Umar Gul is one Pakistan fast bowler who has earned a good reputation in the past few years. Gul has the ability to maintain an excellent discipline with the new ball and his outswingers are a deadly weapon in his armoury. Gul isn't in the Shoaib Akhtar mould in terms of pace, but his outstanding control and ability to extort seam movement single him out. Also, his height facilitates him to extract bounce on most surfaces and from his innate back of a length, it is a valuable trait.The Peshawar born bowler had a good start to his international career, but an ankle injury ruled him out for the next few seasons. He came back into the side as a fitter bowler and has never looked back since. In the absence of Akhtar and Asif, the right-armer has done an excellent job of leading the Pakistan attack. Gul is an important element in the new generation of Pakistan’s pace battery.
Pakistan was dismissed for 231 in the last over chasing 261 to beat the pre-tournament favorites.
The 28,000 fans inside the Punjab Cricket Association Stadium went wild in celebrations, shouting, dancing and waving national flags after India carved out a memorable victory against its traditional rival in the presence of the Prime Ministers of both countries.
Pakistan had done well earlier to peg India back to 260-9 despite some sloppy fielding, with left-arm pace bowler Wahab Riaz taking a career-best 5-46.
The victory continued a streak for India, which has beaten Pakistan in all five World Cup head-to-heads dating back to 1992.
The game was touted as a face-off between India's batting lineup and Pakistan's bowling attack, but Pakistan's shoddy fielding was eventually the difference between the two sides.
Tendulkar was let off four times, giving him the opportunity to knit together challenging total for India and the bowlers then ensured a third World Cup final appearance for the 1983 champion.
India piled the pressure on a Pakistan batting lineup which failed to produce a single century in the tournament.
Pakistan's early promise was slowed down in the middle overs as Yuvraj made early inroads and the bowlers slowly took control, marshalled well by captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni. All five Indian bowlers finished with two wickets each.
The only time Pakistan looked capable of the chase was when openers Kamran Akmal and Mohammad Hafeez were at the crease.
Kamran Akmal slashed a ball from Zaheer Khan straight to Yuvraj at point after making 19, while Hafeez went for an unnecessary scoop off Munaf Patel and was caught behind for 43.
Yuvraj then dismissed Asad Shafiq and Younis Khan and Pakistan was reduced to 106-4 by the 26th over.
Umar Akmal added some interest with a 24-ball 29 and Misbah-ul-Haq made a late charge of 56, but with the ball not coming on to the bat too well later in the day, it was always going to be difficult for them.
Earlier, Riaz exposed India's traditional weakness against left-arm seamers, striking at crucial junctures. He accounted for a dangerous looking Virender Sehwag and an in-form Yuvraj among others, as the famed Indian batting struggled against his swing.
Pakistan also made Tendulkar wait for his 100th international century despite dropping the world's best batsman four times. Tendulkar also had an lbw decision overturned on referral and survived a close stumping appeal in what has to be one of his luckiest innings ever.
Tendulkar faced 115 balls and hit 11 fours even as Riaz pegged back the Indian middle order with the dismissals of Virat Kohli (nine) and Yuvraj (zero) off successive deliveries.
Kohli was caught at point and Yuvraj was bowled off a swinging full toss, while captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni was trapped lbw by Riaz a little later for 25.
After opener Sehwag (38) made a blazing start that saw him once hit five fours off an over from Umar Gul, India failed to get a big partnership.
Tendulkar continued to work the ball around in the face of some tight bowling in the middle overs and was lucky to see two clear spilled catches off Shahid Afridi, the tournament's leading wicket-taker.
Misbah-ul Haq dropped a sharp catch at mid-wicket when Tendulkar was on 27, while the generally reliable Younis Khan spilled an easier chance at short cover on 45.
Wicketkeeper Kamran Akmal was unable to glove a thick edge when Tendulkar was on 70 and he was also let off on 81 by Umar Akmal off Mohammad Hafeez.
He was finally out when Afridi himself took a sharp chance at short extra-cover off Ajmal's bowling. The Pakistan captain held both arms in the air in a v-shape to celebrate the dismissal.
India got a slight boost towards the end as Suresh Raina struck an unbeaten 36 and India accumulated 43 runs in the batting powerplay taken in the 45th over.Pakistan all rounder Shahid Afridi has flown to Dubai to raise funds for the victims of the devastating floods that have affected over four million people in country’s north western region. Afridi, Pakistan’s ODI and Twenty20 captain is hoping to raise millions of rupees during his two-day stay in the United Arab Emirates. Afridi and several other Pakistani sportsmen also raised substantial funds for the victims of the 2005 earthquake.
Pakistan players will not be involved in the third edition of the Indian Premier League beginning in March next year due to an ongoing delay in obtaining visas for the event.
The Pakistan government barred its players from travelling to India for the second edition of the IPL this year and they stayed at home even after the Twenty20 tournament was shifted to South Africa.
The Pakistan Cricket Board was keen on its players participating in the third edition in India next year and, although the government has this time cleared the team to participate, the players have not yet been furnished with visas.
IPL chairman Lalit Modi, who had last month extended the deadline to December 7 for Pakistan's players to get clearances in place, said the league could not permit more extensions.
"We have been informed by the PCB that they have not been able to obtain the visas as of now," Modi said.
"December 7 was the absolute deadline for confirmation of Pakistan players.
"We will not extend the deadline because we are handicapped because of the exchange window.
"Unfortunately, Pakistan's players are out and will not be allowed to take part in the next IPL.
"We are informing the teams that they can now go for replacement of Pakistan players," Modi said.
Five Pakistan players - Umar Gul, Sohail Tanvir, Abdul Razzaq, Misbah-ul Haq and Kamran Akmal - have contracts in place with IPL teams.
Contracts for seven others, including Younus Khan and Shoaib Akhtar, were terminated prior to the second edition of the league this year after the Pakistan government refused to sanction permission for players to participate due to security concerns arising from the terrorist attack in Mumbai.
All-rounder Razzaq, who had missed the inaugural edition of the IPL due to links with the unauthorised Indian Cricket League, was signed up by the Kolkata Knight Riders earlier this year.
The Pakistan government barred its players from travelling to India for the second edition of the IPL this year and they stayed at home even after the Twenty20 tournament was shifted to South Africa.
The Pakistan Cricket Board was keen on its players participating in the third edition in India next year and, although the government has this time cleared the team to participate, the players have not yet been furnished with visas.
IPL chairman Lalit Modi, who had last month extended the deadline to December 7 for Pakistan's players to get clearances in place, said the league could not permit more extensions.
"We have been informed by the PCB that they have not been able to obtain the visas as of now," Modi said.
"December 7 was the absolute deadline for confirmation of Pakistan players.
"We will not extend the deadline because we are handicapped because of the exchange window.
"Unfortunately, Pakistan's players are out and will not be allowed to take part in the next IPL.
"We are informing the teams that they can now go for replacement of Pakistan players," Modi said.
Five Pakistan players - Umar Gul, Sohail Tanvir, Abdul Razzaq, Misbah-ul Haq and Kamran Akmal - have contracts in place with IPL teams.
Contracts for seven others, including Younus Khan and Shoaib Akhtar, were terminated prior to the second edition of the league this year after the Pakistan government refused to sanction permission for players to participate due to security concerns arising from the terrorist attack in Mumbai.
All-rounder Razzaq, who had missed the inaugural edition of the IPL due to links with the unauthorised Indian Cricket League, was signed up by the Kolkata Knight Riders earlier this year.
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