Series win.... almost... [WI-vs-Pak 2000]

Thought this is relevant.... in view of the on-going series... although this one was much closer but both test matches had one thing in common: awsomely amazing blunders :O

2000
A thrilling finish to a series decider in Antigua. West Indies needed 216 to beat Pakistan, but looked dead in the water at 197 for 9 as Courtney Walsh strode out twirling his arms. But his captain Jimmy Adams was still there, and drip by drip (Adams's 48 not out came in almost six hours, with not a single boundary) they saw West Indies to the ninth one-wicket win in Test history. It shouldn't have been so: replays showed Walsh was caught via bat and pad off Saqlain Mushtaq, who then missed two clear run-out chances, one of them a sitter when Adams and Walsh ended up at the same end. Wasim Akram, who had put the burgeoning match-fixing scandal aside to bowl heroically for figures of 11 for 110, was the unluckiest of losers.

Oh i remember this vividly.... it was soo painful believe me... that too coming at the hands of Jimmy Adams :@

Next day come-backs

There is something about next morning come backs in Test Matches that Pakistan has never been able to deal with. I am sure there are many examples but the one most vivid that comes to my mind is the Test series in Australia under Wasim Akram. In the first test Pakistan had scored 300+ runs and Wasim/Shoaib had a brief go at Aussie openers just before the close of play where I am sure the openers were seeing stars in broad daylight. Next morning however everything was completely different. There was no threat at all from the Pakistani bowlers who were thrashed to all corners of the park, with Mushtaq Ahmad really feeling the heat. Aussies have been specially masterful of next morning comebacks. The infamous Hobart test [ :'( ] is another example when the fighting pair of Justin Langer and Adam Gilchrist came out the next morning and overcame the daunting task of not only saving the match but in fact scoring the 370 odd runs required to win the test match! This was truly heart-breaking/demoralizing for the Pakistani team.

Recently on the Indian tour of winter 2005, we saw an awful display of morning play in the 2nd test where Younus Khan was absurdly stumped off the first ball of the day, inspite of a comfortable position in the game the night before.

Similarly in the current tour of West Indies, the batsmen lost all their sense in their sleep over and lost 10 wickets for just 118 runs! No wonder all the mughal rules were known to prefer sleeping on hard flat wooden beds instead of soft comfortable bunks we know today.

The only job-well-done I can remember on the next moring took place in the 1st on the India tour where Kamran Akmal and AbdurRazzaq defied all (heaviest of) odds to draw the test match.

Daddy crisis!

Whats up with the dads in Pak camp? This time its Yousuf Youhana who has to fly back home coz his dad is not well :-(

I must say "match on" now.. since Youhana was an important pillar in the middle order specially in the absence of Inzi. I know must be so frustrating for him too. But the match was on the moment Lara was included in the WI team i thought.

Eng vs BD - big deal?

Its hillarious how the media is (over)playing the Bangladesh series in England this year. The press reports, pictures, preparations, team line-ups etc. are soooo exaggerated as if this IS ashes. I know this series might be looked upon as a pre-board for the upcoming Ashes for some of the England players, but I am sure this will be nothing more than luke-warm (at the most).

Look here.... the interviews, articles, pondering over line-ups/batting order, historical significance etc.... ridiculous. But then I guess England always makes a big deal out of everything... gora saab thinking kinda.

But how can you put Eng-vs-BD section above Pak-vs-WI?

Well ok it might be a big deal for the Bangladeshis but still wth? I still think BD are a team that had been rushed into the test arena. May the Force be with them :)

The Afridi factor (....not again)

I swear I saw this article earlier as well. But anyway this is another feature on Afridi - "nothing new here, move on" kinda stuff. What the article does point out is that there is something new about Afridi since he has come back into the team (altho he also cites a 1999 test 100 example which is counter-intutive :S).

I have no problem with Shahid Afridi. In fact I like to see him becoming a better, maturer, permanent feature in Pakistani cricket. But what i am concerned about is the reliance on Afridi. In recent matches, when Afridi got out the rest of the team really looked pedestrian. I feel his presence inhibits the development of the stroke playing ability of other players at the top order - of course its not his fault. Unlike Australia who have stroke players coming in one after the other even if Gilchrist gets out early.This is something we also saw in his previous stint, although we had Saeed Anwer at that time.

