Well Pitched - a cricket blog

Pakistan set to play an overseas test after 17 months!

2009-07-03T03:35:00.005+04:00

Sri Lanka have never beaten Pakistan in a test series at home.

In fact the last time Sri Lanka won a test match against Pakistan at home, many of Pakistan's squad members were in their diapers; while some had not even come into this world.

That is an intriguing statistic, considering that Sri Lanka have beaten Australia, South Africa, India, and England at home in a test series in the last decade.

So what has kept Pakistan from losing a test match in Sri Lanka?

The last time they were there in 2006, Shoaib Malik's magnificent rearguard as opener saved Pakistan a test, while Mohammad Asif, in his pre-doping days, won another with his wily swinging deliveries.

Pakistan won that 2-test series 1-0.

In their tour prior to that in 2000, it was Wasim Akram and Waqar Younis who bowled Pakistan to victory in the first 2 tests before rain played spoilt sport in the 3rd.

Both of Pakistan's test series wins in Sri Lanka in this decade have come through pace and swing.

That is another intriguing statistic considering that Sri Lanka largely rely on their spinners and prepare pitches to suit the same.

This time round however, Pakistan do not possess the guile of a Mohammad Asif, nor the pace and skill of a Wasim Akram or Waqar Younis.

Umar Gul has been a revelation on T20Is, and has had some success in ODIs, but in test matches he is yet to produce a magical spell or two since his 5-for against India in Lahore in 2005.

While the other two pacers, Mohammad Aamer and Abdur Rauf, are yet to play a test match.

Hence, I doubt pace will be the key for Pakistan in this series.

On the spin front, Danish Kaneria has been a disappointment in my books; Saeed Ajmal is another member of the bowling attack who is yet to play a test match.

With such an inexperienced attack, Pakistan is going to find it tough to keep their test record in Sri Lanka intact.

I'm not sure what Pakistan's team composition is going be like, but going by what has happened in the past, I believe Khansahab is right in saying that they need to play all 3 pacers in Gul, Aamer, and Rauf.

That would leave space for only 1 spinner and I reckon it should be Ajmal.

But then Pakistan will be going in with as many as 3 debutant bowlers.

Wise or not, you tell me?

The batting doesn't seem to be a worry in my view.

Salman, Khurram, Younis, Yousuf, Misbah look like a solid line up on paper; they have it in them to deliver as well.

Barring Salman, all are very good players of spin; countering Murali and Mendis will not be a problem for them.

The number 6 spot is where the question mark is - Shoaib Malik, Faisal Iqbal, or Fawad Alam?

Recent form suggests it should be Fawad; continuity suggests it should be Faisal; Younis Khan's logic of not dropping seniors suggests it should be Malik.

Who will Younis go with?

I believe it is a good problem to have; either of the 3 are more than handy batsmen to have at number 6.

Come tomorrow, Pakistan will take the field for their 1st overseas test in 17 months.

That's a hell of a long time not to have toured anywhere for a test series.

Will Pakistan make the most of it and live up to their repuation in Sri Lanka?

Its up to Younis Khan to lift his troops up again for another fight.

Pakistan's Bowling is a Worry

2009-07-01T19:46:00.003+04:00

Yes Pakistan's bowlers were the best on show at the World Twenty20, but bowling in test matches is a completely different ball game.

In almost 128 overs, Pakistan's bowlers managed to pick up only 7 wickets of a Sri Lankan XI; with all due respect to them they were a second string Sri Lankan batting line up.

There was no King Sanga, no Jayawardene, no Dilshan.

Umar Gul did not play against the Sri Lanka XI; but the other pacers - Aamer, Rauf, and Razzaq did.

Only Rauf managed to pick a wicket in the two innings.

While Kaneria and Ajmal, who are expected to be the key strikers for Pakistan in the tests, bowled 63.4 overs between them and picked up a total of 3 wickets.

That does not bode well for Pakistan's spinners, or the pacers for that matter.

What are they going to do when they come up against the real Sri Lanka?

Random Pakistan Cricket Fact #12

2009-07-01T19:35:00.003+04:00

Pakistan have never lost a test series against Sri Lanka in Sri Lanka; in fact Pakistan have lost only one test match in Sri Lanka.

The only time Sri Lanka have beaten Pakistan in a test match at home was over two decades ago, in 1986.

Sri Lanka have won test series against Pakistan, but they have done that in Pakistan; never at home.

Ricky is Shit ?

2009-06-30T23:58:00.004+04:00

"I thought Ricky Ponting was crap when he was first captain in 2004 and nothing much has improved since then. I'm not the only one who thinks that ...everyone at home thinks he's shit at the captaincy"

Talk about being upright and honest!

What a time for Jeff Thomson to say something like that.

Well he's a shit captain alright.

But do you really want to say that days away from an Ashes campaign?

Shouldn't Thomson and the rest of the Aussies be trying to give their captain some confidence?

