Pakistan must use warm-ups to strike right balance

Pakistan start their ICC Champions Trophy campaign with a match against the West Indies at The Oval on June 7. With only the top eight One-day International (ODI) teams taking part in the competition, every team — including Pakistan — will have to be at the top of its game in order to make it to the knockout stage. Pakistan’s other matches are against South Africa on June 10 and against arch-rivals India on June 15 — both in Birmingham. In order to qualify for the semifinal, Pakistan will have to win at least two out of three preliminary-round matches, a challenging task indeed.

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has done well in arranging two short ODI series — one each against Scotland and Ireland — just before the Champions Trophy. This gives the players an excellent opportunity to adapt to the conditions which are markedly different to what they were back in Pakistan during the domestic season or even during the team’s last international tour to South Africa.

These four matches will be followed by two warm-up matches — one each against Sri Lanka and South Africa — which means that the team has got six matches to prepare and get its strategy sorted out.

Going into these matches, it is crucial for the team management to be clear about the balance of the team, the batting order and the specific role that each player is expected to fulfill. This is needed to ensure that these matches are utilised in giving maximum match practice to the first-choice XI so that they are in the groove by the time the real competition gets underway.

Team management’s decision to open with the southpaws Imran Farhat and Nasir Jamshed against Scotland suggests that vice-captain Mohammad Hafeez has finally agreed on moving himself down the batting order. The decision appears to be a wise one keeping in mind the all-rounder’s known frailties against the moving ball. He played at the critical one-down position at Edinburgh but even this position seems to be a bit too high for him.

It should be kept in mind that two new balls will be used in the Champions Trophy — one from each end — and hence Pakistan should look to place a technically sound batsman at this position. Talented Asad Shafiq appears to be the best man for the job as he has not only got a wise head on his shoulders but has also been in excellent form of late.

The resurgent Misbah should position himself at No 4 from where he can anchor the whole innings, followed by Hafeez who will be much more comfortable at the crease once the ball has lost its bite. The choice for No 6 is a tie between young Umar Amin and veteran Shoaib Malik.

Umar has performed exceedingly well in domestic cricket of late and his credentials as a part-time medium pacer and a partnership-breaker further strengthen his case. On the other hand, Malik is a vastly experienced player. He might not be as classy as Umar and might not in the best of form, but showed his worth during the recent nervous run chases against India and South Africa where he helped the team cross over the finishing line on more than one occasion. In addition, he is an excellent fielder.

Overall, there is very little to choose between the two players but in the absence of experienced heads such as Younis Khan, Shahid Afridi and Umar Gul, Malik — himself a former captain — might be the kind of resource Misbah would want on the field; however, he should be encouraged to contribute with his off-spin as well.

It looks like the team management has decided to accommodate wicket-keeper Kamran Akmal lower down the order; this is a sensible move considering the fact that the conditions in England do not merit a pinch-hitter. Pakistan will be much better off having an experienced striker lower down the order for the power play and the slog overs.

The tussle for the bowling all-rounder’s slot is between Wahab Riaz and Ehsan Adil as both have the ability to muscle the ball around. Wahab is quicker with the ball but can be wayward; Ehsan bowls to a probing line and swings the ball a bit more than the left-armer hence should be preferred in English conditions.

Being a right-armer, he will also bring much-needed variation to the pace attack. The last three positions are more or less settled with the wily Saeed Ajmal along with the promising pace duo of Junaid Khan and Mohammad Irfan. This will mean that Asad Ali — the top wicket-taker of the President’s Cup one-day tournament — and Abdur Rehman will have to sit on the bench, unless a main bowler needs a breather during the warm-up matches. It will be interesting to see the progress that Irfan, Junaid and Ehsan have made under the guidance of legendary Wasim Akram.

The team has started off well by winning the first leg of the tour i.e. the two-match series against Scotland, although the team missed out on some practice when the 2nd ODI was washed out. Moving on to Dublin, the team management needs to guarantee that these matches are utilised to give an extended run to the first-choice XI rather than in experimentation. This will not only allow the players to gel as a unit but will also make them more aware about their specific roles in the line-up.

