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April 27, 2008
Posted 2 weeks, 2 days ago in Pakistan cricket
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"I've never tried to copy anyone so I don't think my action matches anyone else's"
© International Cricket Council
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Ahead of the Women's Asia Cup, scheduled to begin in Sri Lanka on May 2, Pakistan captain Urooj Mumtaz spoke to PakPassion.Net about cricket, her life, fitness, legspin, Jonty Rhodes, why she thinks the Pakistan women's team is a committed unit, and a whole lot more.
Sample some snippets from the exclusive interview:
Even now a lot of the girls still have a lot of problems stemming from society (not from their immediate families), where people talk and this causes complications for them. It's very sad actually because it's such a beautiful sport to play. I think a lot of girls will understand when I say that even if the immediate family are willing, they often get influenced by society and that causes them to object to the girl playing cricket. Hopefully if the media give us more coverage and people get to see women playing cricket all the time, then it will become more acceptable to everyone.
or this:
The Shahid Afridi [of our team] is Kanta Jalil who's also a fast bowler but she loves to strike the ball out of the ground and she does hit it a very, very long way. When she gets it in the middle of the bat, the only place you'll find the ball is outside the ground! The Shoaib Akhtar is Asmavia Iqbal, she's the fastest bowler in our team and her favourite player is Shoaib Akhtar. She copies everything he does. The only difference between him and her is that she's completely fit, sticks to her game and does the job she's asked to do.
April 5, 2008
Posted on 04/05/2008 in Pakistan cricket
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Asif Iqbal feels the act of criticising the board does certainly not merit anything as drastic as what is for all practical purposes, a life ban
© AFP
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Pakistan’s fast bowling superstar Shoaib Akhtar seems to have timed his protest against his five-year ban imposed by the Pakistan Cricket Board just right, says former Pakistan captain Asif Iqbal in the News.
I agree with the majority of opinion that seems to think that a five-year ban on Shoaib is excessive and out of proportion for the offence that he was hauled up for on this occasion. True, that his record has a lot more than this or any one offence, but since the ban has come following the last offence, which was of criticising the board, the perception inevitably is that this is the offence for which he has been punished.
To that extent, the punishment is draconian; the act of criticising the Board does certainly not merit anything as drastic as what is for all practical purposes, a life ban. In fact, such a punishment may have been considered befitting if it was imposed after the drugs scandal or after the incident in which Shoaib was alleged to hit teammate Mohammad Asif with a bat in the dressing room.
These were much bigger misdemeanours and a ban, if imposed following these offences, would be more difficult to agitate against. But this was not the right time for such a drastic punishment; the crime simply did not fit it.
That said, Shoaib’s outburst against the Board and its Chairman is equally wrong. His claim that he is being punished for being a loyal Pakistani only qualifies as an utter load of rubbish, for by insinuation all those who are not punished — which includes the overwhelming majority of cricketers — are not loyal Pakistanis, and those who have inflicted the punishment on him are not either.
April 3, 2008
Posted on 04/03/2008 in Pakistan cricket
The British Pakistani cricket fraternity are to voice their anger at the banning of Shoaib Akhtar in a Southall curry house this evening. The Times’ Patrick Kidd has the full story at Line and Length:
Tonight at 7pm, members of the British Pakistani community will be gathering in Chaudhry's TKC, a restaurant in Southall that has been catering for Pakistani touring teams to Britain for more than 30 years, to air their displeasure at the five-year ban handed down to Shoaib Akhtar for criticising the Pakistan Cricket Board.
Dalawar Chaudhry said that more than 100 guests were expected to attend the protest meeting - "everyone who is important in the Pakistani cricket fraternity in England" - and that they want to air their displeasure at the PCB's actions. "The PCB should support their players," Mr Chaudhry said. "The penalty really does not fit the crime. Benazir Bhutto and Nawaz Sharif can be forgiven after criticising the Pakistani government, but Shoaib, who has some of the best Test statistics by any fast bowler, is not forgiven. It is very harsh when you consider that far more sacrilegious crimes, such as match-fixing, get lesser penalties."
In the Age Alex Brown looks at the fall – and excuses – of Shoaib.
He has never learned his lesson. He has chosen to wound those who have defended him and act without a shred of remorse or accountability. And, this time, he intends to take the game's reputation with him.
April 2, 2008
Posted on 04/02/2008 in Pakistan cricket
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Shoaib Akhtar could be out of international cricket for five years
© AFP
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Shoaib Akhtar has been banned from international cricket for five years and the Times' Richard Hobson believes the Pakistan board have saved themselves many hours of disciplinary hearings in the year ahead.
The only surprise in the PCB losing confidence in Shoaib is that it took them so long. Yes, at a time when bat is dominating ball his record of 178 Test wickets at little more than 25 apiece places him among the leading pace bowlers in the world. He was indulged by captains and coaches because he was special.
In his blog for the Times, Dileep Premachandran writes that by banning Shoaib, the Pakistan board has taken another step on the road to oblivion.
The Guardian's Andy Bull recalls watching Shoaib bowl for Worcestershire on a hot September afternoon three years ago:
Sitting up in my seat, squinting into the sunshine, I'd see him run in, I'd see his arms describe an arc and the ball leave his hand. And by the time the batsman began his stroke the bails would already be hitting the turf somewhere beyond second slip.
He took three wickets in four balls, and went on to record the best limited overs figures (7.2-2-16-6) in Worcestershire's history. It didn't stop the club moaning about what a poor signing he'd been, but it did give their supporters something to remember him by.
Pakistan daily, the Dawn's Khalid Khan feels the board should be applauded for making a bold move to curb probably the worst case of indiscipline committed by an individual in the chequered history of Pakistan cricket.
