who now find themselves ranked beneath Ireland.
Craig Kieswetter and Hales are beginning to have the feel of a settled opening partnership for an England side which once famously changed combinations on a whim, but they are still some way from an understanding between the wickets if Hales' run out in the fourth over is any guide.
His enthusiasm for a leg side single as Kieswetter got a thick inside edge was not shared by his partner and Jacques Kallis lumbered in to pick up and hit the non-striker's stumps direct. Hales left the field distraught in his last T20 international when he was dismissed for 99 against West Indies at Trent Bridge. On this occasion he was cursing.
There had been some spin in the preceding women's match - England beating West Indies by eight wickets - but Botha still spun his introductory delivery enough to surprise Kieswetter, who fell lbw.
Kieswetter's six over wide long on against Lonwabo Tsotsobe had been one of the few invigorating moments for England as they reached midway at 64 for 3 and Botha defused their most explosive batsman, Eoin Morgan, as he tried to sweep and dragged on one that kept a little low.
What followed smacked of naivety. England have great faith in Jos Buttler's potential but it is yet to be rewarded. He has had few opportunities and when they do come along, such as on this occasion when half the overs were still unused, he has flattered to deceive. Like Hales, he is unproven against spin and Peterson, bowling markedly slowly, drew him down the pitch and bowled him with ease. 10 England T20s have now brought 19 runs and that is no sort of preparation for a world cup.
Jonny Bairstow, needing to up the pace, plonked Albie Morkel into Botha's hands at deep midwicket and Samit Patel fell in similar fashion against Peterson as Kallis thundered in for a good, low catch at long-on. Only some spirited late forays by Stuart Broad and Graeme Swann, as England took 34 from the last five overs, gave England anything to bowl at. As for Dale Steyn, his four overs conceded only 13.
The limited-overs matches mount up, but once again entertainment was in limited supply at the end of a long season. South Africa rested Hashim Amla and his replacement Faf du Plessis, on debut, made only 4 before he was lbw to Finn. There were two wickets for Dernbach, too, the straightforward approach of Richard Levi silenced at first slip and de Villiers, after two glorious boundaries, edging a little carelessly to the keeper.
Swann's offspin, delayed until the eighth over, at 50 for 3, was chipped around cautiously and the tyro slow left-armer, Danny Briggs, had not been selected. He may be more fortunate at Old Trafford.

Innings Dot balls 4s 6s PP1 Last 5 overs NB/Wides England 55 11 1 40/1 31/0 0/0 South Africa 52 15 0 40/3 20/0 (19) 0/1

Pietersen names Twitter suspects

Kevin Pietersen has pressed England to carry out a serious investigation into his suspicion that his England team mates Graeme Swann and James Anderson were feeding information to the parody Twitter account - KP Genius - in a prolonged stalemate that continues to dog attempts to reintegrate him into the England team.

Pietersen has made an England investigation a central part of any rapprochement with England. Initial meetings with the England coach, Andy Flower, a week ago failed to find immediate common ground for a resumption of his international career.

Selectors are due to announce in the next few days the Test squad to tour India. He was also not named in England's list of central contracts for 2012 although it was indicated that other names could be added.

The account, which suggested Pietersen was vainglorious and obsessed by money, was followed by several members of the team and, at times, even elicited a good-humoured response from Pietersen before his attitude abruptly changed as his relationships with the ECB and his England team mates deteriorated.

Richard Bailey, a cricket lover who shares a house with a couple of members of the Nottinghamshire team and is a friend of England's T20 captain Stuart Broad, had admitted he was behind the account and insists no-one else was involved.

Broad has denied any involvement or knowledge of the account and it has subsequently been discontinued. An  investigation also exonerated Broad and suggested that Bailey was the only person responsible.

But Pietersen remains convinced that other England players were involved - and he has made his feelings clear. If he is to reach what he views as a fair compromise with his reputation intact and with an admission of faults on both sides then it seems that he is not prepared to let this matter rest. Whether a dressing room could knit together again after such a lengthy dispute is questionable.

Specifically he feels that the contents of private conversations between him, Anderson and Swann were referenced in various tweets. As a consequence, Pietersen feels he has been the victim of double standards after being disciplined for sending private messages to members of the South Africa touring party that contained derogatory comments about recently retired England Test captain Andrew Strauss.

The episode is a headache that will not go away for Flower. Coming days before England depart for Sri Lanka in an attempt to defend their World T20 title and days before they name their Test squad for the tour of India, it is a distraction that he and the players could well do without. If Pietersen has hard evidence to support his views - and it is hard to see how he does - then the results could be devastating.

With both sides apparently too entrenched in their views to accept an amnesty, it is also hard to see a happy ending to a saga that continues to damage the individuals and the England team.

