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Your votes have been counted and we can now confirm the overall winner of the women's GOAL50 2022!

GOAL50 is an annual award that gives fans the power to rank the 50 best footballers in the world over the previous 12 months.

This year GOAL50 featured three categories of players to vote on. In addition to the Men and Women categories, we added a special once-off World Cup Wonders category to pay tribute to the legends of the past.

GOAL50 employs a unique voting system that sees fans voting on a series of head-to-head clashes between players in each category.

There were 2,450 possible player match-ups in each category, and the players with the most victories have now been crowned the GOAL50 2022 winners.

Here are the final standings, and the overall winner, of the women's GOAL50 2022!

GOAL1Alexia Putellas – Barcelona & Spain

In 2022, Putellas become the first female player to win the Ballon d'Or for two years in a row – she was also named FIFA Best Women's Player. Had it not been for an ACL injury on the eve of the tournament, Spain may well have enjoyed more success at the Euros. A true force to be reckoned with within the world of football and a worthy GOAL50 winner for the second year in a row.

AdvertisementGOAL2Aitana Bonmatí – Barcelona & Spain

Named in the official UEFA Women's EURO 2022 Team of the Tournament as well as being nominated for the Ballon d’Or 2022, the Barcelona midfielder is simply a joy to watch whenever she takes to the field of play. Very much the present and future for both club and country, the world is at her feet.

GOAL3Alex Morgan – San Diego Wave & USA

She may have not made Goal’s top 50 last year, but Morgan is back with a bang this time around to break the top three. Despite now being 33 years of age, the striker reminded everyone of her quality netting 15 goals in 17 regular season games to win the golden boot in the NWSL – she also scored the winning goal at the 2022 Concacaf W Championship for the USWNT.

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GOAL4Beth Mead – Arsenal & England

Despite Arsenal finishing the 2021-22 season second in the WSL, Mead’s eight assists was the league’s highest total and made her the WSL’s all-time assists leader. After the Euros, Mead was named BBC Women’s Footballer of the Year, before coming runner-up in the 2022 Ballon d’Or Feminin.

Despite boasting eight Ballon d'Or nominees in their ranks, the Spanish giants have under-performed across the board in 2018-19

Getty Images1Marco Asensio

With Cristiano Ronaldo out of the picture, 2018-19 should have presented the perfect opportunity for Asensio to step up and become a star at the Bernabeu. 

The 22-year-old, however, has so far failed to fulfil that promise, netting just once in La Liga during a series of underwhelming showings. 

Saturday's defeat against Eibar marked a new nadir for Asensio, who was hauled off for Vinicius Junior after 74 ineffectual minutes and with his side trailing by three.

AdvertisementGetty Images2Gareth Bale

Who could forget Bale's stunning overhead kick that set Real Madrid on the way to victory over Liverpool and a third straight Champions League title last May? Unfortunately for the Welshman, Madrid fans have short memories. 

After a bright start to the season, Bale is now struggling terribly to take command of Real's Ronaldo-less attack, having failed to score in La Liga since September 1.  

Just like Madrid, Bale has been more impressive in the Champions League but he was attacked by both the supporters and the press for his lack of goals, leadership and – most damningly of all – defensive effort after Saturday's horror show at Eibar.

Getty Images3Karim Benzema

Karim Benzema has been far from the prime culprit for Madrid's malaise this season. 

Always a ferocious competitor, the Frenchman has stepped up his efforts to lead the Merengue attack following the loss of Ronaldo to Juventus and has been sporadically excellent. 

At a club like Madrid, however, a scoring rate of nine goals in 18 games – with six of those coming in three blowout wins over the less than formidable Girona, Leganes and Viktoria Plzen – is simply not good enough.

He simply hasn't stepped up when Real have needed him most, as underlined by his costly failure to take an excellent chance to open the scoring in the embarrassing loss at Eibar.

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Getty Images4Dani Carvajal

Like fellow full-back Marcelo, Carvajal's season has been severely affected by injury. 

The Spain international returned for a cameo off the bench against Eibar after almost two months inactive due to a calf injury and could do nothing to change the course of a humbling defeat. 