Afridi's consistency is another area of concern, although it looked to have improved in recent times (although under relatively easy conditions). I mean he is still quite vulnerable against decent seam bowling (looking at how he got out against Balaji) and technically needs to brush up some.

Of course we all love to see him bat, bowl and even field. He is a livewire on the field no matter what he does. Its good to see him settled down (as the author mentioned) and feel comfortable with himself.

the Top hackers

Not the computer h4x0Rs but the the "hack" shot so many batsman play at short deliveries outside off.. known as the Square Cut...

http://content.cricinfo.com/columns/content/story/209684.html

I feel the list is not 100% accurate at who is the best square cut player of all.. coz they take Runs/Dismissal as the criteria which can really be halved if the batsmen is dismissed twice vs a batsman who is dismissed once playing that shot. I mean a batsman has to do really really well and score a huge number of runs in order to compete with a player with far less no. of runs than him... not fair rite?

Also if some1 is good at playing a shot he really backs himself and goes at it.. e.g Lara, Jayasuria, unorthodoxically-Sehwag etc. and hence the probability of getting out playing that shot is def. high, which is not exactly fair in how to judge someone..

But of course these stats on cricket.org are just Number Games and arent meant to define the uber rankings etc.

Best Average: Runs/Dismissal:

Min. qual: 200 square-cut runs	Runs/ Dismissals	Average	Strike rate
Adam Gilchrist	283/ 1	283.00	142.21
Michael Vaughan	332/ 2	166.00	159.62
Mahela Jayawardene	301/ 2	150.50	159.26
Ramnaresh Sarwan	374/ 3	124.67	158.47
Sachin Tendulkar	352/ 3	117.33	128.94
Marvan Atapattu	221/ 2	110.50	179.67
Inzamam-ul-Haq	212/ 2	106.00	172.36
Habibul Bashar	211/ 2	105.50	131.06
Mark Richardson	206/ 2	103.00	158.46
Graham Thorpe	204/ 2	102.00	114.61

Average Score per attempts: Runs/Balls:

Min. qual: 200 square-cut runs	Runs/ Balls	Average	Strike rate
Chris Gayle	288/ 140	96.00	205.71
Kumar Sangakkara	286/ 146	95.33	195.89
Sanath Jayasuriya	392/ 218	98.00	179.82
Marvan Atapattu	221/ 123	110.50	179.67
Herschelle Gibbs	326/ 182	81.50	179.12

Most Used shot: Runs/Total Runs:

Min. qual: 200 square-cut runs	Runs/ Total runs	Average	% of total runs
Steve Waugh	258/ 1641	64.50	15.72
Sourav Ganguly	303/ 1952	75.75	15.52
Sanath Jayasuriya	392/ 2705	98.00	14.49
Damien Martyn	408/ 2927	81.60	13.94
Gary Kirsten	339/ 2483	84.75	13.65

Shoaib denies Bollywood role :P

Wow I m really not picking right titles today... but I just wanted to mention this interview of Shoaib Akhtar... but i m sure this will attract more attention that any other highlights from this interview.

Interesting at places but the same old boring really:

"I'll come back supremely fit"

"I'll probably cut down my run-up after the World Cup in 2007"

"I have a six-pack on my belly right now, so I don't know how people can call me fat."

"I can still touch my forehead with my knee (laughs)."

"He's [Rana] a great fighter, and I can see a good partnership with him...."

"It's [the flat pitches these days] just a joke for the fast bowlers. "

".... you'd have to be a machine to stay fit for all the matches."

"Not interested in any movie or being an actor."

Brain Lara dropped for ODIs?

Well this title is not exactly wat i wanted to mention... there is this article on cricket.org with one of the funniest and perhaps most humiliating closing line I remember. The article debates why Lara (and also Shoaib Akhtar) was dropped from the teams on this tour - whether they are being rested or is it on other grounds.

This is wat the WI manager had to say about Lara being missed:

will the team miss Lara? As Tony Howard, the team manager, said, "He [Lara] was not here last year against Bangladesh and we won both games, so I do not think him not being here will create much of a problem."

This should create some "awareness" in the Pakistani camp how highly they are rated by the WI team management.

