AMSTELVEEN — Rain, appropriately, ended Pakistan’s visit to the Netherlands when their friendly match against the Dutch national side at the VRA Ground here yesterday was abandoned.
Pakistan were 122 for six, in a match already reduced to 25 overs per side, when Dutch umpires Chris Pickett and Eric van der Vegt called a halt.
Abdul Razzaq was 24 not out and wicketkeeper Moin Khan 20 not out, their unbroken stand of 44 repairing the damage after Pakistan slumped to 78 for six.
However, Pakistan’s ‘collapse’ had to be set in the context of a friendly match — games against the Netherlands do not count as full One-Day Internationals unless played at the World Cup or other official International Cricket Council (ICC) tournaments.
And such were the conditions that had this match been a fully-fledged international it would never have got under way at all.
The game itself was an appendix to the rain-marred triangular tournament which saw world champions Australia beat Pakistan by 17 runs in the final here Saturday in an event also featuring India.
All three teams had come to the Netherlands in a bid to warm-up for next month’s ICC Champions Trophy tournament in England.
But each was frustrated by the weather and it was a similar story yesterday with the start delayed by three hours.
When play did get under way Imran Farhat was caught down the legside in the second over by wicketkeeper Jeroen Smits, one of several Dutch cricketers yesterday who featured at last year’s World Cup, off Darren Reekers’ first ball.
Dutch captain Reekers (two for 19), had his second victim, when Shahid Afridi (12) was well caught in the covers by Bas Zuiderent, who has played English county cricket for Sussex, after the ball stopped on a slow pitch. All-rounder Tim de Leede also featured in what little cricket was possible by taking two wickets in two balls.
Pakistan captain Inzamam ul-Haq holed out first for 29 and Younis Khan then saw a forward defensive shot trickle back onto his stumps. De Leede took two for 12 from two overs before Razzaq struck two huge sixes.
But the dark skies overhead always made a positive result unlikely and after several overs in the rain the match was abandoned.
Pakistan’s next Champions Trophy warm-up match is against Australia at Lord’s on Saturday.
PCB Keep Distance Over
Bari’s Umpire Outburst
In Karachi, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has distanced itself from an outburst directed by its chief selector Wasim Bari at veteran English umpire David Shepherd.
Former Test captain Bari lashed out at the 63-year-old Shepherd, blaming him for two contentious decisions in the final of a triangular tournament that Pakistan lost to world champions Australia in the Netherlands last week.
Bari, who played 81 Tests and 51 One-Day Internationals for Pakistan, said Shepherd was too old and needed to be replaced on the International Cricket Council (ICC)’s elite panel of umpires.
“We have no comment to offer on this issue. Whatever Bari has said are his personal views and don’t reflect that of the board,” PCB spokesman Abbas Zaidi told Reuters yesterday.
Cricket boards representing ICC member countries, their officials and players are not allowed to comment publicly about umpires, or any umpiring decision, under the ICC Code of Conduct. Bari, however, told Reuters he had spoken out on behalf of cricket fans in general.
“I don’t think I said anything different from what people are talking about after the final,” he said.
Australia beat Pakistan by 17 runs in the final of a tournament played in Amstelveen that also featured India.
PCB sources said the board had spoken to Bari about his outburst, reminding him to refrain from commenting on umpiring issues in the future. Shepherd is one of the most experienced umpires in the game, having stood in 82 Tests and 159 One-Day Internationals since 1983.