Madrid fans must now hope his fitness worries are behind him and he can regain the form that made him a cornerstone of those three Champions League wins.

The Blancos, amid a testing 2017-18 campaign, are expected to overhaul their squad in the summer and will have a sizeable budget at their disposal

Galacticos of 2018?

Real Madrid are expected to spend big this summer, with a forgettable domestic campaign highlighting the flaws in a squad that swept to a La Liga and Champions League double in 2016-17. Reports suggest that the Blancos could invest as much as €600 million in fresh faces, with high-profile sales – such as Cristiano Ronaldo, Karim Benzema and Keylor Navas – helping to counter a sizable outlay and ensure the club adheres to Financial Fair Play regulations. Who, though, is on their shopping list as the next ‘Galactico’ recruitment drive at Santiago Bernabeu is pieced together?

AdvertisementGettyDavid de Gea: €130m

The Manchester United goalkeeper has been a longstanding target, with a deal almost done in the summer of 2015 only for a now-infamous fax delay to scupper a return to Spain for the former Atletico Madrid custodian.

De Gea has said of his Old Trafford future: “I don't think it's the time to start talking about the future, it's not the time to be talking contracts. Being a player and a part of this club is special, so when you get to wear the shirt, you go to away games, that's something you are always proud of and is very special.”

Getty ImagesThibaut Courtois: €100m

Amid the struggles to get an agreement in place for De Gea, Chelsea’s current number one has emerged as a possible alternative – with the former Atletico loanee having made no secret of his desire to return to Spain.

Courtois has said: “Yes, my heart is in Madrid. It is logical and understandable. If they [Real] want me, they have to contact Chelsea. We'll see. But they have not done that. What is certain is that one day I will return to Madrid.”

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Getty ImagesToby Alderweireld: €30m

Another man to have once graced the books at Real’s cross-city rivals Atletico, the Tottenham defender is now considered a realistic target as he is yet to commit to fresh terms in England and has a release clause set to kick in from 2019 if no extension is agreed.

Spurs boss Mauricio Pochettino has said of the Belgian centre-half: “Toby still has two-and-a-half years of contract. Messi was six months left on his contract. Messi! If something happens, the club is going to communicate.”

Jesse Ryder’s career-best figures put Essex in firm control against Glamorgan at Chelmsford, snapping the visitors’ excellent run of recent form with the bat

ECB/PA13-Jul-2015
ScorecardJesse Ryder whittled out Glamorgan•Getty ImagesJesse Ryder’s career-best figures put Essex in firm control against Glamorgan at Chelmsford, snapping the visitors’ excellent run of recent form with the bat.Ryder, the New Zealander, picked up 6 for 47 in 15 overs as Glamorgan were bowled out for 162, the first time this season they had failed to get a batting point in a completed innings. Essex were left with a first innings lead of 117 on a day when 46 overs were lost through rain or bad light and they added another 78 runs before the close.In overcast conditions, Ryder used a combination of seam and swing to undermine the visitors’ innings after they had resumed on 40 for 3 and he beat the bat so often that he could have reaped a greater harvest.Ryder claimed the first five wickets of the innings to fall with only 59 on the board and at that stage, Glamorgan were in danger of being asked to follow-on after replying to an Essex total of 279. But they steered clear of having to do so largely through the efforts of Colin Ingram, Mark Wallace and David Lloyd.Ingram adopted a positive approach while gathering 43 from 56 balls with the help of five fours and a six while Wallace’s 21 included five boundaries. Both were eventually dismissed by paceman David Masters who trapped Wallace leg before wicket before he bowled Ingram for 43. Lloyd hit out boldly while making an unbeaten 20 that included a six and three fours.Masters finished with 3 for 53 while Napier picked-up the remaining wicket when Michael Hogan was bowled off his pads to bring Glamorgan’s replay to an end in the 41st over.With Jaik Mickleburgh suffering from back spasms, Liam Dawson, on-loan from Hampshire, was promoted to open the innings with Nick Browne and the pair never looked in any real trouble as they pressed home Essex’s advantage. They defied a succession of bowling changes while raising the fifty stand with some fine strokes on either side of the wicket and they put together the highest partnership of the match so far.They were still together when bad light brought play to an end with the total on 78 without loss. Browne was within eight runs of his half-century while Dawson will resume on 30.Essex have certainly put themselves in a healthy position to inflict upon promotion-chasing Glamorgan their first defeat of the summer, one that would be a blow to their hopes of reaching Division One. But the real winner could yet prove the weather with outbursts of rain, some prolonged, forecast over the next couple of days.All-rounder Liam Dawson admitted that his Essex side are in a good position. “To go into day three almost 200 runs ahead with twn wickets left is a position that you want to be in. I think there is enough in that wicket if you bowl well over a period of time to take wickets. The longer the game goes on and the more runs we get on the board, the more we put the pressure on Glamorgan. When we come to bowl against them again, whether it is late tomorrow or the start of day four, there is plenty in that wicket to encourage us.”Glamorgan head coach Toby Radford added: “It was a disappointing day for us, I thought that Ryder bowled exceptionally well, used the conditions overhead and got a lot from the pitch, swung it and nipped it both ways. I was still disappointed though that we couldn’t get closer to the Essex first innings score and then we failed to take any wickets this evening. So we are under pressure and have to play well over these last two days.”

