The ICC Conference 2011 in Hong Kong and Pakistan…

	ICC surely took some tough decisions in this conference held at Hong Kong, some were meaningful others were meaningless, like allotting unequal number of games among the playing nations Atlast India have won this frontier and many congrats on it as they made Pakistan Cricket on the backfoot. But no blame game as whatever happened, is because of our own mistakes. Why I am saying this? Its because of just 88 test matches, in which some of the India-Pakistan matches schedules are yet to be decided due to political differences between the two boards, officially it says 88 but I say not more than 78 79 test matches after Pakistan tour to Windies to the end of 2020 where this current FTP is limited to. In it we’re unsure of many tournaments which Pakistan is going to play according to FTP, but while reviewing the FTP I find out that there Pakistan has been deprived of its share of games allotted as compared to India, Australia and England, who have been playing a 5 match test series, Pakistan is only given maximum 4 match series, else its flooded with 3 match, maximum 4 match per series even against the opposition like South Africa, England, Australia, New Zealand etc. Not counting the ODI and T20 as compared to the above mentioned ones, they are also playing the major share of ODI’s as well, where Pakistan has been the third last behind Windies, Zimbabwe and Bangladesh in its quota of games to be played between the period. I am not saying it did injustice and did and that, but the matter of fact is that there are mistakes from our end, which made us pay the price to that extend, they just capitalized the advantage they got because of us. Else Boards like BCB and SLC were/are under threat from ICC on losing its membership, PCB could had taken them in the club and tried convincing the ICC to give more share of games under its belt in this current FTP. As far as the rules and regulation that ICC gave a press release about cricket boards without political influence, means Pakistan Cricket Board, Bangladesh Cricket Board and Sri Lanka Cricket are under direct assault and they have 24 months to bring that much change into their whole system. Although Pakistan solitary retaliated and foolishly said that political influence is required for setting up security matters for foreign and national tours etc, but I agree with the ICC on it that cricket boards are required to be elected not selected. It means that Pakistan will experience many changes in its system, influence of governing council, board of governance, which were a tale of old times will revive again. Hoping for the best for Pakistan cricket.

Quarter half of CWC 2011

By the time I am writing this, Pakistan have won and made their mark into the semis where they are expected to meet India or Australia By the time I’m writing this, Pakistan just managed to storm into the Semis of a 50-over ICC Event since 1999. Many people are praising Pakistan for their effort and no doubt its a great achievement but fielding lapses and not finishing the game early.   Even in the Aussie group game, I felt they gave 20 extra runs in the end, and while reviewing the score-cards, Pakistan lost its 1979 world cup game against the same opposition, they lost the match by one wicket, because they instead of taking care of leaking of runs, they only emphasized on taking wickets to be a hero. I don’t wanna mention that particular team or the captain but against their game against the Proteas I second their skipper that when you wear national team’s jersey, you play for national team instead of yourself while slogging in the batting power-play span.   Same goes for Pakistan, they had the chance to limited the Windies under triple figure mark, but they leaked some extra runs while everyone wanting to take wicket instead of working n leakage of runs. Against relatively easier team like the West Indies, they managed to win but against the big teams like India/Australia  or South Africa/New Zealand, whoever Pakistan is going to play now in future, will not gave such chance of recovery. Specially when Proteas who’re having a great run in this CWC, might able to get rid of their “Chokers” tag.   Lets see what happens in these remaining 3 days of knockout stages. My best wishes with Pakistan but being a sports loving person, I also wish may the best team wins this tournament.