March 21, 2008
Posted on 03/21/2008 in Pakistan cricket
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Abdur Rauf is intent on becoming a regular in the Pakistan team
© PCB
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| The cricket forum, pakpassion.net, has conducted a detailed interview with Pakistan seamer Abdur Rauf, who reveals that he rejected an offer from the ICL.
Of course it was [to turn down the offer]. Imagine you or your members turning down the equivalent rise in your own salaries. Could you do it? I had to say no because the only reason I started playing cricket was to represent Pakistan. It's been my lifelong dream to wear our national colours and help Pakistan to win matches. I don't think you can put a price on that. I'll see how it goes over the next few years, I don't want to give up on my dream of playing for Pakistan but if at some point in the future it becomes clear that there's no place for me in the Pakistan team then I'll have to re-evaluate where I stand. I hope that day never comes because every wicket I've ever taken, I've seen as another step in my journey towards playing for the national team.
Rauf also talks about the change in his action and his decision to shorten his run-up.
It's true that I did slow my pace down by altering my run-up and action but it wasn't something I was made to do. It was my own choice, nobody told me to do it. What you have to understand is that it's senseless to continue with such a demanding action for years and years at domestic level. If as a fast bowler you don't get into the national team at an early age, then your chances for making it into the team become very limited. You never stop trying but you need to be honest with yourself about what sort of beating your body can keep taking everyday. You have to economize with your run-up and your action and concentrate on out thinking batsmen rather than just blasting them out.
March 12, 2008
Posted on 03/12/2008 in Pakistan cricket
Australia's decision to postpone their tour to Pakistan has drawn a sharp reaction from Khalid Hussain of the Times.
Cutting a long story short, one has to say that Australia’s decision to stay away from Pakistan is another huge loss for a country where cricket is perhaps the biggest passion. It might sound like a cliche but by chickening out of what was a challenging assignment, the Aussies have handed the terrorists operating in this unfortunate country a major victory.
That said, Cricket Australia’s decision to hold back its cricketers came as no surprise. All the wrong signals had been coming from Down Under for quite a few months. The Australians, it is believed, made up their mind against touring Pakistan after the assassination of former premier Benazir Bhutto last December but players like Andrew Symonds had been cribbing about the visit much before that tragedy.
March 9, 2008
Posted on 03/09/2008 in Pakistan cricket
Having won the Under-19 World Cup two editions in a row, Pakistan's young heroes returned empty-handed from Kuala Lumpur this year. While the side failed to defend its title, the Dawn's M Wasim says the overall performance was quite praiseworthy.
February 27, 2008
Posted on 02/27/2008 in Pakistan cricket
Saad Shafqat writes in the Pakistan daily, Dawn that it makes no sense for Australia to single out Pakistan as a country they are unwilling to tour for security reasons. Since 9/11 Australia are the only team not to visit Pakistan.
The reality behind the canard of safety and security is that Australia have never liked coming here to begin with. Cricket may be a global family, but Pakistan is its poor relative, living in a poor, rough neighbourhood. As with any poor neighbourhood, the place struggles with its reputation. So rich relatives like Australia, nestled in material comforts and stable circumstances, have been loath to visit.
Pick any cricket autobiography from Australia, New Zealand or England, and it will make a point to complain about the drudgery of touring Pakistan. The playing conditions are alien, and there are no bars or nightlife to liven up the evenings. That the cricket can provide intense and satisfying competition doesn’t seem to enter the equation.
January 24, 2008
Posted on 01/24/2008 in Pakistan cricket
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Nasir Jamshed enjoyed a fine debut in Karachi but did Shoaib Malik really want him in the team?
© AFP
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It's a new year, but there appear to be the same old problems for Pakistan as talk of disagreements between selectors and team management grow stronger. Ahead of the current Zimbabwe series, Shoaib Malik said he preferred Kamran Akmal as opener, but the selectors wanted to try Nasir Jamshed. The Dawn explains further.
Malik’s insistence on playing the struggling wicket-keeper-batsman Kamran Akmal as opener against the Zimbabweans and his unflinching loyalty with a rather expensive Rao Iftikhar are among the few issues that are being constantly debated over by the selectors.
Also, the skipper’s reluctance to try out newer, younger players against Prosper Utseya’s men and his obvious disregard for seasoned all-rounder Shahid Afridi and pacer Umar Gul has also irked the selectors no end.
Now there are also questions being raised as to whether Geoff Lawson is the right man to haul Pakistan out of their slump. Although they reached the World Twenty20 final in September, results have been poor during his short spell in charge. The News says that time is running short for Lawson.
Another charge against Lawson is that he loses his temper too quickly. Sports scribes witnessed it themselves after Pakistan lost the Karachi Test against South Africa last October when Lawson became rude while answering to queries — not an appropriate thing to do considering the fact that it was his first post-match press conference since taking over as national coach. He was also quite unconvincing.
The selectors also got a taste of Lawson’s temper during a few meetings to discuss the team combination ahead and during the ongoing series against Zimbabwe. According to one selector, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, Lawson actually becomes ‘unreasonable and rude’ while arguing with the selectors.
November 24, 2007
Posted on 11/24/2007 in Pakistan cricket
Shoaib Malik's appointment as captain of Pakistan, that too at the sprightly age of 25, was a proud moment for a family of seven from Sialkot. Imran Malik, brother of Shoaib, now in Delhi to watch the first Test between India and Pakiatan, talks about the family's humble origins and how his brother benefitted from their father's constant support. Read the full piece at Indiatimes.
"Our father owned a small shop of electronic goods. He always encouraged us to take up the sport. He used to tell Shoaib not to be too serious about studies and play cricket."