Mumbai Indians’ premier fast bowler Lasith Malinga joined the squad on Friday evening, but he is unlikely to be available for selection immediately

Nagraj Gollapudi16-Apr-2016Mumbai Indians’ premier fast bowler Lasith Malinga joined the squad on Friday evening, but he is unlikely to be available for selection immediately given the ongoing issues with his knee. The Sri Lankan pacer had missed Mumbai’s first two matches of this IPL due to fitness concerns.Two days before the IPL started, Mumbai coach Ricky Ponting had had said that Malinga was likely to arrive at this stage, but would sit out at least the first half of the tournament to recover from a knee injury. “I believe he will be joining us after the first couple of games to have his fitness assessed,” Ponting had said. “Right now it’s unlikely he will take part in the first half of the tournament anyway.”Malinga has been trying to recover from a bone bruise in his left knee since November. He was to captain Sri Lanka in the Asia Cup, but played just the one match. He then decided to stand down as captain for the World T20, because of uncertainty over his fitness, and eventually did not play a game.In the absence of Malinga, the IPL’s overall highest wicket-taker, Mumbai had fielded New Zealand fast bowler Tim Southee in their victory over Kolkata Knight Riders earlier this week. In the tournament opener, which they lost to Rising Pune Supergiants, Mumbai had opted to field an extra overseas batsman in Lendl Simmons, while Southee’s New Zealand team-mate Mitchell McCleneghan had shared the new ball with India seamer Jasprit Bumrah.

Rajasthan Royals have to win to have a chance of qualifying, whereas a win for Kolkata Knight Riders would put them through to the playoffs

The Preview by Arun Venugopal15-May-2015Match factsSaturday, May 16, 2015
Start time 2000 local (1430 GMT)3:06