Just before the new years…

Jonathan Trott made the situation easy for England to win their first Ashes in Australia in a long time This boxing day has been quite a busy one for cricket fans. 4 of 6 of top cricket giants are currently engaged with each others, with England taking on Australia to defend their Ashes glory which they got during the last year’s triumph at their own backyard, plus they want to prove the world that they aren’t only the lions at their home but away too, especially in Australia where their track-record ain’t upto that standard, so they’ve to settle many scores on their 2010-11 Ashes tour to down-under. Already the current Ashes series 2010-11 has been a topsy-turvy series when the pendulum shifted or should I say fluctuated quickly into one’s favour. It started at Gabba, Brisbane, with Siddle’s hat-trick and still England managed to save the game, and in the Second Test played at Adelaide Oval, Adelaide, England won by an innings and 71 runs, with Cook scoring 148 and Pietersen scoring a mammoth 227 and well supported by Trott, Bell and Collingwood scoring 78, 68 and 42 respectively, and the third test match played at WACA Perth, Australia managed to settle their scores from the previous test match and thanks to the cameocre innings of Mike Hussey and the later middle order, Australia managed to score such total which could be defended by their bowlers, and that’s what happened, Australia won that test match by 267 runs, but when the test match came to MCG, Melbourne for the box-in day test match, the balance again shifted to England’s half, first a great recovery from English bowlers by restricting Aussies inside the three figure mark, and in reply batsmen also replied by scoring 445-5 at stumps on day two, and so England are on the verge of winning this test match and the series aswell. The Melbourne Ashes test is also famous for Ponting outburst when a decision went against his team, on the field umpire Mr. Aleem Dar, and that too went on when the third umpire seconded Dar’s decision of giving Pietersen not out, he sledged both the umpires and Pietersen, which I personally thought was a tactic to displace attention, and that happened for sure when after sometime, Pietersen was adjudged LBW. Boy!!! Too much drama… Tim Southee and the Kiwi bowlers would be on high after a comprehensive victory against Pakistan in Auckland and would like to clinch the series Apart from them, Pakistanis are also playing their away series across the Tasmanian seas (its very important to mention home and away matches when it involves Pakistan, although Pakistan is hosting their home and away both games away from home) and already they lost their opening match of a 3 match T20 series against the hosts, beating comprehensively with balls to spare, but little bit of optimism when it comes to know that 2 more matches to go for Pakistan, but sad to know that Pakistan’s recent T20 playing form has been too poor to mention, specially when it comes to last 5 matches, L.L.L.L.L. – when the last 2 L’s are against the English team where they lost both of their games and after that they also lost their home T20 games (played away ofcourse) in Abu Dhabi against the Proteas, by a clean sweep again and the same legacy continued when Pakistan came to NZ. I am not optimistic with tomorrow’s match result in favour of Pakistan as when the Cricket World Cup is just round the corner in less than 2 months time, still we’re not confirm of the team combinations and still playing a musical chair game when it comes to the selection of players, and in such an important series when its the penultimate series before the ICC Cricket World Cup, we’re still not sure who to select and who not, as in such an important series we’re playing with a makeshift wicket keeper and that too without a proper backup. Lets suppose if anything happens to Umar Akmal, than by whom are we going to depend for keeping the wickets? We ain’t think like that when selecting a team, a National Team, all the team members which actually represent the Country and the Nation, we select such a pathetic team without any backup… Why don’t they go for talent hunt sorta thing, talent scattered across Pakistan (not me ofcourse, I am more into sitting hours either studying or blogging), why don’t they go for search for them, instead of getting blackmailed by these good-for-nothing-so-called-seniors who had done nothing except for deteriorating the stature of Pakistan, Pakistan Cricket and Pakistani Nation, still this nation loves them so much they yell for them, do these people have the right to play with the sentiments of such an emotional nation when it comes to cricket? If I were the head on them, I’d have hanged them till death, so that no one in future tried the same as they had an example already. India managed to restrict the Proteas to 131 and currently it seems India are in complete command Another exciting test match going on in the Land of Rainbow Nation, where India – currently the number one team in ICC Test Cricket rating, taking on the number two test side South Africa, so in short a severe battle for having the number one spot between both teams, one want to grab it and another wants to retain it till Cricket World Cup. Although when Proteas were preparing for India series, they were underestimated because of the recently concluded drawn series against Pakistan in Dubai and Abu Dhabi, but they replied well by beating India comprehensively by innings margin. But India replied well in the Durban test, although not scored upto the mark but with the inclusion of Zaheer Khan, their bowling has been strengthen and now they’re looking in a position to ask questions and settle their own scores against the Proteas, who look in a spot of bother in the first innings where they lost majority of their wickets under the deficit, although they’ve avoided the follow-on but last time when I saw the scores still 90 odd runs required to overcome the deficit, and to impose a total for India to bat on but I don’t think they’ll be able to impose a total, as they were left with tail-enders. Still I think the third day would be the climax day of the test match where anyone can be able to predict where this test match is going on, on a draw, or anyone team winning the match as whenever England, Australia or South Africa playing, you can’t predict who’s the winner as they fight until the last ball is bowled, secondly they’ve test matches a tradition so you can’t compare them with Pakistan, as being a Pakistani I am saddened by the fact that Sri Lanka and India have improved their gaming standards well above Pakistan, and I fear if things going on the same way, Bangladesh might also overcome Pakistan in coming future, as already I am sniffing some resistance from the Afghanistan side, who’ve their moral up against the Pakistanis as they’ve beaten Pakistan comprehensively in the semis in recently concluded Asian Games Cricket Event in China. Me being an ample cricket follower, this week has been my favourite as from the day start to end there’s cricket and each one trying to take excitement to the next level, and those who say that test matches have died, they should watch the innings of SRT, or the Ashes which is filled with perfect excitement for the new years joy.

India v Australia Series 2010

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Injustice in selection of players

Ignoring a player like Younus for a difficult England tour, on what grounds?

I don’t know is there any example similar to Pakistan Cricket Board in the world to follow, but apart from raising fingers on the credibility of this cricket board, everyone knows about English conditions, where it seems alot although not as much as it were during 70s 80s but still worthy when it comes to players particularly from South Asia.

And in this scenario, ignoring the experience just for the personalized reason and later justifying by pointing fingers on his form and disciplinary grounds is totally rubbish! Even if they had to select players other than Younus or Faisal, Asim Kamal was a good choice, as in English conditions we need players who know how to prolong their stay on the wicket, if you stay on the wicket, you’ll be able to score else fell miserably, and this is what I am seeing as the Aussies would eye Umar Akmal and Shahid Afridi, as they’re only the renowned names in current Pakistani middle order, and can include Kamran Akmal aswell, so as a sequel to my previous blogs, I am not very optimistic with the current Pakistani team doing well, as the team has not been selected on merits and like I was listening to some voices from common people on a Pakistani sports channel, I do agree with them that after conclusion of a 4 month long tour of England, Pakistan will end up finishing on 9 and so on rank from current 7 position in both One Day International and International Test Rankings, just because lack of experience in the team and plus playing with the future of Pakistani youngsters by demoralizing them if they do not perform, loosing the grip on the match clearly shows there’s lack of experience in the team which is costing them the match.

As far as they wobble Pakistan have a great middle order batsman in Shoaib Malik, he didn’t played in the team when Inzi was skipping the test side against England in their last tour to England, so how can you say he’s able to take the pressure and burden onto his shoulder? Whatever knowledge of cricket I’ve, I think experience in any arena of cricket whether ODI, test or T20, you must particularly rely on the experience candidates who’re specialist in their field, prior to Malik’s short spell of captaincy, his place in the team wasn’t confirmed during those days, and what major performance did he contributed in test in recent times? Questions to be answered.

Even there were news that Selection Committee was not happy with this team, means team was approved by someone else and not the selection committee panel, so what is the credibility of this panel when they can’t decide and make a team on their behalf?