What was so Special about Michael Vaughan?

2009-06-30T17:37:00.011+04:00

Michael Vaughan has retired and everyone is talking about him.

Tributes have poured in from all corners with some praising his timing, others raving about his cover drive, and almost everyone talking of his greatness as a leader.

Geoff Boycott has even gone to the extent of ranking him alongside Mike Brearley, who many consider as the best England captain ever; if not the best international captain ever.

That got me wondering.

Was Vaughan really that good?

I don't think he ever reached the same heights as a batsman as he did during the 2002-03 Ashes; nor did he lead England to any memorable series wins besides the 2005 Ashes (or is my memory failing me?).

Then what makes him so special?

His test record, 5719 runs at 41.44, is just about average; while his ODI record is nothing to talk about.

I've never thought of Vaughan as a great cricketer; seeing all that is being said about him made me question myself.

Was he really that great?

As a test captain, he ranks alongside the best.

Among all captains that have led in a minimum of 25 tests, Vaughan is among the top 10 in terms of percentage of test matches won.

In there he is in the great company of Brearley, Steve Waugh, Mark Taylor, and Viv Richards.

Though his record as a batsman isn't one for him to be considered among the best, there is one area where he ranks among the greats.

His conversion rate.

With 18 centuries and 18 fifties, Vaughan converts 50s into 100s more often than most test batsmen.

Among batsmen with atleast 15 test centuries, only Bradman, Strauss, KP, Walcott, Azharuddin, and Hayden have a better conversion rate than he does.

No wonder everyone is raving about him.

I think my judgement was clouded due to what Shoaib Akhtar did to him in 2005.

The look on Vaughan's face when he was deceived by that slower one was priceless.

Here's the wicket (the 2nd one in the video); I couldn't find one of his expression but for those who have seen it know what I am talking about.

That for me will remain the most memorable Michael Vaughan moment.

After that glorious 183 against Australia at Sydney ofcourse.

The Pakistani Players were Hypnotized!

2009-06-30T14:31:00.007+04:00

When Shoaib Malik recently mentioned that the psychologist, who PCB had hired for the team's camp before the World T20, had used hypnotism on the players, we all thought that Malik was being sarcastic.

Many also laughed at Malik thinking that he did not understand a psychologist's job.

Now that Maqbool Babri, the renowned psychologist, has come out in the open, we find that Malik was in fact right about the hypnotism.

The psychologist, popularly known as Max Babri, recently spoke to The News. You can read the full interview here; following are some of the more interesting excerpts.

"I threw a challenge: I'd not charge a single penny if we lose ... but I'd charge double the agreed amount if we win."

Doctors working on a success fee only basis. I like the concept!

"On the second day of our session, I started hypnotizing them. Players were nudged into a trance and urged to understand and envisage themselves as the very best."

So it is true. They were hypnotized!

And a trance? isn't that some kind of dance? How does this work anyway?

I wonder if the team played the entire World T20 in a trance.

"They had a variety of issues from anger management.. sleep problems.. their unmitigated ambitions.."

Isn't that true for all of us Pakistanis?

"A couple of days before the team's departure, we did a 'rock and roll' excercise to show... "

Trance, rock and roll, those must have been some really interesting psychology sessions.

"Afridi is a very special person; he is expressive, talented, handsome, charming, and smart."

How wonderful! Which aspect brings out the best in him as a cricketer?

"Hypnotism is just a therapy and it seeks to improve the confidence of the players. It is used every where in the world. It is not a drug."

And he explains the therapeutic hypnotism he used on the players.

I don't know if all this actually worked and played a part in Pakistan's victorious World T20 campaign, but it surely impressed some of the cricketers. Such as Shoaib Malik.

Now for Max Babri to get his double pay check from the PCB!

Do You Know Umar Akmal?

2009-06-29T22:13:00.004+04:00

The name will tell you that he is Kamran Akmal's brother.

He's the youngest of 3 cricket playing brothers; however, unlike the elder two, Kamran and Adnan, he is not a wicketkeeper.

He is a batsman and he can definitely bat.

Umar Akmal made his first-class debut in 2007 and made headlines in his first domestic season when he ended the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy as the 3rd highest run scorer.

He amassed 855 runs in 14 innings, but what caught everyone's eye was the manner in which those runs came - at a strike rate of over 90!

He first made waves when he followed up some well made half centuries with a whirlwind knock of 248 against Karachi Blues in the latter half of the first-class competition in 2007.

Umar ended his campaign that season with another belligerent knock of 186, also at better than a run-a-ball.

He had a below par U-19 World Cup for Pakistan last year but he was back to his best when Pakistan's domestic season started in 2008.

The reason why I am briefing you all on him is that Umar Akmal scored his 4th first-class century last night against Australia A in the 1st test that ended in a draw.