O’Brien: KKR need to look for consistency in away games

Big PictureRajasthan Royals must be feeling an uneasy sense of déjà vu. They began the season with five wins in five games but like last year, when they appeared to be cruising to the playoffs, they have lost steam midway. Royals find themselves needing to win their last game, and yet that might not be enough.That there has also been a change in captaincy, with Shane Watson stepping down ahead of the Chennai Super Kings encounter, has added another interesting dimension. But, with Steven Smith having stood in for Watson in the opening stages of the tournament, his elevation might not be an earth-shattering development.Knight Riders, on the other hand, would be inclined to look back ruefully at their five-run loss to Mumbai Indians on Thursday, but will have little emotional bandwidth to do so. They know that a win would get them into the playoffs, but a defeat would leave them pinning their hopes on other results.Both the matches played at the Brabourne Stadium thus far have been high-scoring affairs and this one isn’t likely to be any different. It could well be a contest between Royals’ batsmen and Knight Riders’ spinners, who have contributed 35 wickets in the tournament.Form guideRajasthan Royals LLWLL (last five completed matches, most recent first)
Kolkata Knight Riders LWWWLWatch out for…Chris Morris has been a worthy investment for Royals, and he has contributed with both bat and ball. Besides being their second-highest wicket-taker, he has also been the most economical of Royals’ bowlers. He has also scored 72 from five innings with a strike-rate of 189.47 without being dismissed once. By playing him too low down the order, Royals have perhaps not completely exploited his batting potential. A promotion in a crunch game might not be a bad idea.Yusuf Pathan has been a revelation in this year’s IPL, having shed his one-dimensional slogging in favour of a more balanced approach. He showed maturity in taking Knight Riders to the brink of victory against Mumbai, but his dismissal in the last over changed the course of the match. Marrying sangfroid with his characteristic big-hitting, Pathan could well be both the middle-order marshall as well as the finisher.Stats and trivia Robin Uthappa (11) is third on the list of most dismissals behind the stumps in this IPL. Wriddhiman Saha (13) and Dinesh Karthik (12) occupy the top-two positions Ajinkya Rahane (4) is joint-second with Lendl Simmons and Shreyas Iyer, behind only David Warner (6) for the most number of 50-plus scores made in IPL 2015Quotes”Gautam Gambhir is one of the best captains in the IPL. He always goes for wickets and not containing the batsmen. Even in the 15th or 16th over if there is a new batsman at the crease, he will have a short-leg and slip.””I doff my hat off to Watto for giving up the captaincy and taking more responsibility for his batting. It was a responsible thing to do. We all appreciate it as team men and move on.”

Now that the emotional tide has settled somewhat, both Pakistan and Zimbabwe will feel they can get down to business

The Preview by Firdose Moonda23-May-2015Match factsSunday, May 24, 2015
Start time 1900 local (1400GMT)Big pictureSomething would have seemed amiss had the first match of Pakistan’s return home ended in anything other than victory for them. They chased down 173 to put cricket at the forefront of a series threatened to be swept up in sentiment. Now that the emotional tide has settled somewhat, both teams will feel they can get down to business.For Pakistan, it will be finding consistency in the bowling attack and solidity in the middle order, which they will ultimately hope will lead to securing a trophy at home. Wahab Riaz’s waywardness will be an area of concern, especially if the third seamer is as expensive as Bilawal Bhatti was in the first match. While Pakistan will be pleased with the way Mukhtar Ahmed partnered Ahmed Shehzad, they will also want runs from the senior men Mohammad Hafeez and Shoaib Malik.For Zimbabwe, it will be building up the confidence to press home any advantage they may get and square a series to set themselves up for the ODIs. Zimbabwe are equally as unused to being ahead of the game as they are to playing in front of massive crowds and the effects of that showed in the first game. After posting a decent total, their bowlers began poorly and the pressure from the partisan crowd mounted. But they will know they competed deep into the game and will now want to take that one step further by ending up on the right side of the result.Form guidePakistan WLLWL (last five matches, most recent first)
Zimbabwe LWWLLIn the spotlightIt’s difficult to imagine Shahid Afridi overwhelmed but he appeared exactly that in the way he managed his bowlers in the first match. He seemed to be rotating them on feel rather than plan but composed himself enough by the time he needed to bat and hit the winning runs to seal cricket’s comeback to his country. His home crowd will hope that the one delivery Afridi faced, which he bludgeoned over the bowler’s head, was just a taster for bigger innings.Since his second stint as captain began, Elton Chigumbura has notched up his highest ODI (90) and T20 (54) score but the increased responsibility is not the only reason for his improving form. Chigumbura has been bumped up the order to bat in the top five and spending more time at the crease seems to be paying off. Both Chigumbura’s career bests came in losing causes and the man himself has said that he would find it more rewarding if his next major contribution concludes with a victory.Elton Chigumbura has said he would find it more rewarding if his next major contribution concludes with a victory•AFPTeam newsPakistan’s victory would suggest that no changes are needed but they may want everyone in their T20 squad to get a run at home. Nauman Anwar, Mohammad Rizwan, Imad Wasim and Hammad Azam are the four members of the squad who did not play the first match and may come into contention.Pakistan: 1 Ahmed Shahzad, 2 Mukhtar Ahmed, 3 Mohammad Hafeez, 4 Umar Akmal, 5 Shoaib Malik, 6 Shahid Afridi (capt), 7 Sarfaraz Ahmed (wk), 8 Anwar Ali, 9 Wahab Riaz, 10 Mohammad Sami, 11 Bilawal BhattiAfter a spirited performance in the first match, Zimbabwe will not have much reason to change their XI, but may want to look at giving another seamer an opportunity. Tawanda Mupariwa could come in for Tinashe Panyangara while Craig Ervine could be used in the middle order in Sikandar Raza’s place.Zimbabwe: 1 Vusi Sibanda, 2 Hamilton Masakadza, 3 Charles Coventry, 4 Elton Chigumbura (capt), 5 Sean Williams, 6 Sikandar Raza/Craig Ervine, 7 Richmond Mutumbami (wk) 8 Graeme Cremer, 9 Tinashe Panyangara/Tawanda Mupariwa, 10 Chris Mpofu, 11 Brian VitoriPitch and conditionsThere will be more runs on offer on a surface that is tailor-made for big totals and that’s not the only reason the fielders will be wary. Sunday is expected to be even hotter than Friday was, with day-time temperatures reaching 44 degrees.Stats and trivia Zimbabwe have only scored more than 170 in a T20 on four occasions and only reached 200 once.. Their 172 for 6 in the first match was their fourth highest total in the format. The last time Pakistan won a T20 series of more than one match was against Zimbabwe, in August 2013. They have played four two-match T20 series since then, lost one and drawn three.Quotes”I don’t think so you will find Ajmal in near future, it’s definitely a thing which is missing.” 