November 15, 2007
Posted on 11/15/2007 in Pakistan cricket
The arrest of former Pakistan captain Imran Khan has attracted widespread global interest. Even though his political career has not really taken off, he remains a high-profile figure and one that remains a thorn in the side of the ruling regime.
In the UK The Independent devotes its front page to the news, with claims that Imran’s life is in danger, and it also outlines the British government’s role in events which Imran claims have led to his arrest.
In The Daily Telegraph, Simon Briggs looks at what Imran has been up to since he quit cricket.
When Imran launched his party, it was initially seen as a whimsical vehicle for a man who could not bear to be out of the public eye. But after a false start in the 1997 elections, he kept battling away and eventually claimed a seat in Pakistan's National Assembly in 2004.
October 17, 2007
Posted on 10/17/2007 in Pakistan cricket
There was really never a moment in the entire series when Pakistan could have claimed to have put the South Africans under anything even remotely resembling pressure, writes former Pakistan captain Asif Iqbal in News while revewing the recent series.
It is a sad commentary on Pakistan’s batting that its real strength, its fast bowling, has to be neutralised in order to protect the poor batting. Pakistan, it seems to me, has been forced to shy away from fast wickets and rely on spin for fear of what the opposition pace bowlers may do with our batting. That has meant a reliance on spin which, regrettably, has just not delivered.
Also read views on the same topic from Osman Samiuddin and Kamran Abbasi .
Meanwhile an unknown 13-year-old legspinner has caught the attention of the touring South African team, according to a PTI report.
October 14, 2007
Posted on 10/14/2007 in Pakistan cricket
The manner of Inzamam-ul-Haq’s exit has somewhat tainted what otherwise would have been a truly rich and sublime legacy, writes Humair Ishtiaq in the Dawn magazine.
Regardless of what the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) and the man himself say in public, the manufactured sendoff, especially the financial part of it, has only tarnished the very image that the so-called ‘deal’ tried to salvage
Though the PCB has categorically denied having offered Rs 10 million to Inzamam to bring down the curtain on his career, those close to the happenings insist otherwise, citing former Pakistan captain Saeed Anwar as the man who made it all happen after he was approached by the PCB bosses in view of his close association with Inzamam. More than that, the way the episode unfolded itself clearly tells a tale that is much different from the official version.
October 7, 2007
Posted on 10/07/2007 in Pakistan cricket
The Sunday Telegraph's Scyld Berry bids adieu to Inzamam-ul-Haq:
For all the comic appearance of his Falstaffian exterior, he was a serious batsman. A rare few, at their peak, have an answer to every ball that is bowled at them: Allan Border was one, at least when England were bowling, Steve Waugh another, and Brian Lara. On England's last tour of Pakistan in 2005, Inzamam was the same, a barrier, a mountain preventing travellers reaching the plains.
Nadeem F. Paracha offers a contrarian view in Dawn's weekly magazine.
Inzamam's Raiwind regime may have turned the Pakistan cricket team into a (seemingly) well-knit unit, but its many critics accused the captain of operating at the expense of ostracising talent that refused to bend to the religious dictates of his regime. Many also believe that Inzi's religious zeal actually softened the team's innovative and competitive nature, a nature that was rigorously nourished and encouraged by the likes of former captains like Imran Khan, Javed Miandad and Wasim Akram.
October 5, 2007
Posted on 10/05/2007 in Pakistan cricket
The retirement of Inzamam-ul-Haq marks the end of an era and the game will miss his larger-than-life character, writes Lawrence Booth in the Guardian.
He gave new meaning to the phrase "economy of movement", mainly because he wasn't fussed about using his foot, either at the crease or between the wickets ... His attitude to practice would have driven Duncan Fletcher to distraction. His press conferences were tedious (Vic Marks called them "much Urdu about nothing"). Yet few could match him. He was the lumbering antithesis of modern sport's obsession with bleep tests, energising drinks and fat-free diets. Perhaps he encouraged us to think we had a chance too.
Also read Osman Samiuddin's tribute in Cricinfo.
Posted on 10/05/2007 in Pakistan cricket
Neil Manthorp, in Karachi for the Pakistan-South Africa Test and writing for the Supercricket website, finds the people friendly, but also notices the security officers with their machine guns lurking everywhere.
On the roof there were two snipers with extremely powerful weapons and telescopic sights, one permanently trained on the road leading to the main gate and the other towards the field of play. There were 10 more Rangers with them on the roof and they were not slacking. All were armed. Reality kicked in once again.
A more pleasant aspect of the stay in Karachi was a dinner party hosted by former Pakistan batsman Zaheer Abbas.
Zaheer Abbas and his wonderful, equally gracious wife Samina ("call me Sam, everyone does") live in a house so elegant, so cleverly designed to beat the heat, and so stylishly decorated that one could rightly call it a small palace. He is revered in Pakistan, and rightly so.
October 2, 2007
Posted on 10/02/2007 in Pakistan cricket
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A beleaguered Shoaib Akhtar will now face a disciplinary hearing on October 6
© AFP
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| Neil Manthorp, writing in Super Cricket, gives his take on Shoaib Akhtar's suspension from the Pakistan team for hitting Mohammad Asif with a bat. But before that, he provides an account of the incident.
The script went something like this:
Shoaib and Shahid Afridi sitting alone in the Pakistan change room.
Shoaib: "I have the same status in Pakistan cricket as Imran Khan..."
Afridi: [convulsive laughter]
Enter Mohammed Asif
Afridi: "Listen to this [laughter] he says he has the same status as Imran Khan!"
Asif: [muffled giggle].
Shoaib chases after Asif and swings his bat as hard as possible hitting Asif on the thigh.
Pakistan's administrators deserve no criticism for the action they have taken now.