Many in Pakistan have predicted big things for Umar, claiming that he is the best batsman among the 3 brothers.

His first-class record suggests the same, but whether he will be able to take the next step into international cricket or not depends on how he continues his good run.

Umar's stint with Pakistan A down under will definitely do him good and help him further prove his credentials.

Many claim that his big runs in Pakistan's domestic circuit have come against below average bowling.

Well last night he notched up an unbeaten 100 against a more than decent attack including Doug Bollinger, Jason Krejza, and Clint McKay.

One for the future I reckon.

How Shahid Afridi spends his free time...

2009-06-29T12:06:00.025+04:00

I'm sure many of you wonder how all the different cricketers spend their time off the field, what they do in their free time, and so on.

We read about a lot of the off-field activities as well.

Such as Michael Vaughan and his real estate investments, Shane Warne and his nurses, Shoaib Akhtar and his genital warts, Imran Khan and his love child, Andrew Symonds and his "binge drinking", to mention a few.

Shahid Afridi's off-field activities, however, seem to be of a very different kind.

Afridi takes out his gun, calls his men, and goes into the mountains to look for his prey.

He spots his target up in the sky and points to it with a smile that shows that he likes what he is going to shoot.

His men seem to agree.

He then finds an open space, sits down, gets into position with his gun, takes aim, and fires!

Once the target is shot, he gets one of his men to fetch it and hold it up for the cameras.

Afridi poses with it, looking as pleased as he does when he gets his targets on the cricket field.

I wonder if the Afridi one-arm-raised salute comes out every time he connects with his fire.

Once he's done with all his hunting, he resigns to his farm house, where he plays with snakes in his back yard.

See it all yourself to believe it.

Pakistanis in Australia: Krejza gets a 100, Wahab picks 5, McKay picks 6!

2009-06-28T20:51:00.000+04:00

Pakistan A is on a tour to Australia for 2 tests, 3 ODIs, and a T20 game.

Did you know that?

The 1st 4-day test match started 3 days ago and is set for an interesting final day tomorrow with a potential declaration and a rivetting chase on the cards.

Sounds more interesting than the ODIs going on between India and the West Indies.

It will sound even more interesting when I tell you who top scored for Australia A in their 1st innings score of 399.

Jason Krejza!

Not only top scored, he scored a century - 101 of 160 deliveries with 4 sixes and 7 fours!

His first ever first class century.

His highest score in all forms of cricket before this was 65.

What were the Pakistanis doing letting a discarded Australian offie get to 101?

They had them down at 211-6 before Krejza joined Henriques (76) for a 7th wicket partnership of 120.

Wahab Riaz, who played a few ODIs for Pakistan last year, picked up a 5 wicket haul for the 'A' Pakistanis.

They then responded with 338 in their 1st innings with opener Azhar Ali top scoring with 78.

Azhar Ali has been one of the leading run scorers of the last two domestic seasons in Pakistan and has been on the fringes of Pakistan's senior squad for a year now.

A good showing in Australia will do his case a lot of good.

Azhar got good support from Umar Akmal (54), Kamran's younger brother, Fahad Iqbal (42), Faisal's younger brother, and Sarfraz Ahmed (56), Pakistan's backup wicketkeeper.

Fast bowler Clint McKay picked up 6 wickets.

I don't know much about him, but he's Victorian; I'm sure Jrod will have more information on him for us.

Australia A are on 128-6 in their 2nd innings and tomorrow is the final day - here's the scorecard.

Random Pakistan Cricket Fact #11

2009-06-28T18:26:00.004+04:00

Hanif Mohammad, the original "Little Master", held the record for the highest score in first class cricket for 36 years before Brian Lara overtook it.

Hanif Mohammad scored 499 for Karachi against Bahawalpur in 1958; Brian Lara went past that record by scoring his unbeaten 501 for Warwickshire against Durham in 1994.

Lara's record still stands and probably will for decades to come.

Hanif Mohammad also holds the record for the highest score by a Pakistan batsman in test cricket - 337 vs West Indies also scored in 1958.

Coincidentally, Lara also scored his 375 and 501* in the same calendar year.

Pakistan & the Ajantha Mendis Threat

2009-06-28T04:55:00.007+04:00

The Pakistanis have landed in Colombo, where they play a 3-day game against a Sri Lankan XI from tomorrow, before they head to Galle for the 1st test next week.

The series that was left incomplete by some twisted men in Lahore, will now continue in the island over the next month.

After the IPL and the World T20, I am finally ready to end my affair with T20 cricket and shift all my focus and attention to the purest and longest version of the game.

Here I start by focusing on the potential threat, or rather the lack of, that Ajantha Mendis poses for Pakistan in the 3-test series.

The Ajantha Mendis threat doesn't really exist for Pakistan.

Well prepared, planned, worked-out, thought-out or not; Pakistan has surely figured out how to cope against Mendis' variations.

Moreso than any other team anyway.