Fast bowler Sohail Khan and legpspinner Yasir Shah have been awarded central contracts in category D by the PCB till March 31, while senior batsman Younis Khan has been promoted to category A

ESPNcricinfo staff14-Jan-2015Fast bowler Sohail Khan and legpspinner Yasir Shah have been awarded central contracts in category D by the PCB till March 31, while senior batsman Younis Khan has been retained in category A.As the terms of the previous contract, awarded to 31 players in June last year, expired on December 31, the PCB decided to extend the players’ central contracts by three more months, till the end of the World Cup.Younis had been originally downgraded to a category B contract last year but was promoted to A a few days later. In September, he was dropped for the ODI series against Australia in the UAE, raising questions over the future of his international career, with the batsman himself lashing out at the PCB. However, Younis batted himself back into form and World Cup contention with a stellar performance in the Tests against Australia and New Zealand, scoring four hundreds – including a double-century – and a fifty in five matches.Sohail was one of the surprise inclusions in Pakistan’s 15-man squad for the World Cup, having not played for the country since 2011. He, however, was given a spot in the team on the back of a strong domestic season in which he ended as the leading wicket-taker in the Quaid-e-Azam Gold League, with 64 scalps at an average of 22. Yasir’s inclusion in the squad also raised eyebrows as it meant Pakistan would be travelling without a specialist offspinner, but Moin defended the pick as a “pure cricketing decision”, calling Yasir a “wicket-taking bowler and a good prospect.”The central contracts for 2015 will be awarded from April 1.Category A: Misbah-ul-Haq, Mohammad Hafeez, Saeed Ajmal, Shahid Afridi, Younis Khan, Junaid KhanCategory B: Ahmed Shehzad, Umar Akmal, Umar GulCategory C: Asad Shafiq, Azhar Ali, Adnan Akmal, Khurram Manzoor, Nasir Jamshed, Abdur RehmanCategory D: Sohaib Maqsood, Sarfraz Ahmed, Bilawal Bhatti, Sharjeel Khan, Zulfiqar Babar, Fawad Alam, Ehsan Adil, Mohammad Irfan, Wahab Riaz, Raza Hasan, Umar Amin, Haris Sohail, Rahat Ali, Shaan Masood, Mohammad Talha, Anwar Ali, Yasir Shah, Sohail Khan

Rangpur Division clinched their maiden National Cricket League title after they beat Dhaka Metropolis by 102 runs, with four minutes left on the clock