They deserve criticism for ever allowing Shoaib's ego to become so hopelessly out of control, for allowing him to make his own rules for so many years and to get away with serial misbehaviour before it ever came to this.
If they couldn't control him, or didn't want to, they should have delegated that responsibility for the sake of Pakistani cricket. And if he really was uncontrollable at least they would have known six or seven years ago.
October 1, 2007
Posted on 10/01/2007 in Pakistan cricket
After the cataclysms of the year just gone, Pakistan are still celebrating and berating equally, writes Osman Samiuddin in the Indian Express.
... what else is there in this nation if not cricket, politics and cricket’s politics? Hockey dies anew each year, only to keep people vaguely interested, it does so spectacularly. (“Lost to China? No worries, we’ll lose to Japan this time.”) Squash is less sport, more memory, a glory long gone. (“Isn’t that a drink?” I heard a child say recently). Cricket survives because nothing else did.
September 18, 2007
Posted on 09/18/2007 in Pakistan cricket
In the Age, Peter Roebuck analyses Geoff Lawson's first few games as a national coach and decides that perhaps Lawson was just what Pakistan needed.
He did not have much to lose, a steady but peripheral media career and a tangential involvement in the game. Why not go for broke? From the Pakistan perspective, Lawson was the right choice. Proven candidates had not applied. At least he wanted the job and was prepared to look past current complications. Moreover, he was an outsider and came with a clean plate.
September 9, 2007
Posted on 09/09/2007 in Pakistan cricket
Shoaib Akthar isn't getting much sympathy after the latest in a long list of misdemeanours. In an editorial in the News, a Pakistani daily, Asif Iqbal calls for Shoaib to be banned for life and poses this dramatic question:
The line has to be drawn somewhere and if it is not drawn here, the question has to be asked — are we waiting till he commits mass murder?
Former Pakistan captains Javed Miandad, in Rediff, and Rameez Raja, in the Telegraph, take potshots at the Pakistan Cricket Board while criticising Shoaib.
Imran Khan tells the Dawn that Shoaib failed to handle the fame.
"He has such great potential [as a fast bowler] he could have done wonders but he has let himself down for being in the news for the wrong reasons."
An editorial in the Dawn categorically demands that Shoaib should not be picked for the national team again.
Shoaib Akhtar has to be shown the door — permanently. Irrespective of the provocation, hitting a team member (with a bat no less) is simply inexcusable. It is now abundantly clear that Shoaib comes equipped with a self-destruct button that is always within reach and could be pressed at a moment’s notice.
And according to Geo TV, a Pakistani television channel, even General Pervez Musharraf, the patron-in-chief of the Pakistan board, wants no leniency shown towards Shoaib.
August 22, 2007
Posted on 08/22/2007 in Pakistan cricket
The folks at Pakistan's the Post newspaper don't seem to be particularly fond of the Pakistan Cricket Board. Here's an editorial lambasting the PCB.
PCB seems to be jinxed. The long and tragic history associated with it speaks volumes of how things have been working over many years. The current state of affairs therefore is no surprise.
And their daily cartoon says much the same
August 5, 2007
Posted on 08/05/2007 in Pakistan cricket
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Geoff Lawson: "There are less concerns than I'd have going to London or New York"
© AFP
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| Geoff Lawson indicates in the Sunday Telegraph how one letter stood out among all the congratulatory messages he received after being appointed coach of Pakistan.
The letter came from Gill Woolmer, the wife of the late Bob Woolmer.
"It's a lovely letter about how he loved coaching Pakistan, loved the people and she wished me all the best,'' Lawson said. "It comforted me in the fact [Woolmer's family] gave me their support and they don't have any concerns whatsoever.''
Lawson also shrugged off the concerns over security.
"There are less concerns than I'd have going to London or New York. I was in England in 2005 when all the bombs went off, and that was scary. [People] see the Red Mosque shootout there and hear about bin Laden hiding in the hills of Pakistan. But it's like if you're hiding in outback Australia and you live in Sydney.
Lawson has learnt a few tricks of the trade too, marking each point he made when he met the players in June with the Urdu phrase Inshallah, meaning God willing.
July 12, 2007
Posted on 07/12/2007 in Pakistan cricket
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Saqlain Mushtaq last played a Test match in 2004
© AFP
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| Saqlain Mushtaq was once Pakistan's first-choice spinner. He was also perhaps the first offspinner to master the doosra. But he soon lost his place after a knee injury and competition from the likes of Shoaib Malik and Danish Kaneria. His two-year absence from first-class cricket ended when he played for Sussex against the touring Indians.
Rohit Mahajan of The Hindustan Times caught up with Saqlain, who left some hints that his cricketing future lies in England.
So much has changed in his life in the last eight years: the mastery of the doosra, acclaim and ignominy, injury and insult — and now a new British passport. Monty Panesar should soon have competition.
Saqlain, though, wishes to play down this talk. He is in his 31st year, a stage in life when spinners peak, but injury troubles have made him prudent, and he's not looking too far ahead — or at least not speaking about it.
“If I start saying that I want to play for England, and my body doesn't allow me to play, it would be very embarrassing,” he says. “Yes, if my body is okay, if all goes well, then I'll see what happens…”
July 6, 2007
Posted on 07/06/2007 in Commentary
Himalmag finds out.
Boria Mazumdar believes cricket has transformed India, as much as India has transformed the sport.
