I have thought long and hard about it. Tried to find a way to finesse a position on it. Got very bloody angry about the underlying racist tone of some of the reporting about it. Gone round and round in circles about it and have finally come to the conclusion.
That it is just not cricket, old boy. Is it?
Andy Franks. Sydney 1st November 2011
Showing posts with label Pakistan. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Pakistan. Show all posts
Tuesday, 1 November 2011
Tuesday, 23 June 2009
T20 World Cup
Blink and it's gone
So, Pakistan prevailed in the second world T20 which evens up the local tally and must give some genuine encouragement for the PCB despite the lack of home international matches.
Pakistan won the ICC World Twenty20 in an exciting finish at a noisy Lord's when Sri Lanka's total of 138-6 was overhauled with eight balls remaining. Shahid Afridi, man of the match in the semi-final, was again the hero, hitting 54 not out from 40 balls to steer Pakistan to an eight-wicket win.
Having chosen to bat, Sri Lanka lost star batsman Tillakaratne Dilshan in the first over and were soon 2-2. Kumar Sangakkara's 64 gave them hope but Pakistan paced their chase well.
Sri Lanka had progressed through the tournament smoothly, winning all their matches and relying on the brilliant batting of Dilshan and some superb bowling led by Ajantha Mendis.
But on the grand stage, both their leading players fluffed their lines, and Pakistan ruthlessly seized the initiative.
Pakistan had lost two of their first three matches and needed a win against the Netherlands just to make the last eight. But they turned a corner when thrashing New Zealand - from which point they never looked back.
They began the final in ideal fashion, with a wicket-maiden from 17-year-old sensation Mohammad Aamer.
It wasn't just any wicket-maiden - a rare event indeed in this format. The fact that the tournament's leading run-scorer Dilshan had been dismissed made Aamer's over extra special.
Dlishan craves deliveries on a good length so he can sweep and drive, but keeping the ball short and straight, Aamer bowled four dot-balls then enticed a top-edged pull to short fine-leg.
Pakistan began superbly with the ball at Lord's, and kept it going
The wicket seemed to scare Sri Lanka's other batsmen, who had not enjoyed particularly good tournaments, and it was the fast-medium bowler Abdul Razzaq who reaped the rewards.
Jehan Mubarak, promoted up the order, skied a catch into the off-side, Sanath Jayasuriya crashed a six and two fours but then dragged one on, before Mahela Jayawardene edged an attempted late-cut to slip.
Sangakkara and Chamara Silva had a major repair operation on their hands, coming together with the score 32-4 in 5.3 overs. They put on 35 from 36 balls which at least stopped the rot, but the arrival of Umar Gul dented Sri Lanka's renaissance.
Silva mistimed a pull to midwicket and Isuru Udana swished and missed the last two balls of a fine over. It got even better for Pakistan when Afridi bowled Udana to leave the score 70-6 from 13 overs.
Finally, some positive running between the wickets from Sangakkara and Angelo Mathews saw nine runs come off a Saeed Ajmal over and then Gul, so brilliant in Pakistan's last three victories, suddenly lost his length and was hammered for 14 in an over.
Mathews played his part too, clubbing a couple of boundaries on the on-side before tucking into the final over, bowled by Aamer.
The decision to give the teenager the final over looked a questionable one, and with Mathews flaying a boundary through the slips and muscling a six through the on-side 17 more precious runs came Sri Lanka's way.
Pakistan's chase was given impetus by Kamran Akmal, who hit big leg-side sixes off both Mendis and Mathews to take his team to a very respectable 48-0 from seven overs.
Jayasuriya, Sri Lanka's sixth bowler, then immediately had Akmal stumped, but the other opener Shahzaib Hasan, who had been so quiet, drilled consecutive boundaries off Mendis, the mystery spinner who Pakistan were playing so well.
When he fell to Muttiah Muralitharan, the required rate hit eight an over, but Pakistan still had eight wickets in hand and just 64 more runs were required.
Afridi, who had had time to play himself in, now hit Muralitharan into the Tavern Stand and then launched him over wide mid-off for four.
That made Pakistan hot favourites, but just 16 runs came off the next three overs, so 26 were still wanted from 18 balls. But Afridi, with Shoaib Malik playing a quiet role in support, now smashed Udana for six over midwicket and pulled him past fine-leg for four more, leaving an easy seven runs needed from the last two overs.
Jardine's Verdict: A deserved win for Pakistan and hopefully the first step for them back to complete international acceptance.
So, Pakistan prevailed in the second world T20 which evens up the local tally and must give some genuine encouragement for the PCB despite the lack of home international matches.