(As it appeared in ‘Dawn’ on 22nd May 2013)

Pakistani batting lineup: Untamed and untrained

Following the South Africa debacle, Pakistani batting has once again come under microscopic scrutiny. This, however, is not the first time the national team’s batting has faltered in the face of quality bowling and sporting pitches.

The experts are out to dissect the team’s batting performance; some are lamenting the absence of a specialist batting coach, some are unhappy with the team selection while others have pointed out the inadequacy of the country’s domestic cricket structure in producing world-class batsmen.

To be fair, I believe that our batting failures are a combination of all of the above, and more. Instead of going for quick fixes, the cricket administrators need to conduct a thorough study in order to identify the factors contributing to the team’s dismal batting and then devise a comprehensive plan to counter it.

Let us use this space to try and broadly understand the reasons behind the regular failures of Pakistani batsmen at the international level.

To start with, the youngsters at school and college level are brought up on a continuous diet of limited-overs cricket; a format not conducive to developing techniques. There are hardly any two-day matches taking place at school and college levels nowadays which means that these boys are not learning how to spend long hours at the crease to build their innings. Even club matches are getting shorter by the day as we see the various 20-20 leagues mushrooming all over the country.

Furthermore, the pitches used at the domestic level do nothing to hone the skills of talented batsmen. Paucity of grounds means that pitches in Pakistan get overused leaving most of them lifeless. The bowlers typically have it tough but the batsmen find it easy especially considering the fact that hectic international schedules and a general lack of respect for domestic cricket prevent the cream of our nation’s bowlers from taking part in these competitions; however, these same batsmen struggle as soon as they are brought out of their comfort zone.

Also, there are too many teams taking part at the domestic level which results in a lot of mediocre players finding their way in and this automatically brings the standard of cricket down. In addition, there is no effort from the administrators to create awareness about these games among local fans.

To make matters worse, there is no consistency in the format as a new one is introduced each year leaving even the diehard followers of the game clueless. All of this results in making these events irrelevant to the normal cricket fan and that is the precise reason we see domestic matches – barring the T20s – being played in front of empty stands.

In such a scenario, even the players find it hard to motivate themselves. As a consequence, they tend to freeze when, all of a sudden, they find themselves in front of packed houses at the international level.

Coming to the national team, the selection policy leaves a lot to be desired as the selectors seem to pick youngsters on the basis of talent rather than temperament.

Players performing consistently well at the domestic level are often overlooked in favour of attractive stroke makers having mediocre averages. In fact – over the past few years – a few of them have even been entrusted with the captaincy of the team as reward for their below par performances. Such moves only serve to promote mediocrity as the genuinely hardworking players no longer feel the need to go that extra mile and improve the quality of their own game.

The fact that many of the Pakistani batsmen are good enough to make 30s and 40s suggest that technique might not be as big an issue as their temperament.

Moreover, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) needs to work on multiple fronts. At the grassroots level, it has to patronise and promote two-day and three-day matches that can provide the environment necessary for youngsters to develop their techniques.

It also needs to enhance the standard of domestic cricket by reducing the number of teams thus allowing only high-quality cricketers to play at this level. A standard and workable format has to be chalked out and these competitions have to be marketed to the general public.

This will enable fans to become more involved thereby bringing the desired level of intensity to these competitions. This will also result in players being motivated to look beyond their personal milestones.

Consistent performances over a period of time should be the sole criterion for selection in the national team. A raw youngster handpicked on the basis of talent alone tends to lose his appetite to work harder. He should be allowed to perform in match situations over a period of at least two to three years before being drafted into the national squad. This will make him value his place in the team even more.

PCB’s move to prepare ‘English-style’ pitches in preparation for the Champions Trophy might prove to be an effective tactical move; however, in order to ensure continual results, it should be made mandatory for every team competing at the domestic level to have its own ground and maintain sporting pitches.

