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CW ® Player Of The Week - Ahmed Shehzad

Pakistan batsman Ahmed Shehzad has been named as the Cricket World Player Of The Week after his efforts helped Pakistan beat New Zealand 3-2 in their One-Day International series.

Shehzad registered his maiden ODI century during a week in which his side won two matches out of three to...
 
Former South African fast bowler Allan Donald has joined up with the New Zealand coaching team on a short-term basis as bowling coach during the One-Day International series against Pakistan and the 2011 World Cup. The 44-year-old has recently finished a stint coaching in Zimbabwe and has previously held jobs with Warwickshire and England.
New Zealand could hand a recall to all-rounder James Franklin as they look to both overcome a poor recent Test record at the Basin Reserve in Wellington and then beat a resurgent Pakistan outfit and level their two-match series. Pakistan produced an emphatic performance to win the opening match in Hamilton inside three days and New Zealand have won just three of 13 Tests - not including two innings defeats of Bangladesh - in Wellington.
Pakistan have named a 16-man squad for the six-match One-Day International series in New Zealand, recalling wicket-keeper Kamran Akmal and appointing Misbah-ul-Haq as Shahid Afridi's vice-captain. Misbah has enjoyed an excellent run of form with the bat since being made Test captain and led the side to a convincing ten-wicket win in the opening Test match in Hamilton.
Pakistan sealed their first Test victory since August with a stunning performance in Hamilton, where they beat New Zealand by ten wickets inside three days in the opening match of the series. Replying to New Zealand's 275, they took a useful lead by scoring 367 and then dismissed the home side for 110, leaving themselves an easy run towards a clinical victory.
Pakistan off-spinner Saeed Ajmal is likely to miss the first Test against New Zealand, which begins in Hamilton on 7th January, following the death of his father. Ajmal is set to return home after his father passed away on Tuesday in Lahore and is unlikely to return in time for the start of the series.
New Zealand fast bowler Andy McKay has been ruled out of the two-Test match series against Pakistan due to a side strain and the 30-year-old left-armer will be replaced in new Zealand's squad by experienced quick man Daryl Tuffey. Tuffey himself has just recovered from a bicep-strain, featuring in just four Test matches in the past six and a half years, the latest of which was against Australia in March last year. He has 77 wickets from 25 games played at an average of 31.1.
New Zealand XI closed the third and final day of a tour game against the Pakistanis on 111 for four in their second innings having earlier dismissed the tourists for 287. Captain Misbah-ul-Haq converted his overnight 99 not out into 126 and last man Tanvir Ahmed made 25 before being dismissed by Tim Southee.
The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has delayed naming its squad of 30 probables for the 2011 World Cup Cup and a squad of players to play in six One-Day Internationals in New Zealand. The International Cricket Council (ICC) has set teams a deadline of 5th January to produce a list of 30 players before the final deadline for 15-man squads is set for 19th January - one month before the tournament gets underway.
Tour Schedule

26th Dec: 1st T20I, Auckland
NZL 146-5 beat PAK 143-8 by five wickets: Report
28th Dec: 2nd T20I, Hamilton
NZL 185-7 beat PAK 146-9 by 39 runs: Report
30th Dec: 3rd T20I, Christchurch
PAK 183-6 beat NZL 80 by 103 runs: Report
7th-11th Jan: 1st Test, Hamilton
PAK 367 & 21-0 bt NZL 275 & 110 by 10 wickets: Report
15th-19th Jan: 2nd Test, Wellington
NZL 356 & 293 drew with PAK 376 & 226-5: Report
22nd Jan: 1st ODI, Wellington
NZL 125-1 beat PAK 124 by ten wickets: Report
26th Jan: 2nd ODI, Queenstown
Match abandoned - rain: Report
29th Jan: 3rd ODI, Christchurch
PAK 293-7 beat NZL 250-9 by 43 runs: Report
1st Feb: 4th ODI, Napier
PAK 264-8 beat NZL 262-7 by 2 wickets: Report
3rd Feb: 5th ODI, Hamilton
PAK 268-9 beat NZL 227 by 41 runs: Report
5th Feb: 6th ODI, Auckland
NZL 311-7 beat NZL 254 by 57 runs: Report