Cricket today provides India a feel-good space, where nearly all differences can be overcome. The assertion of an Indian ‘identity’, the expression of cultural nationalism or the feeling of a common emotion – these are no longer confined to the stadium and post-match activities. For instance, a poll conducted a few years back found that more than 50 percent of India’s youth would prefer to live in another country. However, as journalist Sandipan Deb has observed: “Even when they do go away to some other country, they have a live cricket scorecard open surreptitiously on their computer monitors throughout their working day, and they turn out in daunting numbers at the stadium whenever India’s playing in their adopted country.” The global Indian wants simultaneously to escape his country and to embrace it. Clearly, cricket is no longer a mere ‘national’ obsession.
Michael Roberts looks at the ceylonese origins of cricket in Sri Lanka.
Amber Rahim Shamsi writes on the journey of women's cricket in Pakistan.
July 2, 2007
Posted on 07/02/2007 in Pakistan cricket
If there is one art Pakistan's cricketers have never been able to master, it is that of the well-timed farewell. From Hanif Mohammad to the two Ws, Pakistan's superstars have exited less than gracefully. Inzamam-ul-Haq, argues Saad Shafqat in Dawn, is likely to be another addition to that list.
It is an affliction with which we are all too familiar. When the time comes for our cricketing heroes to retire from the game, they make a mash of it. The signs will all be there, but they either cannot read them or choose not to.
June 24, 2007
Posted on 06/24/2007 in Pakistan cricket
Bob Woolmer's death sparked off a storm of speculation and rumour unlike any seen in cricket before. Mushtaq Ahmed, former Pakistan legspinner and assistant coach, was one of those at the centre of the episode. He was close to Woolmer and one of the first to his room when the news broke. In an exclusive interview with Sue Mott, which you can read in the Sydney Morning Herald, Mushtaq recounts the shocking circumstances of Woolmer's death and the hell the team went through in its aftermath.
"These were the saddest days of my cricketing life. We lost a great man who spent 3 years with us. It was a bad blow. Sad and shocking. Dark days. The players spent 24 hours a day together in groups. We hardly spoke."
June 8, 2007
Posted on 06/08/2007 in Pakistan cricket
Pakistan batsman Mohammad Yousuf remembers his last few moments with Bob Woolmer in a chat with the Kolkata Telegraph:
Yousuf, in fact, took the same elevator as Woolmer when the devastated team returned to the Jamaica Pegasus. “Shoaib Malik and a couple of other players were also there and when it stopped on my floor (third), Bob quipped ‘ladies first’... We laughed... I didn’t get to see him after that...”
March 24, 2007
Posted on 03/24/2007 in Betting/Corruption
In The Daily Telegraph, Peter Foster looks at the bookmakers who still stalk cricket, seven years after the ICC set about rooting corruption out of the game.
From the back-streets of Karachi and Mumbai to the gleaming towers of Hong Kong and Dubai, cricket's bookmaking underworld is still operating. Chief among those nations are the sub-continental rivals of India and Pakistan where, despite betting on cricket being illegal, millions of pounds regularly change hands over a single game. Annually, the profits can be counted in billions.
But the nature of gambling has changed, forced to adapt from the brash efforts to influence entire teams to a far more subtle approach.
It makes grim reading. In the same paper, Simon Hughes gives a first-hand report from the subcontinent.
On a trip to Pakistan some years ago, I stopped by an anonymous club match one afternoon. Two batsmen were slowly playing themselves in. After one apparently featureless over, a gaggle of spectators suddenly engaged in an unseemly scuffle. When some time had elapsed and peace was restored, I ventured over to investigate what had happened. It emerged that one man had bet another the over would be a maiden. When a leg-bye was run off the last ball of the over, they couldn't agree who had won the wager (despite the extra it still constituted a maiden) and fists flew.
Posted on 03/24/2007 in World Cup 2007
Michael Henderson, never one to take the safe option, writes a long article in The Daily Telegraph on Pakistan cricket and its place in the modern game.
“While India have the money to confront the old order, the Pakistanis like to portray themselves as maligned outsiders, an image their players have reinforced in the past three years by favouring a hard-line Islamic faith.”
And he finishes with a swipe at the ICC and its reaction to calls for the tournament to be scrapped.
“The ICC will disregard him, of course, arguing that the show must always go on, if only to avoid shelling out millions to compensate the television companies covering this bloated tournament.”
March 7, 2007
Posted on 03/07/2007 in Pakistan cricket
Simon Kuper gives the inside dope on Netherlands cricket. Its origins, characters and the life of a minnow cricketer.
Cricket only ever penetrated a few pockets of Dutch society. In The Hague, it’s played by posh types who regard it as a sort of magical rite with the power to transform them into English gentlemen. The game somehow also took root in Schiedam, a tough town just outside Rotterdam, known as the only place in the Netherlands where boys play cricket on the street. Schiedam once even produced a rare case of Dutch cricket hooliganism, when thousands of fans watched two local teams contest the national title. Van Troost, Holland’s captain, is from Schiedam. And increasingly since about 1990, Dutch cricket has been played by poor Asian immigrants. When these dockworkers and cleaners meet Hague bankers, both sides presume (often correctly) that the other is cheating.
February 23, 2007
Posted on 02/23/2007 in Pakistan cricket
Neil Manthorp argues for the inclusion of the 'minnows' in the World Cup. His point? It helps in spreading the game and improves quality of cricket in these countries. How? Click here to read.
What does cricket want for itself in the future? To remain a game in which just eight teams can compete? It's not a very broadminded outlook.In order to grow the game in any country, money is required. And the easiest way to gather money in sport is to put it on television. So Ireland, Scotland, Holland and Bermuda can offer their sponsors television coverage and, consequently, command a far greater sum of cash.
... And for those who haven't noticed, the ICC has gone to a great deal of trouble and expense trying to make the minnow nations competitive and to guard against the humiliating thrashings which are so harmful to the image and reputation of the game.