With the national team playing non-stop cricket round the year, it is not a bad idea to acquire the services of a competent batting coach on a permanent basis as he can help the batsmen make necessary adjustments according to the changing surfaces and conditions.

At the same time, the PCB should encourage batsmen to spend a few months (each year) playing county cricket in England.

Despite the limitations of the system, Pakistan has produced some world-class batsmen over the years; hence, there is sufficient evidence to suggest that a concerted effort to raise the level of this particular aspect of the game can help Pakistan achieve sustained excellence at the international level.

(As it appeared in ‘Express Tribune Blogs’ on 9th April 2013)

Fielding, batting order problems hurt Pakistan badly in SA ODIs

Pakistan went down at Benoni and in the process ensured that they kept their record of not winning a single bilateral One-day International series against South Africa intact. However, unlike the Test series, Pakistan did put up a fight in the ODIs and at least took it to the decider.

Broadly speaking, there are two aspects that contributed the most towards the defeat; fielding and the team’s batting order. It should be noted that more than anything else, it was the fielding that brought South Africa back into the game in the fifth and final ODI.

Kamran Akmal and Younis Khan were looking comfortable at the crease before their outings were cut short by two brilliant catches, the first one by Ryan McLaren and the second by Hashim Amla.

Incidentally, the same two players were the culprits when Pakistan took the field. Things might have been different had Younis not dropped a straight forward slip catch of the in-form A.B. de Villiers and Kamran not missed a stumping chance when Saeed Ajmal had dragged the prolific Hashim Amla out of his crease.

Having talked about fielding, it has to be conceded that it cannot be improved overnight. The habits are developed from a young age and hence there is no short-term solution. Pakistan can only come up to world-class level if time and money are invested at the grassroots level. It is therefore more practical to talk about the other aspect that contributed to the loss i.e. the batting order as this is something that can be dealt with in the short term.

To start with, Pakistan fielded a weak opening combination. An inexperienced Nasir Jamshed and a technically ill-equipped Mohammad Hafeez was a sure shot recipe for disaster against such a quality opposition. It was imperative to choose a strong and experienced hand to partner Nasir who could not only hold his own against Steyn and company but could also guide the
talented youngster on his first tour outside the subcontinent.

Kamran’s elevation to the one-down position was also ill-advised. It has to be understood that the era of pinch-hitters is over and it is important to build a solid platform in the initial overs through reliable batsmen. Despite his numerous batting heroics, Kamran is not a specialist batsman; in fact, his ODI record over the past couple of years has been dismal. His promotion meant Pakistan had their middle order exposed early in almost all the matches.

Shoaib Malik’s selection in the XI purely as a batsman also made the line-up look brittle. Malik is an excellent fielder but his selection at number six in the XI would have made sense only if he was also asked to bowl.

Afridi showed his big hitting prowess in the third ODI but was a failure otherwise. He could not score runs when they were needed and he got dismissed at crucial junctures. To make matters worse, there was no all-rounder in the batting order following Afridi which practically meant that Pakistan’s tail started from number 7.

It is a fact that most of Pakistan’s big totals over the past decade or so have been based on a steady rather than swashbuckling opening combination, a solid middle order capable of rotating the strike during the middle overs and an explosive lower middle order that can take apart any bowling attack in the slog overs.

It is evident that out of Afridi, Malik and Hafeez, the team can only afford to play two at a time. With Afridi desperately out of form both with the leather and the willow, the selectors seem to have an easy job; however, it is high time that Hafeez
repositions himself as a bowling all-rounder and pushes himself down the batting order.

Being the vice-captain of the team, he has to set an example and inspire his other team members which he is clearly not capable of doing while batting at the top. He is a tidy bowler who can show the way through his bowling and he has more chances of succeeding as a middle-order batsman when the ball has lost its shine. In fact, in this role he can even be a worthy replacement for the out-of-form Afridi.