Pakistan won the ICC World Twenty20 in an exciting finish at a noisy Lord's when Sri Lanka's total of 138-6 was overhauled with eight balls remaining. Shahid Afridi, man of the match in the semi-final, was again the hero, hitting 54 not out from 40 balls to steer Pakistan to an eight-wicket win.
Having chosen to bat, Sri Lanka lost star batsman Tillakaratne Dilshan in the first over and were soon 2-2. Kumar Sangakkara's 64 gave them hope but Pakistan paced their chase well.
Sri Lanka had progressed through the tournament smoothly, winning all their matches and relying on the brilliant batting of Dilshan and some superb bowling led by Ajantha Mendis.
But on the grand stage, both their leading players fluffed their lines, and Pakistan ruthlessly seized the initiative.
Pakistan had lost two of their first three matches and needed a win against the Netherlands just to make the last eight. But they turned a corner when thrashing New Zealand - from which point they never looked back.
They began the final in ideal fashion, with a wicket-maiden from 17-year-old sensation Mohammad Aamer.
It wasn't just any wicket-maiden - a rare event indeed in this format. The fact that the tournament's leading run-scorer Dilshan had been dismissed made Aamer's over extra special.
Dlishan craves deliveries on a good length so he can sweep and drive, but keeping the ball short and straight, Aamer bowled four dot-balls then enticed a top-edged pull to short fine-leg.
Pakistan began superbly with the ball at Lord's, and kept it going
The wicket seemed to scare Sri Lanka's other batsmen, who had not enjoyed particularly good tournaments, and it was the fast-medium bowler Abdul Razzaq who reaped the rewards.
Jehan Mubarak, promoted up the order, skied a catch into the off-side, Sanath Jayasuriya crashed a six and two fours but then dragged one on, before Mahela Jayawardene edged an attempted late-cut to slip.
Sangakkara and Chamara Silva had a major repair operation on their hands, coming together with the score 32-4 in 5.3 overs. They put on 35 from 36 balls which at least stopped the rot, but the arrival of Umar Gul dented Sri Lanka's renaissance.
Silva mistimed a pull to midwicket and Isuru Udana swished and missed the last two balls of a fine over. It got even better for Pakistan when Afridi bowled Udana to leave the score 70-6 from 13 overs.
Finally, some positive running between the wickets from Sangakkara and Angelo Mathews saw nine runs come off a Saeed Ajmal over and then Gul, so brilliant in Pakistan's last three victories, suddenly lost his length and was hammered for 14 in an over.
Mathews played his part too, clubbing a couple of boundaries on the on-side before tucking into the final over, bowled by Aamer.
The decision to give the teenager the final over looked a questionable one, and with Mathews flaying a boundary through the slips and muscling a six through the on-side 17 more precious runs came Sri Lanka's way.
Pakistan's chase was given impetus by Kamran Akmal, who hit big leg-side sixes off both Mendis and Mathews to take his team to a very respectable 48-0 from seven overs.
Jayasuriya, Sri Lanka's sixth bowler, then immediately had Akmal stumped, but the other opener Shahzaib Hasan, who had been so quiet, drilled consecutive boundaries off Mendis, the mystery spinner who Pakistan were playing so well.
When he fell to Muttiah Muralitharan, the required rate hit eight an over, but Pakistan still had eight wickets in hand and just 64 more runs were required.
Afridi, who had had time to play himself in, now hit Muralitharan into the Tavern Stand and then launched him over wide mid-off for four.
That made Pakistan hot favourites, but just 16 runs came off the next three overs, so 26 were still wanted from 18 balls. But Afridi, with Shoaib Malik playing a quiet role in support, now smashed Udana for six over midwicket and pulled him past fine-leg for four more, leaving an easy seven runs needed from the last two overs.
Jardine's Verdict: A deserved win for Pakistan and hopefully the first step for them back to complete international acceptance.
Thursday, 21 May 2009
This is no laughing matter
Shoaib to miss ICC World Twenty20
According to various reports Shoaib Akhtar has been withdrawn from Pakistan's squad for the World Twenty20 because of a genital infection.
The fast bowler, 33, was due to join the 15-man squad for a six-day training camp last week but was advised to rest.
"We have pulled him out of the World Twenty20 on the basis of a medical report," said a spokesman for the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB).
Pakistan have asked the International Cricket Council if they can name a replacement player for the tournament.
A PCB press release stated that a medical board had assessed the paceman, that he had undergone electrofulguration - a surgical procedure to destroy tissue by electric current - and will be reassessed in the first week of June.