The numbers are there for everyone to see and they tell the entire story.

The most telling statistic in that table is the economy rate - it shows that Pakistan scores almost 1 more run per over against Mendis in ODIs than other teams do.

That figure increases to 3 more runs per over in T20Is!

Definitely the Pakistanis are doing something right, something that other teams are not; there is no doubt that they have played Mendis better than their contemporaries.

But how?

Some say they treat him like a medium pacer, others say they pick him of the hand; what it is exactly that the Pakistanis are doing right, I have no idea!

It doesn't matter really.

As long as they continue doing it right, Mendis will not be a threat to Pakistan - not in tests, not in ODIs, not in the T20I.

Hence, as I said. The Ajantha Mendis threat; it doesn't exist for Pakistan.

Note:

I don't buy the "flat track" story for the test against Pakistan, because in the same match, Kaneria bowled 46 overs for 3 wickets; Shoaib Malik bowled 36 for 2 wickets; while Mendis bowled 59 for his 1.

And what hindrance is a flat track anyway for a bowler with so many subtle variations?

How Times (read fans) Change

2009-06-27T19:04:00.006+04:00

2007: Younis returns home after the ODI World Cup

2009: Younis returns home after the World Twenty20

Younis Khan's Candid Talk

2009-06-27T06:02:00.005+04:00

Younis Khan's interview, which was aired on Geo last night, was being advertised as "a candid talk with Younis Khan" throughout the day.

And boy was he candid in his views!

Thank you Adeel (Life in Binary) for producing a transcript of the interview and emailing it to me.

On his retirement from T20 cricket

Younis went into a bit of philosophy here saying that he always looks into the mirror and thinks about what he wants. He said he has never been bothered about what people have to say; the fact that his critics thought he was not good enough for T20 cricket was not why he retired. He pointed out that he had decided about retiring before the World T20; particularly if Pakistan won and added that he was too old for the format.

When reminded he was only 31 (twice during the interview)

Younis laughed and said that 31 was only his official age on paper. He admitted he was only a year younger than Misbah (35) and that he was born in 1975.

See what I mean when I say he was candid!

How he lifted his team after the initial losses

Younis said that he made some statements in the media about T20 being fun and entertainment; he did that to ease the pressure of his players. He claimed he did not want to blame any player for the losses and put pressure on them, hence he put all the pressure on himself, because if the gun is fired it will be fired at the captain. He stressed that by making those statements he put himself in the line of fire.

I also felt this about his statements as the tournament progressed, and I did a couple of posts about that as well. It was a masterstroke as Saad Shafqat had pointed out. Though I do wonder what he would have said had Pakistan's campaign not turned around. I guess we will never know!

About his Captaincy

Younis first said that he is the kind of person who wants complete control of things around him; he then described his captaincy in two phases - 1) when he stood in for Rashif Latif, Waqar Younis, or Inzamam; and 2) when he became full time captain.

About the 1st phase he said that every captain had their own way of doing things; when he stood in for captains he did not want to adopt ways that were different to theirs. He reminded everyone that in those times the public always took notice of him and at times called for change; he suggested that is how the public reacts and that in another 2 years they would want a change even from Younis Khan.

How true! Us fickle Pakistani fans!

About the 2nd phase, he mentioned that everyone thought he was a non-serious captain who was always smiling and laughing. He claimed that was his way of relaxing his players, calming them down, and not putting any undue pressure on them. He also pointed out that once the team was in the Super 8s, it was serious business, his smile disappeared, he adopted a more serious demeanour, he played with complete concentration, and that everbody knew then who the real authority was.

I believe the perfect example of that was witnessed when Pakistan won their semi final against South Africa. The look on Younis Khan's face at that time clearly depicted what he has described above.

On getting closer to the players and distancing himself from the selectors

Younis did not deny this; he said that its the players who share everything with each other, live together, eat together, and play together. He added that the PCB administration and the selectors keep changing; its the players who remain the same, hence he had to make his loyalties clear and stick to the players he had faith in.

That he did. He wanted Shahzaib in, he got him. He wanted Khurram for the tests, he got him.

How he reacted to Abdul Qadir's statement

He admitted that he can't ignore statements like that and they do have an impact on the players and the team. He questioned why Qadir said something like that and said that his performance was his response to Qadir.

He added that Shoaib Malik was very disturbed by Qadir's statement and that Malik came up to him wondering why Qadir had accused him of playing politics. Younis said that he told Malik to ignore it and concentrate on performing in the middle. He also mentioned that after Qadir's statement he sat down with Misbah, Afridi, and Malik and told them that in order to shut people like Qadir up, they needed to gel together, play as a united team, and try and do their best.

Boy did they deliver!

On the claim that Intikhab Alam was not useful

Younis stressed that the captain should be the most powerful person in the team because he is the one who is in the line of fire; not any player, not the coach, not the support staff. He said that around the world the coaches and their support staff are considered helpers and not enforcers; and that is how it should be. He emphasized that the coach, manager, and assistants are there to help and serve the players and that the captain is the main man.