ESPNcricinfo staff12-Mar-2015Rangpur Division clinched their maiden National Cricket League title after they beat Dhaka Metropolis by 102 runs at the BKSP-2 ground. When Mahmudul Hasan trapped Asif Hasan leg-before to take the tenth wicket, only four minutes of play remained and that was after the umpires had taken the mandatory final hour at 3:58pm.With Khulna having moved to 120 points on the third day of the final round, the onus was on Rangpur to complete an outright win over Dhaka Metro, who were set a target of 361 runs in a minimum of 76 overs. The win moved Rangpur to 121 points.Wickets were hard to come by at the start of the second innings on the fourth morning, but Mahmudul and Suhrawadi Shuvo pegged away. Shamsur Rahman and Mehedi Maruf added 51 for the second wicket before Marshall Ayub and Mehrab Hossain jnr added 65 runs for the fourth wicket. Mahmudul picked up his fourth wicket when he had Mohammad Shahid caught and bowled in the 58th over, leaving Dhaka Metro eight down.Sharifullah, batting at No 10 due to illness, fell to Shuvo in the 65th over before Jabid Hossain and Asif resisted for 14.3 overs that almost took the title away from Rangpur’s grasp. But finally, Mahmudul struck in the 80th over.Rangpur chose to bat first in this game and scored 491 runs at a breathtaking 4.41 per over in their first innings. Litton Das made 107 while Ariful Haque slammed an unbeaten 112 off just 56 balls, with 12 sixes and six fours. He reached the century off just 54 balls. Naeem Islam made 91 while Elias Sunny picked up six wickets.Dhaka Metro made a strong reply, and were bowled out for 437 with centuries from Mehedi and Mehrab. Saikat Ali and Asif Ahmed struck fifties too, while Shuvo took five wickets.Rangpur were bowled out for 306 in their second innings, and again they scored at well over four an over, with Litton and Naeem making half-centuries.In only their fourth season in the first-class competition, Rangpur became the sixth NCL champions. Chittagong Division were the inaugural champions while Biman Bangladesh Airlines won it in the second season. Dhaka Division and Rajshahi Division have won the title five times each while Khulna, who finished just one point short of winning the title this time, have been champions three times in the past.Apart from the fight for the title, there was the battle to remain in the first tier of next season’s NCL where the teams will be split into a two-tier system depending on points table finishes from this season. Five-time champions Rajshahi Division will be one of the four teams in the second tier after they finished fifth following a 134-run loss to Dhaka Division in Fatullah.Batting first, Dhaka made 318 in the first innings with Shuvagata Hom scoring 111, his eighth first-class century. Muktar Ali took four wickets.Rajshahi were in deficit by 27 runs after they were bowled out for 291. Maisuqur Rahman, Touhid Tareq and Hamidul Islam struck fifties while Left-arm spinner Mosharraf Hossain took four wickets. Nadif Chowdhury’s fourth first-class century helped Dhaka take a 359-run lead on the final morning.Rajshahi were bowled out for 225 in 68.5 overs with Mosharraf taking five wickets in the second innings, in addition to Jubair Hossain’s three-wicket haul. Dhaka, who were champions in the 2013-14 season, finished third with 119 points, just two short of this year’s winners.Sylhet Division picked up their first win of the competition when they beat Barisal Division by ten wickets at the Shere Bangla National Stadium in Mirpur. Barisal and Chittagong ended the campaign without any wins.Ahmed Sadiqur’s four-wicket haul on the first day put Barisal in the back foot and they were bowled out for 167 in 65.2 overs. Shahriar Nafees made 90 but there were only two other double-figure scores in the entire innings.Sylhet replied with 486 for nine and only declared their first innings on the third afternoon. The highly experienced Rajin Saleh scored his maiden double hundred in his 124th first-class match, an innings that spanned 446 minutes and contained 20 fours and three sixes. Shanaj Ahmed, Ruman Ahmed, Alok Kapali and Enamul Haque jnr also scored fifties. Left-arm spinner Nasum Ahmed took four wickets.Barisal, trailing by 319, were bowled out for 390. There were fifties for Nafees, Shahin Hossain, Fazle Rabbi and Mosaddek Hossain but two wickets each from Sadiqur, Enamul, Rahatul Ferdous and Kapali kept Sylhet in a dominant position. They knocked off the second innings target in 13.4 overs with Rajin adjudged man of the match.