Inzamam - Pride of Performance

I didnt know this but Inzamam was awarded the highest civilian award - Pride of Performance - to the skipper who did wat was least expected from one of the weakest teams to tour India... and also perhaps the (so-called) weakest captain?

Other cricketers recipients of this prestigious award are: Hanif Mohammad, Fazal Mahmood, Imran Khan, Javed Miandad, Zaheer Abbas and Wasim Akram.

http://www.expressindia.com/cricket/fulleistory.php?content_id=45175

Shoaib in Bollywood?

This must be cheap Indian gossip but if its true I guess some1 will find something to do while he is waiting for his fate to be decided by the PCB big-wigs...

Btw the name of the mentioned Bhatt movie is pretty appropriate: Gangster.... nah j/k.. he is our hero fellas!

http://content.cricinfo.com/pakistan/content/story/209313.html

Wasim reads my blog...

.... for sure! Otherwise how can this article repeat everything I said below on the same (Shoaib Akhtar) subject, diito? Read mine first and then his thing... and be amazed.

Shoaib's problems or yours?

[ref: Shoaib's omission from the WI squad on disciplinary grounds ]

Now I simply dont get it. What is the chap supposed to do? I mean he is fit. He has received all the bad mouthing he can get. People know he is the "villain" in the team and realize his faults. So wat now? Do we never ever forgive him?

But you know wat.. this is turning out good for Shoaib now.. coz I m sure he is gaining the sympathy vote here (he gained one just now as you can see :)).

I still blame the PCB. They have made matters worse for the team, Inzamam and Shoaib too. They let it linger for too long and now are clueless how to handle it. I am not sure if there is some personal motives stuff going on against Shoaib - which is strange coz apparently he has the backing of the ppl that matter in Pak cricket a la Imran Khan & co. As I have said in my other post.

More on the same issue:

[quote]

[btw totally annoyed! apparently shoaib has been ommited coz of disciplinary problems!! wth?! we all know its true but omg they cant get over it - and then they expect him to change - its like, well if u gave him a chance to show hes a team player now..maybe it would help...plus it doesnt help expecting him to be a team player and saying stuff like this against him every other day in the media...they say all this stuff n then at the same time (for e.g.) bob woolmer is like "hes not an integral part of the team" (wat?) they shudnt get too cocky coz they won against india - as great as that was "w-o-w" (i know im gona regret saying this) but they do still need him in the team - u cant deny hes a great player...im not saying we cant win without him but it just helps soooo much more to have him on ur side (aur kithna sabakh sikhayein ge?) like is their plan to just do his bizaathi b4 he comes bak?!]

[/quote]

Lara/Waugh selfish?

Read this ridiculous article from (where else) cricket.org... who (dares to) argues that WI are better off without Lara! Also he called him and Steve Waugh selfish? Well I think Steve Waugh is one of the biggest team man I know... his steel nerves and unmoving comittment at the crease remind us of the umphteen times he has saved his side from trouble... if u think the World Cup '99 innings against SA was selfish, better look at the dictionary again. And similarly Brian Lara. When you think of his defiant/herculian efforts against the toughest opposition in the most challenging situations; batting with the tail, it definitely doesnt qualify for "selfish". Yes he might look arrogant to some (although i dont agree) but he has a right to be so. He is the King and should live like one. We dont need jealous team-mate's (e.g Ridley Jacobs!) approval to prove his greatness.

The author makes idiotic (at best) arguments why he shouldnt be in the team. His recent innings after his comeback from the rift, he says, only helped "paper-tape'ing" over the cracks in WI cricket. Well if WI cricket sucks its not Lara's fault. He's gotta play as he's gotta play. Also the author says that younger batsmen are "intimidated" by Lara's presence in the dressing room coz he's sp good! Now does that make sense to anyone? How come Indians are not scared of Sachin (when he was the only batsman in the indian team)? The author has lost it ladies and gentlemen when he says that WI can only move forward after Lara's departure.

Also his reasoning for indiscipline in the WI camp (players being unconfident/pressure) is totally absurd. What does that have to do with this?

The Defenders

Another "best X stroke player" article on cricket.org... this time on the best defence... some unexpected names there....

especially Younis Khan at #2!!!