I completely agree with this. And lets face it, Pakistan has only delivered when everything has been under the control of the captain. Let him be the main man. Younis showed that during the World T20 and hopefully he will continue to do the same.

About the ICL Players

According to Younis, all the players who have left the ICL should be allowed to return; however, their top most priority should be to play for Pakistan. He said that Mohammad Yousuf should not have done what he did and that his focus should have been on playing for Pakistan irrespective of his differences with people.

He also expressed his dislike for Imran Nazir's demand for assurity of gaining a central contract on cancelling his ICL one. He said players cannot hold the board for ransom and that if the player's priority was playing for Pakistan, he should cancel his ICL contract, make himself available, and not make any demands.

He is all about honesty and about being clear isn't he. Despite Yousuf coming back into his test side, Younis didn't really care to be diplomatic. He said it how he saw it.

On the security situation in Pakistan

Younis was of the view that the PCB and the media should try and market Pakistan better than they had done in the past. He suggested inviting a World XI to Pakistan for a series of matches after a few months to assure people about the security in the country.

I am not too sure about this. I don't think Pakistan is safe yet, and I don't think inviting a World XI is the best of ideas. It may work a year or two down the line, but not when the Lahore attack on Sri Lanka is fresh in everyone's memory.

About Ijaz Butt convincing him not to retire from T20 cricket

He claimed that till now Ijaz Butt had not said anything like that to him.

So then what was Butt sahab on about?

Who he thinks should be the next T20 captain

Younis said that his logic was that Pakistan should use this opportunity to groom a younger player for the position. He mentioned that he and Misbah were the same age (this was the 2nd time) and that the PCB should look to groom someone to take over for the time after them.

He was asked again who he thinks the captain should be; his response was that besides him, Misbah, Afridi, and Malik, were all capable of being captains and that the T20 captain should be one of them.

This was the first time Younis was diplomatic in the entire interview. There was no candidness here; we all know he is lobbying Afridi's case with the PCB.

On the tour to Sri Lanka

Younis said that it will be a tough tour and that the public expectations will be high so his team will have to prove themselves.

Are your expectations high? Mine always are. I'm always optimistic about our cricket.

His 3 wishes

He wasn't actually asked that but Younis concluded the interview by sharing 3 wishes that he has always had - 1) to win a world cup, 2) to beat Australia, and 3) to beat South Africa.

Well he has accomplished one of them, even if it was a T20 one; hopefully he will have a chance in 2011 for the ODI one as well.

Regarding Australia and South Africa, I'm sure he meant beating them in a test series; that will take some doing! His team will have two cracks at the Aussies soon - in Australia in December, and in England next summer.

Here's hoping for more of his wishes coming true!

Note: A lot of what Younis Khan said was in Urdu and I have translated it when writing it down.

Yuvraj Singh's 131

2009-06-27T03:13:00.002+04:00

So how many of you actually saw the innings?

I haven't seen much reaction on this from the bloggers yet, besides Sam.

Actually I haven't seen much reaction to the ODI either, which produced over 600 runs.

The BCC! guys had a few previews up for the series, which Megha has labelled as the Fake ODI series; but still not much about the actual match that was played today.

So my question again; how many of you actually watched the match?

I watched the toss; I watched Gambhir and Rohit Sharma lose their wickets; after a short break I caught a bit when Karthik and Yuvraj were both on 57; I also saw Karthik get out to a Misbah / Dilshan scoop shot.

Then after another break, I witnessed Yuvraj race away from 80 odd to 120 with some outstanding hits to and over the boundary.

Then I left to watch an atrocious new Bollywood movie.

I came back home to see Ramdin get out and the Windies lose the match by 20 runs.

The fact that I fit in a 3-hour long movie in between the cricket match, just shows how long it was.

Did you also feel that?

Was it too long?

Do people still care about ODIs?

Was this series really needed?

Did the "fatigued" Indian players really have to fly across the globe to play 4 ODIs?

Pakistan Set for English Summer in 2010

2009-06-27T03:04:00.003+04:00

Pakistan's much delayed test series against Australia will finally be played in England during the 2010 summer.

It is official.

I am not too sure whether the World T20 victory and the support Pakistan had during the tournament played a trigger in making this official or not; however, it doesn't really make a difference what the trigger was.

I am just pleased that this decision has been reached.

I'm sure the rest of the Pakistan fans are too.

Competitive test cricket finally, against Australia finally, and in a place where Pakistan will surely have a lot of support.

It's 2 tests and 2 twenty20 games against Australia.

But that's not all.

Pakistan was already scheduled to tour England next summer for 4 tests, 5 ODIs and 2 T20Is against the hosts.

That series will now follow the one against Australia.