As far as Kamran is concerned, Pakistan need his firepower in the slog overs rather than as a pinch-hitter and therefore he should also be slotted in the lower order. A hard-hitting all-rounder in the mould of Abdul Razzaq is also needed at number eight to give a strong finish to the innings. Wahab Riaz can hit a few but he is not a certain starter in the XI.

The next big ODI assignment for Pakistan is the ICC Champions Trophy.

The conditions in England assist swing bowling hence it is imperative that Pakistan gets its batting order right. A stable opening combination, an in-form middle order comprising specialist batsmen and an aggressive lower order can help Pakistan post competitive totals.

Pakistan’s bowling appears to be in safe hands but the fielding standards are not expected to improve anytime soon, hence an additional 25-30 runs with the bat will surely come in handy.

(As it appeared in ‘Dawn’ on 31st March 2013)

There was a reason why we were unbeatable under Imran Khan

Watching the Pakistani team turning it on against the Springboks at Centurion, my memory took me back in time.

As a cricket enthusiast who had just entered his teens, there was nothing more joyful than watching a Pakistani cricket team – led by the great Imran Khan – regularly punching above its weight. Speaking about Imran, we often talk in terms of his charisma, his extraordinary prowess as a genuine fast bowler, his amazing feats as a world-class all-rounder, his exemplary work ethic, remarkable fitness, astute leadership and of course his uncanny ability to spot and nurture young talent.

However, what is often not mentioned is his undeniable role in single-handedly changing the overall psyche of a cricketing nation; its character and its image. We never discuss his part in inspiring a whole generation of cricketers who would carry his heritage for years even after the great man had made his swansong. Those of us fortunate enough to have witnessed the Pakistani team of the late 80s and early 90s – aptly remembered as ‘Imran’s Tigers’ – know what I’m talking about.

Led by a warrior, this team was not the most talented one to have represented Pakistan, but the brash, fiery bunch of proud youngsters displayed the kind of courage, passion and a never-say-die attitude that not only made them a darling of the Pakistani cricket fans but also made them the hot favourite of spectators all over the world. They wore their emotions on their sleeves, looked the opposition in the eye and most importantly, believed in themselves.

The memory of Salim Malik coming out to bat against Malcolm Marshall with his arm wrapped in plaster has become part of the folklore and define what the Pakistani team of that period stood for. To a large extent, this fearlessness was also responsible for much of the team’s successes during that period as Pakistan conquered England and India on their territories apart from holding the mighty West Indians – arguably the greatest team to have played the game – to three straight stalemates. The team defeated Australia, won two Australasia Cups, a mini-World Cup in India and of course the big one; the World Cup in 1992; however, it wasn’t simply the results but the way these results were achieved that made Pakistan one of the most thrilling teams to watch on the circuit.

Such was Imran’s legacy that the team did not lose its disposition even after the great man had bid adieu to the world of cricket. The team of the 90s will be remembered as one of the most vibrant and attractive units to have ever represented Pakistan.

Even though Imran was no longer around, the crowds loved to watch this team play, the commentators would marvel at their exploits while the opposition had no choice but to admire their abilities.

Inevitably, absence of a strong leader coupled with lack of direction from the helm led the players to go astray.

Controversies of all sorts ranging from ball-tampering to match-fixing and from drugs to infighting started becoming synonymous with the team. To its credit, the team remained competitive on the field but words such as mercurial and volatile got added to the team’s description.

The administrators –who had the responsibility to get things right – failed miserably in their job; instead of channeling all this energy in the right direction, the men at the top chose the easy way out and decided to get rid of all those who they thought were part of the problem.

Thus, a whole generation of exciting, passionate individuals had their careers brutally cut short one-by-one.

The players who replaced the old guard were warned not to indulge in any misadventure lest their careers would also suffer the same fate. As a result, the new breed of youngsters was forced to adopt an approach that was extremely cautious, in fact bordered on lackluster.