New Zealand won their last two matches in Sharjah – the Test and the ODI – and would eye a third win that would give them a lead in the ODI series

The Preview by Devashish Fuloria13-Dec-2014Match factsSunday, December 14, 2014
Start time 1500 local (1100 GMT)The spinner who wasn’t: Haris Sohail continues to thrive in his new role•AFPBig pictureThe way the first two matches of this series have panned out, there is not much to pick between Pakistan and New Zealand. That’s good news from a New Zealand perspective as they are competing very well in foreign conditions, but not so good for Pakistan – their batting, invincible in Tests a month ago, is now back in the familiar zone of unpredictability.Twice in two matches, Pakistan lost the top order for cheap scores. More worrying was the fact that they were not able to accommodate Umar Akmal in the side. But Misbah-ul-Haq is out of the series* due to a hamstring injury which opens the door for Akmal. What Pakistan can count as a positive is the practice their batsmen are getting by facing quality pacers even on dead pitches.That pace attack has been New Zealand’s strength and a revelation. They peppered the Pakistan with short-pitched bowling and with considerable success, an excellent sign as they know this bowling attack is their bench strength in the World Cup once Tim Southee, Trent Boult and Kyle Mills (unfit at the moment) are available.The third match of an ODI series standing at 1-1 is a bit like the period between 20 and 35 overs in an ODI; If you do well, you move ahead but don’t win, and if you make mistakes, there is always a chance to come back. Pakistan, however, would want to find a way to prevent New Zealand’s hat-trick of wins in Sharjah this tour.Form guide(most recent first, completed matches only)
Pakistan LWLLL
New Zealand WLLLWIn the spotlightA recent convert to left-arm spin bowling, Haris Sohail hasn’t done badly at all. He followed up his economical, but wicketless, spell in the first ODI with a three-for in the second. The control that he has provided hides all signs that he started bowling spin as recently as last month. It will be interesting to see how he develops in the series, especially since Mohammad Hafeez cannot bowl.There is an award at the end of every game for the fastest bowler of the match and every day, it ends up in Adam Milne’s pocket. Breaching the 150 kph barrier has been an easy job for Milne, but the wickets column has remained generally bare for him. The two wickets he picked in the last match doubled his ODI tally to four and it may just be the confidence-booster the young bowler needs.Team newsMisbah-ul-Haq’s injury means Shahid Afridi will lead the side in the remaining ODIs. Anwar Ali and Yasir Shah have been named in place of Umar Gul and Bilawal Bhatti, but it remains to be seen if they find a place in the XI.Pakistan (probable) 1 Mohammad Hafeez, 2 Ahmed Shehzad, 3 Younis Khan, 4 Haris Sohail, 5 Umar Akmal, 6 Asad Shafiq, 7 Sarfraz Ahmed (wk), 8 Shahid Afridi (capt), 9 Sohail Tanvir, 10 Wahab Riaz, 11 Mohammad IrfanNew Zealand, after the win in the last game, are likely to play the same XI.New Zealand (probable) 1 Anton Devcich, 2 Dean Brownlie, 3 Kane Williamson (capt), 4 Ross Taylor, 5 Tom Latham, 6 Corey Anderson, 7 Luke Ronchi (wk), 8 Daniel Vettori, 9 Mitchell McClenaghan, 10 Adam Milne, 11 Matt HenryPitch and conditionsPacers from both teams extracted disconcerting bounce from the shiny Sharjah pitch, although it was mainly because of the bowlers’ abilities. For batsmen prepared to spend time, it remains a decent pitch to bat. Dew will remain a factor; it showed up in the latter half of New Zealand’s innings and Pakistan’s bowlers served up a few full-tosses.Stats & trivia The last ODI was only the fourth instance of Pakistan losing all 10 wickets to pacers at home. The previous instance was also in Sharjah, against Australia in 2012 Ross Taylor has 1043 ODI runs in Asia in the last five years. He is only behind AB de Villiers and Hashim Amla in the list of leading non-asian batsmen in this period. 13,138 – Runs given by Shahid Afridi, the most by any bowler in ODIsQuotes”We are trying to build the right combination for the World Cup and these issues have not allowed us to do so.”
* December 13, 2014, 17.55 GMT: The story was updated to reflect Misbah’s unavailability for the remaining three ODIs