February 18, 2007
Posted on 02/18/2007 in Pakistan cricket
The World Cup is closer than round the corner and Pakistan are in disarray. Morale is down, players unfit, the doping issue still lurks, threatening to rear its head any moment; what better time than now, then, for a few words from the straightest of straight talkers, Rashid Latif, to put things in perspective? In a guest column for Dawn, Latif says that though it looks bad, all may not be lost just yet.
All this talk of World Cup ‘pressure’ is also getting to me now. What pressure are they talking about? In my opinion , all these people have fairly mixed-up notions about ‘pressure’ and ‘reality’. Pressure is what the poor people are facing for their survival, for their do-or-die efforts in trying to feed their families. There is no pressure in cricket compared to that. Yes, I know a victory in any big tournament can be tremendously difficult to pull off for any team or coach, even for those who are considered favourites. But that, in short, is their job; a reality that they know they will be facing in due course of time and they must prepare themselves well for it.
February 6, 2007
Posted on 02/06/2007 in Pakistan cricket
No openers, no fit fast bowlers, an out-of-sorts keeper, too many allrounders, not enough in form, two crushing defeats; with the World Cup just over a month away does anyone in Pakistan know what their ideal XI will be, asks former captain Asif Iqbal in The News.
The worst aspect of Pakistan’s almost humiliating defeats has been that barely a month away from the World Cup, the team does not have what anyone would described as a settled look to it. It seems that all the questions that were raised four years ago during the last World Cup and to which the management has been struggling to find answers, today remain as unanswered as they ever were.
January 27, 2007
Posted on 01/27/2007 in Pakistan cricket
An English journalist, Ian Wooldridge, suggests there may be calls for Pakistan to be chucked out of the World Cup. Writing in the Daily Mail, in London, he says:
Cricket's World Cup opens next month in the West Indies. I may just be alone in anticipating its start with a violent political explosion — a demand for the expulsion of Pakistan.
If you recall, two of Pakistan's most volatile fast bowlers were found guilty of drug abuse in October. Shoaib Akhtar was banned for two years, Mohammad Asif for one.
Both appealed. Their appeals were heard by Pakistan's Cricket Board without external influence.
Both were exonerated. Both were immediately chosen to play again. Don't tell me this is going to pass unnoticed.
Read more of his thoughts on other topics here.
November 29, 2006
Posted on 11/29/2006 in Pakistan cricket
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Mohammad Yousuf stands now having broken one record and on the verge of another two
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Much in the manner of the previous seven hundreds he has constructed this calendar year, so too was Mohammad Yousuf's record-breaking eighth century a thing of some beauty, writes Osman Samiuddin in The Age.
Yousuf Youhana averaged nearly 48 in his 59 Tests. He crossed himself for each of his 13 hundreds and couldn't quite shake off the tag that he was a rascally drifter, capable of composing dreams (such as his hundred at Melbourne in December 2004: "my best innings as you have to score against the best to prove yourself") but also prone to flimsiness and gifting wickets.
Mohammad Yousuf averages nearly 92 from 14 Tests, he has performed the sajda (act of kneeling in Islamic prayer) for each of his nine hundreds and, at no expense to his artistry, has acquired the skills of graft and run-gathering. His hundreds are bigger (two doubles and three 190s) and his conversion rate, since his conversion, is remarkable (only four 50s to his nine 100s).
Click here to read more.
November 19, 2006
Posted on 11/19/2006 in Pakistan cricket
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'Revive school cricket, university cricket and club cricket... that is where the strength is'
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The Pakistan board organised a seminar of ex-players, board officials and regional administrators to discuss the path the cricket must take in the country to achieve long-term success. Qamar Ahmed writing in The Dawn wasn't too impressed.
It has never come to fruition and it may never yet come off any better. These summits summoned by every new chairman taking over the reins of the PCB have so far turned out to be an absolute waste of time, money and energy and nothing more than an exercise to announce that they exist and know better than their predecessors.
In good times no one cares. I, however, find it glaringly distasteful that every time the graph goes downhill of a Pakistan team they become a laughing stock. The players, the officials and those responsible for it are then summoned for explanation.
I think the most comical of all is the Senate Standing Committee on Sports which I feel is no more than a bunch of publicity seeking individuals, hungry for seeking attention and spotlight without much to show for.
Scroll further down the page and read Sohaib Alvi's account of the Multan Test of 1980 where Sylvester Clarke, hit by an orange thrown by spectators, replied with a brick.
November 12, 2006
Posted on 11/12/2006 in Pakistan cricket
There's been no honeymoon period for Nasim Ashraf, the new chairman of the Pakistan board. Hardly did he settle into his seat than a number of hard decisions had to be taken. In an interview to the Kolkata Telegraph, he speaks to Lokendra Pratap Sahi on his appointment, the controversy over the Pakistan captaincy, the drugs scandal and much more.
I know I’m in a high profile seat, but I want the powers and perks of the PCB chairman to be reduced. I’ve already delegated responsibility to colleagues and I want corporate governance. I’ve assigned a leading head-hunting firm to help get us the best possible chief executive.
October 21, 2006
Posted on 10/21/2006 in
Adam Parore, the former New Zealand wicketkeeper, looks back at his experience of playing against Pakistan and wonders how their bowlers managed to bowl "25 overs on a searing hot day and seem to get faster as the day wears on".
I remember thinking more than once in the subcontinent, "something's not right here". I prided myself on being pretty fit during my career. I'd look at some of these guys and think "you can't do that".
Read the full piece in The New Zealand Herald.
October 18, 2006
Posted on 10/18/2006 in Pakistan cricket
While speculation is rife about Shoaib Akhtar’s future after he failed a drugs test, the Sydney Morning Herald says that as one door closes, another one might be opening, suggesting that he might be heading into films.