Next summer, Pakistan will truly make England their home.

6 tests, 5 ODIs, 4 T20Is.

And the best part about this is that I will be in England to witness it all.

Pakistan's Victorious T20 Team Receive Gifts from the President

2009-06-26T17:28:00.007+04:00

Its a good 10 minute watch.

The best part are the descriptions given to the players by the speaker.

Afridi, "maddest of all mad maxes, flamboyant allrounder, well-sung hero", and so on.

Its interesting to note what the speaker has to say about Shoaib Malik. He says that Malik's full support to the captain that replaced him is thought of as a change in the camp's culture.

Duly implying that no former captains have supported their successors.

Remember that there was significant doubt whether Malik was doing that once Abdul Qadir made his un-needed public statement after his resignation.

Watch it for yourself for the rest.

The nation is celebrating, the PM is happy, the President is happy, and the players are richer.

Random Pakistan Cricket Fact #10

2009-06-25T22:16:00.003+04:00

In the 2003 World Cup, Shoaib Akhtar had the highest batting average of all Pakistani players (72.00), while Saeed Anwar had the highest bowling average (15.00).

Yep, it's true - just another piece of evidence for Pakistan's disastrous performance. Shoaib Akhtar's average was boosted by his short, explosive innings against England, and a few not-outs. Saeed Anwar bagged one wicket when he was asked to bowl a few overs inconsequential against Netherlands (same match in which Wasim Akram got his 500th wicket).

Here's a link to the stats.

Cricket and Colored Clothing, Stanford Style

2009-06-25T21:07:00.006+04:00

Hopefully he doesn't mistakenly think he's playing for the Dutch team!

[photos from Getty and AP, via Cricinfo]

The Comeback of Abdul Razzaq

2009-06-25T18:49:00.005+04:00

Younis Khan's captaincy, Shahid Afridi's allround effort, Umar Gul's scorching yorkers, Saeed Ajmal's canny offspin, Kamran Akmal's opening onslaught, Mohammad Aamer's speed and mature head...

All of them and their efforts have been praised by everyone who witnessed Pakistan's performance in the World Twenty20.

Pakistani fans, cricket experts, column writers, and everyone who care to share their thoughts have continuously raved about the above-mentioned stars of Pakistan's successful T20 campaign.

One man whose efforts have gone almost un-noticed and who has not got his fair share of credit for Pakistan's victory, is Abdul Razzaq.

The entire Pakistan was elated when Razzaq was called in as a replacement for Yasir Arafat. And for good reason.

Over the last 2 years, we had all seen Razzaq conquer the ICL with bat and ball; we had also witnessed his destructive form in the RBS 20-20 Cup.

Pakistan had hardly made the ideal start to the cup and Razzaq's addition to the squad was exactly the kind of impetus the team was looking for.

Younis handing him the new ball was a masterstroke. I didn't expect it; I even questioned it, but it worked wonders for Pakistan.

Razzaq's level headed performance in the first 6 overs did not allow any team to get off to a flying start against Pakistan.

This is apparent in the table I put up recently showing Pakistan's disciplinary turnaround.

Razzaq brought all his experience to the field and bowled with skill and precision to tie the opposition down.

Yasir and Tanvir has been wayward and expensive in Pakistan's first few matches, which had resulted in Umar Gul bowling an over or two at the beginning.

Razzaq's effort allowed Younis Khan to keep Gul for the latter stages of the innings, which was essential to Pakistan's plans.

Razzaq not only gave Pakistan good starts with the ball, he also enabled the perfect endings with the ball through Gul.

To top this all, Razzaq ended the tournament with the 3 wicket burst in the final.

People have talked about Pakistan's victory being one of the best turnaround stories in sport.

What about Razzaq's turnaround - the man who quit international cricket because he was left out of the World T20 squad in 2007 returned to the squad for the same tournament in 2009 and helped Pakistan win it.

Now that is what I call turning it around!

Pakistan may not have done it without Afridi, but they surely would not have done it without Razzaq.

Is Brett Lee a Surety for the Ashes?

2009-06-25T16:44:00.004+04:00

Is Brett Lee still the leader of Australia's pace attack?

I am not too sure.

Mitchell Johnson, Peter Siddle, and Ben Hilfenhaus did a top job in South Africa earlier this year.

Lee is coming back from injury as is Stuart Clark. Before they went away, they were the leaders of the attack, with Johnson their aide.

Since then Johnson has surely risen through the ranks and is now undoubtedly Australia's best fast bowler.

So when Lee returns, does he automatically get his place as the leader of the attack back?

His form has hardly been the kind to suggest that.

He suffered in the World T20. He didn't exactly set the IPL on fire. Nor was he a threat to Pakistan in the one-off T20 in Dubai.

So then, is Lee a sure shot for the XI that Australia will field when the Ashes kick off?

The Aussies are playing Sussex right now. As I write, the figures of the pacers are as follows.