Pakistan vs Australia 2nd T20 DUBAI 2012 Historic Match Photos

Pakistan take series after Super Over

Pakistan 151 for 4 (Hafeez 45, Jamshed 45) beat Australia 151 for 8 (Bailey 42, Ajmal 2-20) through Super Over

Seldom has the fickleness of Twenty20 been more evident. Pakistan claimed the series against Australia, but did so in circumstances as far removed from the hiding dealt out in the first match as could be imagined. Mohammad Hafeez's team celebrated their victory in the minutes after midnight in Dubai, yet George Bailey's Australians could also take solace from a much-improved display.

Two days after being routed for 89 on the way to a seven-wicket hiding, Australia scrapped to an enthralling tie. They owed much to the captain George Bailey, who on his 30th birthday compiled the most critical and substantial innings of his T20 career to date, proving his worth as a batsman as well as a captain in the process.

But it would be Pakistan's players who were to be jubilant after the extra deliveries were completed. Umar Gul conceded only one boundary in his Super Over while claiming David Warner's wicket, and the 11 runs Pat Cummins had to defend were to prove too few, the teenager delivering a motley collection of short balls that betrayed the draining effect of the contest and offered meat and drink to Umar Akmal and Abdul Razzaq. It was unfair that Cummins be left the loser, for it was he who struck a mighty six to tie the match up.

Warner and Shane Watson had earlier given Australia a suitably quick start before the top order experienced their now familiar difficulties with the high-class spin bowling of Saeed Ajmal. After three overs he had the figures of 2-10, but Ajmal's last ball was to be crashed over the boundary by Bailey to ease the pressure on Australia's chase. Ten were required off the final over, bowled by Razzaq, and Pakistan were expectant when Bailey fell. Cummins conjured a stunning six from the penultimate ball to level the scores, before miscuing the final delivery for a simple catch to force the use of the Super Over.

Mohammad Hafeez and Nasir Jamshed provided the spine of Pakistan's innings with a stand of 76, broken only by a superlative catch by Dan Christian, before Umar and Kamran Akmal hit out freely at the finish in a union of 46. Mitchell Starc bowled with swing, speed and economy on his T20I debut to follow up some fine 50-over efforts in Sharjah, but Brad Hogg endured a more difficult outing and was attacked with some relish by Pakistan's batsmen.

Warner has struggled for batting momentum at times on this trip, but he made a swift start to the chase, punching Hafeez's first ball for six and prospering against the pacemen in the company of Shane Watson. However he was to prove no closer to extricating himself from Ajmal's web, bowled in the off spinner's first over having tried unsuccessfully to switch-hit his first ball.

The wicket brought an immediate halt to Australia's momentum, the rate slipping from almost 10 to less than seven in a handful of balls. Michael Hussey and Watson rallied briefly, before Ajmal's reintroduction had the vice-captain sweeping fatally. When Cameron White was thrown out from backward point the next over, Pakistan sensed a series win.

However Bailey, on his birthday, summoned some telling blows off both spinners and pacemen, overcoming a nervy start to make his most meaningful batting contribution since he was named Australia's T20 captain at the start of the year. Michael and David Hussey both perished, but Bailey kept the equation within sight when he pulled Ajmal's final delivery for a towering six.

Bailey brought the equation down to 12 to win from nine balls with consecutive boundaries off Gul, before Matthew Wade was run out to keep Pakistan breathing. Their pulse strengthened with Bailey's exit, but Cummins forced the contest into extra balls.

Having lost the toss, Australia's opening bowlers found some new ball movement. Hafeez snicked and stroked 12 from the first over of the match, while also surviving a desperately tight LBW appeal to a sharp in-swinger. Starc showed the swing and speed that had made him man of the ODI series, swerving one through Imran Nazir second ball.

Hafeez and Jamshed then combined for a noteworthy partnership, which alternated between the considered and the cantankerous in terms of strokeplay. Jamshed was the beneficiary of an uncharacteristic dropped catch by Michael Hussey from the bowling of his brother David, and capitalised by taking to Hogg in his first overseas international since 2007.

Jamshed's stay was ended by a stupendous diving snare from Dan Christian, sprinting with the flight of the ball and sticking out a despairing hand, then finding with great delight after he landed that the ball had stuck. Watson turfed a less difficult chance from Hafeez off Starc, though he atoned for the error by having Pakistan's captain caught in the deep the following over.

The run-rate had hovered around seven, and helped by a steady diet of full tosses the brothers Akmal took it past 7.5 in the closing overs. Umar would be called on for an encore, as Pakistan enjoyed the right side of the nearest run thing many of them will have seen.

Innings Dot balls 4s 6s PP 16-20 overs NB/Wides Pakistan 40 17 1 37/1 38/1 0/2 Australia 46 10 8 41/1 35/4 0/0