Some may suggest Akhtar's cricketing career has been one long dress rehearsal for an entry into the acting world … not noted for his devotion to training, Akhtar seems to be an outside chance, at best, of resuming his career beyond the World Cup, especially considering his creaky back and troublesome hamstring.
On the surface, a move into acting does not seem a major leap for Akhtar, who has made as many headlines for his activities off the field as his performances on it. On his latest tour of Australia with the Pakistan team, Akhtar was spotted in nightclubs across the country, invariably in glamorous company, while he was said to be battling back and hamstring injuries.
Last year, it was much the same in England, when injury ruled Akhtar out of Worcestershire's tour match against Australia, only for the fast bowler to show up in several of Worcester's premier nightspots. Again, no guesses as to the aesthetic calibre of the company he was keeping
October 2, 2006
Posted on 10/02/2006 in ICC
The ICC has come under fire at the weekend for its handling of the row that followed the Oval Test.
The weekend newspapers were almost universally critical of the way the whole episode was dealt with, and while there was not much sympathy for Darrell Hair’s on-field actions, there was concern about the way the ICC has treated him.
Leading the assault was Michael Atherton in The Sunday Telegraph. he wrote that the affair:
Showed the ICC at their worst: prevaricating, in that a judgment which should have been handed out on the fourth evening of the game was allowed to fester for a month; callous, when it revealed confidential e-mails from an employee; and ultimately fudging a verdict so as not to upset the key players in this very political game – the Asian bloc.
When the big issue arose, the ICC official froze. Woe-betide anyone who walks out to bat with a logo half an inch too big, mind you. Moreover, shortly after the ICC announced that Hair had been withdrawn from the Champions Trophy because of security concerns, India, the host country, flatly contradicted the game's chiefs. Who is being open and honest?
Continue reading " ICC ... the real villains"
Posted on 10/02/2006 in Pakistan cricket
Inzamam-ul-Haq's actions are also forcing the ICC to reconsider its laws regarding umpiring protocols, particularly in regard to accusations of ball-tampering and the decisions involving forfeitures, writes Richard Boock in The New Zealand Herald.
But more than anything else, Inzamam showed that despite all the opposition and outrage, there is still a place in sport for protest.
September 29, 2006
Posted on 09/29/2006 in Pakistan cricket
In the aftermath of the Code of Conduct hearing at The Oval, the media has gone into overdrive. While the decision came too late for the Australian papers, and most in Asia took agency reports, in the UK, there was no shortage of comment.
In The Independent, Angus Fraser reveals that he has actually seen the ball at the heart of the whole row:
The state of the ball surprised me. It was protected in bubble wrap and treated as though it was part of a murder investigation. My first impression was that there was not a great deal wrong with it. I expected there to be more. This was not a ball that was about to reverse swing - the phenomenon created by the type of ball-tampering the Pakistan side had been accused of - extravagantly. The seam and quarter seam were in as good a condition as you would expect from a ball that was 56 overs old. They had definitely not been tampered with. There was a contrast between the two sides of the ball, as there always is. This is because one side has sweat and spit put on to it and is polished, while the other is left alone. The darker side is the one that has been polished and it generally looks tidier, while the other side always appears rougher.
Continue reading "'The state of the ball surprised me'"
September 28, 2006
Posted on 09/28/2006 in Pakistan cricket
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Ranjan Madugalle and David Pannick QC prepare for the hearing yesterday
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| Although the ICC Code of Conduct hearing was conducted behind locked doors at The Oval, that has not stopped a couple of reports appearing offering insights into what happened.
In The Daily Telegraph, Simon Briggs claims that the Pakistan Cricket Board’s legal team are ahead on points:
In the course of the hearing, it became clear that Darrell Hair and Billy Doctrove — the umpires at the centre of last month's ball-tampering storm — had not fully followed protocol during the emotional and chaotic afternoon of Aug 20. Insiders say this has weakened their case substantially.
Continue reading " Lawyers put umpires to the test"
September 27, 2006
Posted on 09/27/2006 in Pakistan in England
As the cricket world’s attention heads back to The Oval – and not even with the badly-scheduled 2004 Champions Trophy was the old ground in the headlines so late in the year – the speculation and rumour surrounding events five weeks ago continues to keep the media busy.
Today, a report by Christopher Martin-Jenkins in The Times claims that Inzamam did not act on his own in refusing to resume play after tea but was persuaded by others.
The refusal to take the field may not have been his idea but that of Waqar Younis, the touring team’s bowling coach, or one of the other senior figures in or around the Pakistan dressing-room at the time, The source said that Waqar, who was suspended and fined in 2000 when found guilty of changing the condition of the ball by a referee in Colombo, took Inzamam into the lavatory for a secret discussion at the start of the tea interval, from which point the situation spiralled out of control.
Continue reading "ICC facing recipe for anarchy"
September 18, 2006
Posted on 09/18/2006 in Pakistan cricket
James Root in The Observer carries out an in-depth interview with Mushtaq Ahmed where he talks about the importance that religion has in his life.
My religion has helped me big time It makes me disciplined. Now I don't think of tomorrow, I think for today. I used to take five wickets in a day and worry about tomorrow rather than enjoy it. I don't feel under pressure to perform any more.
People have no idea what Islam is about because of the media's negativity. If people read the Koran they would see a different message. If I do something wrong it doesn't mean Islam is wrong. Don't believe that Islam is the religion that makes people do these things. Islam says if you kill one man, you kill mankind.
Nick Bratt, who skippered him when he played league cricket in Staffordshire, hints at a different side to the old Mushtaq:
I think he got to a period in his life when he felt that things had to change and he found Allah … Mushy told us about some wild nights but he can tell you more about that than I can.