	Balls defended	Dismissals	Balls per dismissal
Andrew Strauss	1746	7	249.43
Younis Khan	2425	13	186.54
Hashan Tillakaratne	2492	14	178.00
Ricky Ponting	4191	24	174.63
Rahul Dravid	6467	38	170.18
Mark Richardson	4525	27	167.59
Matthew Hayden	4496	28	160.57
AB de Villiers	1123	7	160.43
Jacques Kallis	6719	42	159.98
Thilan Samaraweera	2718	17	159.88

Best Single Men

Never underestimate the power of a single.... as many coaches will tell you... it may look boring but ask some of those men listed in this cricket.org article about best single-takers in the game.

I am sure if you compile a list of double or triple runners, Jonty Rhodes would be right up there... even Michael Bevan might be a bit higher as well...

Cover drive King

A rare interesting article from the Numbers Game series on cricket.org.... this one analyzes perhaps the most glamorous stroke in test cricket and who has done well with it.. .that is got the most runs without getting out too many times.. some of my favorite exponents of the stroke are in that list... not surprisingly no Pakistani is on the list.... which is fine for a number of reasons..

And who tops the list? None other than Brian Lara... the King himself.

Note that the list covers stats after 2001 only (otherwise there might be other greats like Gavaskar/Bradman etc. on the list too)

Top 10 cover-drivers	Cover-drive runs/ balls/ outs	Strike rate	Average
Brian Lara	652/ 358/ 1	182.12	652.00
Jacques Kallis	671/ 463/ 2	144.92	335.50
Rahul Dravid	613/ 376/ 2	163.03	306.50
Gary Kirsten	414/ 211/ 2	196.21	207.00
Marcus Trescothick	609/ 292/ 3	208.56	203
Herschelle Gibbs	723/ 341/ 4	212.02	180.75
Damien Martyn	500/ 312/ 3	160. 26	166.67
Matthew Hayden	479/ 278/ 4	172.30	119.75
Mark Butcher	469/ 268/ 4	175.00	117.25
Ramnaresh Sarwan	547/ 343/ 5	159.48	109.40

Afridi vs Nehra - match 4 - tour '05

[Preamble: Nehra had got Afridi twice in the last three matches..... pretty cheaply]

Just (re)watching the 4th game of the India Pakistan '05 series... the first over by Nehra was very interesting... Afridi crossed over to face the 3rd ball of Nehra's first over (Afridi's first strike of the match).... and u could hear Salman Butt saying "shabash Afridi Allah ka naam le ke boy!" :D......... the bowler comes in... Afridi *charges* down the wicket and tries to heave him out of the stadium!! ... only for the ball to miss his bat and the leg stump by a whisker... oooohs and aaahs all round the park....

Next ball.. short.. on off stump.. Afridi tries to pull.. only to miss-time it to midwicket.... Nehra on his follow-through tries to say a few words to Afridi (of course on a high)... but Afridi so disdainfully shruggs him off... like "chal chal.... kaam ker apna... (yeah yeah.. lets get on with it)"... the next ball is a wide and the next two are similarly miss-timed by Afridi.. only to get scornful smiles out of Nehra...

The next over.. the first ball he bowls to Afridi.. very similar to the ones he bowled last over.. only closer to the "good" length.... Afridi winds up... heaves.... and SIX!!.. of course some1 is not happy :P

Next ball.. good length outside off stump.. Afridi slashes.... edged! but the ball flies in between the keeper and Dravid at first slip! And the words that came out of the bowlers mouth were not something i would like to repeat here (this being a U-rated medium)....

Afridi lifted him for a couple more in the following over but the Nehra hit him hard on the grill of the helmet and Afridi was sooo unmoved! I am sure Nehra was expecting him to at least take off the helmet for inspection... but as they say.. "dont whince.... dont show u r hurt"...

Entertaining stuff.... as Ravi Shastri would say

Salman Butt's comments were interesting... "shabash... out nahin hona... Kheltay raho Allah ka naam le ke".... and when Afridi was beaten fair and square outside the off-stump we got "shabaash buhut aalaa.... kharey raho Allah ka naam le ke..." :D....... and Afridi replying occasionally "tayyar rehna" only to deposit the ball over the fence without requiring any "tayyari" from Butt....

[Edit: well it _looked_ much more interesting than reading it ;) ]