Lee 5-0-22-0

Hilfenhaus 5-2-10-1

Siddle 6-0-18-2

Clark 6-3-10-0

Early days yet, but based on this which one will you leave out?

Final Observations

2009-06-24T20:33:00.004+04:00

I have been a longtime critic of Shahid Afridi and I’d like to think for good reason (I'm sure Q would disagree and he and I have had countless conversations on this topic). Flamboyance is always fun to watch and can be very entertaining to say the least but it is not synonymous with talent. I don’t care much for the likes of Shoaib Akhtar and I didn’t for the likes of Afridi.

Pakistani cricket has raw talent coming out of its ears but what it hasn’t always had is the ability to harness that talent, consistency, and a plan. I don’t need to go into the details of these points (unless someone specifically wants me to) because I think they well known and documented. Pakistan noticeably exhibited this short-coming in 1999 and continued to do so increasingly as the veterans retired and were replaced by young “raw” talent.

I also felt that under the leadership of Inzamam, the team did not really become as athletically inclined as it did religiously inclined. Coming back to Afridi again – the man scored well IF he ever scored… and his bowling was quite wayward. He was seen encouraging other players on the field but that always seemed very hollow to me. Also feel that moral support should not be the primary reason to keep a player in the team.

I understand that T20 is not the same as One Day Internationals or Tests but for the first time, I feel Afridi exhibited forbearance. This happened throughout the 2009 T20 World Cup. He wasn’t the highest scorer or the highest wicket taker but he was a match winner on more than one occasion. But it goes beyond match winning - as far as I’m concerned, it needs to be consistent match winning. Like the days of Sachin Tendulkar’s opening stance. If Sachin opened well for India, they usually went on to win the game- and he opened well quite often!

So what was it that a Cricket nobody like me found so interesting? The first was that Afridi’s forbearance (batting) and ingenuity (bowling) came increasing into light as the tournament progressed. I saw a plan and I saw craft. He could have lived up to his title as early as the 15th over in the final match but he didn’t. He didn’t even attempt to hit it out of the park in the manner that he normally does.

One can easily extrapolate this for the entire team. With the exception of Shahzaib Hasan (who in my opinion is a poor substitute for Salman Butt), the team came out with a plan from the first ball Mohammed Amir bowled that day. Furthermore, one could have almost expected this plan because the South Africa game seemed well thought out too (but not quite as well as the S.L. game).

Shahid Afridi is turning into a thinking Cricketer. A team player who understands that even moderation has a place in the fast pace T20 framework (I won't go into details of the match; Ithink his performance is well etched in most people's minds). Just as important is the fact that he belongs to a team that knows when to bowl short versus full length (with a slight divergence by Gul in the last few overs). More importantly for him, he is fast becoming a player with a good temperament, potentially mature head on his shoulders and a repertoire in both the bowling and batting departments that could see him through to become one of the best all-rounders in his generation.

The Ashes Start Next Week

2009-06-24T19:51:00.004+04:00

Whoever told you the first game will be on 8th July was wrong.

The first game of the Ashes series will take place between the best of England and the best of Australia at Barnes CC in London on Monday, 29th June.

The Village Cricketer will lead the Best of England side, while the King of Bloggers, Jrod of Cricket with Balls, will be leading Australia.

Its not just any cricket match this one; its the Bloggers' Ashes!

Moreover, besides wanting to kick each others' behinds, VC and Jrod are playing the game for a noble and charitable cause.

That being raising awareness and funds for the everyman male cancer campaign.

For more information on the match, please visit the Village Cricketer and CWB.

If you would like donate towards this noble cause, you can do it here.

Oh and the Jrod is looking for players for his team. So if you are an Australian living in London, or are willing to fly in for Monday, please email cwb@cricketwithballs.com and Jrod will take it from there.

Remember, its the Ashes, and they're on 29th June!

Random Pakistan Cricket Fact #9

2009-06-24T18:20:00.003+04:00

Wasim Akram held the record for the highest score in a test innings by a Pakistan captain, before Younis Khan broke it with his 313.

Wasim Akram's unbeaten 257 against Zimbabwe in 1996 broke Saleem Malik's record of 237 against Australia, and stood as the record for over 12 years before Younis Khan went past it against Sri Lanka earlier this year.

Shahid Afridi to Play in Australia

2009-06-24T02:04:00.002+04:00

That could happen if an approach by New South Wales is materialized.

Afridi has been approached by NSW to play for their T20 team, and possibly their Sheffield Shield team as well, next season.

After Younis Khan (South Australia), Umar Gul (Western Australia), and Sohail Tanvir (South Australia), Afridi will become the 4th Pakistani player in 2 years to represent an Australian domestic side if the deal goes through.

That is good news for the allrounder, who is probably still on a high after leading Pakistan to the World T20 title.

What's next?

A higher valued IPL contract?