September 1, 2006
Posted on 09/01/2006 in Miscellaneous
In The Times, former Wisden editor Tim de Lisle highlights the fact that cricket's international merry-go-round is not only hard on the players, it's also pretty environmentally unfriendly. He recalled that while editing Wisden Cricket Monthly a few years ago, he commissioned an investigation into the mileage of top players:
"We named the first winner — Australia's Ian Healy, who had done, from memory, about 70,000 miles. Within a few years, the winner (by then Stephen Fleming, of New Zealand) was doing 100,000 miles. International cricket’s total emissions, for a relatively small sport, must be colossal."
He then points out that the English county circuit is strewn with sponsored cars flying up and down the country's motorways. And then there is Asia.
"Open an Indian magazine and the chances are you will see Sachin Tendulkar sharing a little of his personal cachet with a motorbike. And administrators in the subcontinent still think it’s OK to give the man of the match a bike or even a car. Not even the umpires are immune. Fly Emirates, say their shirts, which is demeaning to them and damaging to the planet."
July 28, 2006
Posted on 07/28/2006 in Pakistan in England
It was 50 years ago yesterday that a Test match started at Old Trafford that went down in history for the exploits of Jim Laker. What is forgotten these days is that but for Laker’s feat of taking 19 wickets, the match would be remembered for controversy over the pitch which the Australians bitterly complained was not fit for Test cricket. Half a century on, and little changes.
Yesterday, however, Steve Harmison blasted out Pakistan. While the pitch was poor, it was the fast bowling that grabbed the headlines.
Derek Pringle in The Daily Telegraph was blunt, arguing that “it was a gutless display by the visitors, with many of the later order backing away”.
But he also pointed out that while the pitch may not have been perfect, Harmison’s performance was, nevertheless, a great one.
“With his height and pace, Harmison can be a handful on most surfaces, but when given conditions that amplify his gifts he brings a fear factor that make batsmen do foolish things. Of his victims only Inzamam-ul-Haq was dismissed by a ball that did anything unexpected, in his case climbing sharply from a good length after hitting one of the many cracks pitting the surface of the pitch.”
In The Guardian, Mike Selvey was in no doubt that groundsman Peter Marron’s work was not good enough.
“The pitch did not quite play to order. It had promised pace, which it delivered, and ditto good carry. What should not have been evident yet was a nasty, if occasional, variation in bounce as the ball struck either side of the cracks, which, if the sun continues to bake the surface, will only get wider and more influential.”
Selvey was also critical of the Pakistan batsmen who, he wrote, “batted with questionable commitment and a negative mindset”.
In The Independent, Angus Fraser followed the same line:
“Harmison and England were aided by a fast, bouncy and slightly unpredictable pitch, and a woeful batting display from Pakistan. The venom of Harmison and the steep bounce he extracted from the helpful surface unsettled the tourists who showed minimal resistance.”
In Dawn, Kamran Abbasi pondered Inzamam’s decision to bat:
“Winning the toss turned into a nightmare for Inzamam-ul Haq. He is unlikely to see a quick end to the public debate about his decision to bat first on a hard, greenish track, under gloomy skies and a humid day. Forgive my meteorology but weren't those once known as ideal bowling conditions?”
He also had little time for the Pakistan batsmen:
“Most of these fair-weather youths have grown fat on the plunder of lifeless pitches. They have indeed pulled Pakistan out of some desperate situations but those rescue missions have been in conditions that have offered little for bowlers. Yesterday, a more testing examination questioned the quality of their defence. The same examination that is failed each time we tour Australia, and particularly at Perth. On this evidence we are no more ready.”
July 17, 2006
Posted on 07/17/2006 in Pakistan cricket
Imran Khan was more than just Pakistan's cricket captain. He was a warrior, an ambassador and a playboy of the Western world. But after retirement and divorce from one of Britain's most glamorous heiresses, he is dedicating his life to saving his country from political corruption. Tim Adams, of the Observer, travelled to his secluded villa to talk to him about his mission.
The most alluring figure at Lord's was Imran Khan, writes Mark Nicholas.
July 2, 2006
Posted on 07/02/2006 in Pakistan cricket
From tearaway fast bowler to inspirational captain, from international playboy to domestic politician, Imran Khan has been many things to many people. Tim Adams of The Observer sought out Imran in his house near Islamabad, and found him in the mood for a chat. They talk about cricket, about politics, but a domesticated Imran even reveals:
I have fruit trees. Cows for fresh milk, yoghurt. My own wheat. I'm basically self-sufficient. I have made my boys a little cricket ground.
February 27, 2006
Posted on 02/27/2006 in Pakistan cricket
It’s worked for other teams, it could work for Pakistan – they are considering employing a baseball coach to help with throwing techniques. They have their sights set on Mike Young, who is currently working with the New Zealand team on a short-term basis. Read what the Khaleej Times has to say on the matter here.
February 19, 2006
Posted on 02/19/2006 in Pakistan cricket
A former captain, the iconic Hanif Mohammad looks back at his career in an interview with the Kolkata-based daily The Telegraph. He talked about his standout memory from his famous triple hundred (337 in Barbados,1957-58) against West Indies.
That of a West Indian, who would sit on the branch of a tree... Initially, he would taunt, but then began to appreciate my batting and our fightback... On the fourth day, the poor chap fell and had to be hospitalised. Yet, he returned the next afternoon... ‘You’re still there? I’m back, my friend... I’m back’ he kept saying. After the Test got over, Kardar and I invited him to our dressing room for tea and sandwiches. We thanked him for his support and gave a couple of mementos...
Ramachandra Guha, the social and the cricket historian, had once written about that knock and Hanif's meeting with Don Bradman, whose rec |
