PIA and ZTBL locked horns in the 5 day showpiece final.  This was played under floodlights and pink balls, with several stable players participating.

 

PIA inserted ZTBL into bat. Pakistan player, Yasir Hameed scored 80, Zulqarnain Haider chipped in with 36 to take their side to 337.

 

The Airline was tested by the trio of International seamers.  However, Shoaib Khan batted close on 4 hours after a night in hospital to score a critical 61.  Rao Iftikhar took 4/78 and Rehan Riaz 3/44, as PIA was dismissed for 300 and ZTBL took control.

 

Unfortunately, the latter part of day 3 sealed the feat of the game, as a poor batting display handed the game well into PIA’s hand.  ZTBL ended the day on 70/9. Yasir Hameed scored a quickfire 19, before falling to a poor shot chasing a wide one.  Zulqarnain Haider, went without troubling the scorers as he misjudged an in-swinger, that shattered his stumps.

 

Day 4, saw ZTBL’s last pair last 2 balls.  PIA’s top order came out attacking & scored the necessary 110 inside 22 over’s to claim their 7th title after a gap of near 10 years.

 

Bouncer Players Averages:

 

Fawad Alam (8th); 945 runs @ 67.50, best 157*, 3 x 100, 2 x 50

Yasir Arafat (15th); 408 runs @ 58.28, best 170, 1 x 100, 2 x 50

Shoaib Khan (21st); 683 runs @ 52.53, best 130*, 3 x 100, 3 x 50

Rafatullah Mohmand (47th); 717 runs @ 39.83, best 117, 2 x 100, 3 x 50

Bazid Khan (49th); 432 runs @ 39.27, best 103, 1 x 100, 4 x 50

Yasir Hameed (50th); 663 runs @ 39, best 167, 1 x 100, 5 x 50

Usman Saeed (54th); 665 runs @ 36.94, best 111*, 1 x 100, 3 x 50

Zeeshan Butt (63rd); 615 runs @ 34.16, best 92, 6 x 50

Mohammad Sami (70th); 579 runs @ 32.16, best 61*, 2 x 50

Mohammad Rameez (77th); 249 runs @ 31.12, best 74, 2 x 50

Zohaib Khan (95th); 493 runs @ 29, best 74, 4 x 50

Zohaib Ahmed (117th); 416 runs @ 26, best 85, 4 x 50

 

Mohammad Hafeez (3rd); 11 wickets @ 7.63, best 6-55, 2 x 5wi, 1 x 10wm

Yasir Arafat (12th); 16 wickets @ 16.75, best 3-26

Yasir Ali (23rd); 35 wickets @ 17, best 5-27, 2 x 5wi

Rahat Ali (25th); 44 wickets @ 17.45, best 6-62, 2 x 5wi

Riaz Afridi (37th); 39 wickets @ 19.30, best 6-64, 4 x 5wi

Mohammad Sami (43rd); 39 wickets @ 19.82, best 5-37, 2 x 5wi

Abdur Rauf (63rd); 45 wickets @ 21.35, best5-53, 4 x 5wi, 1 x 10wm

Rehan Riaz (74th); 36 wickets @ 22.27, best 5-8, 2 x 5wi

Mohammad Rameez (75th); 30 wickets @ 22.30, best 5-31, 2 x 5wi

Zohaib Khan (76th); 20 wickets @ 22.50, best 5-51, 1 x 5wi

Rao Iftikhar (80th); 36 wickets @ 22.88, best 6-37, 2 x 5wi

Waqar Ahmed (84th); 60 wickets @ 23.98, best 8-98, 4 x 5wi, 1 x 10wm

Zohaib Ahmed (86th); 37 wickets @ 23.43, best 7-84, 2 x 5wi

 

 

 

Zulqarnain Haider took the wicket keeper of the season award with 52 dismissals in 12 matches, whilst former Pakistan U19 keeper, Mohammad Awais proved an able understudy to Adnan Akmal with 20 victims in 4 matches.

 

On the fielding front, Shahid Yousaf snared 20 catches in 12 games, Rafatullah 15 in 11, and Shoaib Khan with 15 in 12 and his younger brother, Zohaib also in double figures with 10.

 

Finally, Pakistan ended the calendar year with another clean sweep against Bangladesh. In the 2nd Test , Bangladesh fought hard for their 338. Umar Gul, 3/102.

 

Pakistan replied with 470. Taufeeq scored 130, Younus 49 and Misbah 70, with a contribution of 24 from Abdur Rehman, leading by 132.

 

With the wicket showing signs of wear and tear and prodigious turn, Abdur Rehman’s Test best of 4/51, paved the way for his side to dismiss the hosts for 234.  

 

The light was fading quickly, which it did through the Test causing some 50 plus over’s to be lost, Pakistan threw caution to the wind needing 103.  Mohammad Hafeez set the path & motored to 47 off 52 balls. It was left to the elder statesmen in Younus and Misbah, who smote a straight 6 & seal the victory celebration.

 

This took Pakistan to 5th in the ICC Test rankings.

 

2011 Performances:

Test Matches;

 

Taufeeq Umar; 831 runs @ 46.16, best 236, 3 x 100, 3 x 50

Younus Khan; 765 runs @ 85, best 200*, 2 x 100, 4 x 50, 5th in ICC Test rankings

Misbah ul Haq; 765 runs @ 69.54, best 102*, 1 x 100, 7 x 50

Mohammad Hafeez; 647 runs @ 40.43, best 143, 2 x 100, 2 x 50

 

Abdur Rehman; 36 wickets @ 26.27, best 4/51

Umar Gul; 34 wickets @ 25.67, best 4/61

Mohammad Hafeez; 15 wickets @ 25.93, best 4/31

 

 

ODI;

 

Mohammad Hafeez: 1075 runs @37.06, best 139*, 3 x 100, 5 x 100. Ranked 2nd in the ICC ODI bowler & all rounder rankings.  

Misbah ul Haq; 964 runs @ 53.55, best 93*, 9 x 50

Younus Khan; 744 runs @ 35.82, best 81, 6 x 50

 

Mohammad Hafeez; 32 wickets @ 25.34, best 3/27

Umar Gul; 28 wickets @ 26.17, best 4/36

 

T20 Internationals;

Mohammad Hafeez: 163 runs @ 32.60, best 71, 2 x 50 and 10 wickets @ 7.50, best 4/10

 

Misbah achieved 60% win rate in Tests, 92.30% in ODI and 100% in T20 Internationals.

 

An outstanding year for Pakistan cricket, who take on England in the New Year in the UAE.