Possibly.

The Deccan Chargers would be kicking their behinds for canceling his contract earlier this year. If he was still on their roster, he could have represented them at the Champions League.

Irrespective, the Chargers won, Afridi won, Pakistan won, so alls well that ends well!

Reflections on Pakistan's Test Squad for Sri Lanka

2009-06-23T22:11:00.003+04:00

The celebrations of the World T20 win have been going on with such fervour, that the announcement of Pakistan' test squad for the tour of Sri Lanka, and Mohammad Yousuf's international return, have almost gone un-noticed.

Here are my thoughts on the squad.

Openers: Salman Butt, Khurram Manzoor

I'm always pleased when the PCB and its selectors display some common sense.

Salman Butt's woeful form in 20-20 cricket was no reason to keep him out of Pakistan's test plans. There's no doubt that he is Pakistan's first choice opener for tests and ODIs, and I'm glad the selectors think the same way.

Khurram Manzoor was there when Pakistan last played a test match; his good performance then has kept him in the line up. The selectors again deserve praise for continuing with him.

Ahmed Shehzad / Nasir Jamshed / Shahzaib Hasan should return for the ODIs and T20I, but for the tests Khurram is definitely the better bet.

Middle Order: Younis Khan, Mohammad Yousuf, Misbah Ul Haq, Shoaib Malik, Faisal Iqbal, Fawad Alam

On paper, that looks like an extremely impressive middle order.

I'm not at all pleased to see Yousuf back in the squad, however I do realize the importance of his presence in Pakistan's middle order, particularly for test matches.

He, along with Younis and Misbah are no doubt Pakistan's best bats at the moment, and they will occupy the three primary middle order positions.

Malik, Faisal, and Fawad will vie for the number 6 spot, unless the think-tank decides to go with Razzaq in order to play two spinners (will get to that in a bit).

Younis would probably want Malik in the XI, however I would like to see Faisal in there. He has been a part of Pakistan's test plans for a long time now and has always performed whenever given the chance.

Wicketkeeper: Kamran Akmal

Obviously there was no other choice.

Pace Attack: Umar Gul, Mohammad Aamer, Abdul Razzaq, Abdur Rauf

That for me is a bit thin, but I believe Pakistan is going to Sri Lanka with the plan to attack through spin.

Aamer comes into the test fold after displaying his talent on a world stage in T20 cricket.

He will definitely make his test debut in Sri Lanka, which will cap a stunning season for the 17 year old left armer.

2008-09 was Aamer's first full domestic season, during which he impressed everyone with 56 wickets in 10 first-class matches.

I believe he is our future and will surely play for Pakistan for many many years to come; provided that he is kept away from the shadows of Shoaib Akhtar and Mohammad Asif.

Abdur Rauf has been rewarded for a successful domestic season, which he finished as one of the leading wicket takers.

Rauf has been around the domestic scene in Pakistan for a decade now and has a very impressive record with 447 wickets in 96 first-class matches. He has played a few ODIs for Pakistan but is yet to make his test debut.

He's got pace and swing, and he's one of the better pacers going around in Pakistan; I don't really mind seeing him play test cricket.

Abdul Razzaq is one selection that bemuses me though. I have never regarded him as a test player - his bowling is not effective for tests, while his batting alone is not enough to get him into a test XI.

No doubt he had an awesome return to international cricket at the World T20, but that should not have resulted in his recall to the test side.

Instead of him, I would have preferred a genuine pacer like Sohail Khan or Mohammad Talha.

Razzaq'a selection, however, is what implies Pakistan's spin plans (getting to that).

Spinners: Danish Kaneria, Saeed Ajmal

How I would have loved to see Shahid Afridi in there!

The PCB have said that Afridi requested for a 15-day break; had he not would he have been in the test squad?

I sure hope so.

The way he has been bowling of late, and for the last 2-3 years, there is no doubt in my mind that Afridi can be Pakistan's strike bowler in test matches as well.

He will definitely do a better job than Kaneria.

Kaneria returns, and I'm highly indifferent to that, just like his bowling.

Ajmal has thus far impressed in ODIs and T20Is; he now gets a chance to showcase his talent at the test level. He too will probably do a better job than Kaneria.

The Eleven

My XI: Salman, Khurram, Younis, Yousuf, Misbah, Faisal, Akmal, Rauf, Gul, Aamer, Ajmal.

I don't think Younis will go in with that. The selection of the squad indicates that it is very likely that Pakistan will attack with both Ajmal and Kaneria.

With that in mind, Pakistan will probably look to bring in Razzaq at 6 to have the option of a 3rd seamer.

Younis Khan's XI: Salman, Khurram, Younis, Yousuf, Misbah, Razzaq, Akmal, Gul, Kaneria, Aamer, Ajmal.

The team leaves for Sri Lanka next week and play their first tour game on 29th June, followed by the 1st test starting on 4th July.