Wednesday, 29 April 2009
Younis Khan states the obvious
Pakistan captain Younis Khan has blamed the Australians for unnecessarily creating issues while playing against India and Pakistan after teammate Saeed Ajmal was reported for his bowling action during the second ODI in Dubai on April 24 which he had suggested resulted from a complaint by Australian all-rounder Shane Watson to the umpires.
Younis said controversies reared up whenever Australia play sub-continental sides and wondered what was wrong in Ajmal bowling a 'doosra', which seemingly raised the ire of the rather precious Aussies.
Younis said "This is always happening with India and Pakistan and Australia, Why do we create all the time controversies? Why? It's a fair game, you know," he mused. Younis stressed it was simply a matter of Ajmal bowling a quicker ball, and not cheating. "You're talking about the doosra, 'Why he bowl doosra?' "Why (shouldn't Ajmal) bowl doosra? Because this is an art and especially Pakistanis and Indians they have the art, so why (should it) not be allowed?" Younis was quoted as saying by the normally one-eyed Australian Associated Press.
Younis pointed to a previous report laid over the faster ball of Pakistan leg-spinner Shahid Afridi. "We're not cheating actually, sometimes they ask you why should you bowl very fast and then they say why should Afridi bowl a ball suddenly at 140kph? "We're not cheating actually, I think that's the beauty of cricket," said Younis. Australia captain Michael ‘Call me Skipper’ Clarke tried to play down the controversy, saying that Watson hadn't made a specific complain to umpires about Ajmal's action. "Watto certainly didn't go to the umpires and say a word, none of our players have approached the umpires and spoken about it," Clarke said. That sentence in itself covers a multitude of sins. Whislt no players directly approached the umpires it is very easy (as any fule kno’) to have a robust conversation with teammates that may possibly be overheard by the Umpires.
Michael ‘I’m a bit of a star me’ Clarke continued, "I think Watto was pretty upset with the shot he played and getting out. He's been in really good nick the whole tour and I think he's been a little bit disappointed he hasn't made as many runs as he would have liked,". All the more reason to accuse the bowler of chucking then?
The stand in Aussie skipper (sorry that should read Michael 'I have a celebrity girlfriend' Clarke said they would concentrate on the game and leave the legalities to International Cricket Council to sort out. Having of course used their typical brand of ‘psychological warfare’ or dissent as it is known in other games, to useful effect.
Jardine Verdict: Far be it for me to imply the reason that players from the sub-continent are continually targeted by Australian players is anything other than pure coincidence… However, we can expect this one to run and run.
Younis said controversies reared up whenever Australia play sub-continental sides and wondered what was wrong in Ajmal bowling a 'doosra', which seemingly raised the ire of the rather precious Aussies.
Younis said "This is always happening with India and Pakistan and Australia, Why do we create all the time controversies? Why? It's a fair game, you know," he mused. Younis stressed it was simply a matter of Ajmal bowling a quicker ball, and not cheating. "You're talking about the doosra, 'Why he bowl doosra?' "Why (shouldn't Ajmal) bowl doosra? Because this is an art and especially Pakistanis and Indians they have the art, so why (should it) not be allowed?" Younis was quoted as saying by the normally one-eyed Australian Associated Press.
Younis pointed to a previous report laid over the faster ball of Pakistan leg-spinner Shahid Afridi. "We're not cheating actually, sometimes they ask you why should you bowl very fast and then they say why should Afridi bowl a ball suddenly at 140kph? "We're not cheating actually, I think that's the beauty of cricket," said Younis. Australia captain Michael ‘Call me Skipper’ Clarke tried to play down the controversy, saying that Watson hadn't made a specific complain to umpires about Ajmal's action. "Watto certainly didn't go to the umpires and say a word, none of our players have approached the umpires and spoken about it," Clarke said. That sentence in itself covers a multitude of sins. Whislt no players directly approached the umpires it is very easy (as any fule kno’) to have a robust conversation with teammates that may possibly be overheard by the Umpires.
Michael ‘I’m a bit of a star me’ Clarke continued, "I think Watto was pretty upset with the shot he played and getting out. He's been in really good nick the whole tour and I think he's been a little bit disappointed he hasn't made as many runs as he would have liked,". All the more reason to accuse the bowler of chucking then?
The stand in Aussie skipper (sorry that should read Michael 'I have a celebrity girlfriend' Clarke said they would concentrate on the game and leave the legalities to International Cricket Council to sort out. Having of course used their typical brand of ‘psychological warfare’ or dissent as it is known in other games, to useful effect.
Jardine Verdict: Far be it for me to imply the reason that players from the sub-continent are continually targeted by Australian players is anything other than pure coincidence… However, we can expect this one to run and run.
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