Consequently, the Pakistani team slowly but surely started to lose its appeal; style gave way to ineptness and things reached a stage where the system would automatically jettison anyone who would pose even the slightest of challenge to mediocrity. This is the precise reason why a temperamental Shoaib Akhtar was such a misfit into a Pakistani team of this modern era.

Barring few exceptions, the current crop of youngsters representing the national team is in no way less talented than their predecessors; however, it is the body language that is in stark contrast to what it was only a decade back.

Where once we had the firebrand duo of Saeed Anwar and Aamer Sohail walking out to bat with their collars standing up looking like men on a mission, we now have to contend with the nervous-looking Mohammad Hafeez, Imran Farhat and the like, pushing and prodding rather than driving and pulling, unless of course it’s a low-pressure match in the shorter format of the game and the stakes are not as high.

Where once we had the two Ws, we now have Umar Gul as our pace spearhead who – despite being a capable bowler and a destructive one in T20 – simply doesn’t have the persona to intimidate the opposing batsmen.

Where once we had a Miandad egging on the fielding side, we now have Azhar Ali, Shoaib Malik and Asad Shafiq – all fine batsman – but who would avoid eye contact and look the other way in the face of verbal abuse. We have got a captain in Misbahul Haq whose body language does not inspire confidence, who looks tentative rather than assured at the crease.

Regardless of the results which have more or less been satisfactory, this defensive attitude has made Pakistan team a dull, unattractive outfit, much like a bland New Zealand team or a pre-Ganguly Indian side. The phenomenon of setting an intimidating tone right from the beginning has been replaced by a preference to protect and preserve, especially when it comes to as big a match as say an India-Pakistan encounter in a world championship.

No wonder the bigger teams no longer look forward to playing against Pakistan.

If Pakistan Cricket is to rediscover the aura, the old magic – something similar to the team displayed at Centurion – the players will have to evoke the same kind of flair that made their predecessors the biggest draw-cards in the cricketing world and made them one of the most eye-catching units to watch on this planet.

We do not merely want to see ‘talented, well-behaved, decent ambassadors’ of the country stepping out on to the field; we do not want this “we’re-here-to-make-friends” approach killing the sheer joy of watching a Pakistani team play.

We want aggression, hostility, fire in our players – qualities that characterised the nation’s cricket.

We don’t want to see our players applauding the rival players on the field; we want a furious rather than a smiling Younis Khan walking back to the pavilion; we want a Shahid Afridi who would whack the ball over midwicket rather than going for a cheeky paddle sweep over fine leg, a Junaid Khan who would rely on raw pace rather than line and length.

Agreed, we can do without the bare-chested, shirt-wagging celebrations and the foulmouthed send-offs; but a certain degree of unruliness – something that the Imran’s Tigers were known for – is necessary.

A few carefully chosen words from our faster men, a spine-chilling stare from our openers and an imposing demeanour from the captain can go a long way in restoring the irresistible, unstoppable brand that team Pakistan once used to be.

(As it appeared in ‘Express Tribune Blogs’ on 9th March 2013)

New and improved Quaid Trophy format still not having the desired impact

ANOTHER edition of Pakistan’s flagship Quaid-i-Azam Trophy first-class competition came to a conclusion with Karachi Blues and Faisalabad emerging as deserving winners of the Super Eight and Six Bottom Teams Leagues respectively.

The 14-team competition offered some thrilling matches and some excellent individual performances. The selectors must have spotted a good number of youngsters who can serve the national team in the years to come.

As has now become customary, this year’s tournament was yet again played under a brand new format. The original 14 teams were divided into two pools of seven, with top four teams from each group progressing to the Super Eight with the remaining six playing in the Six Bottom Teams. The toppers then contested their respective league finals.

While the tournament was an improvement on the last year’s version in the sense that it only accommodated the regional teams, there are certain aspects which — if addressed — can make it much more competitive and attractive.

To start with, the premier tournament was conspicuous by the limited participation of big stars. Admittedly, the national team was involved in a Test series against South Africa for much of duration of the tournament; however, there was a window of around 20 days between the team’s last One-day International (ODI) in India and the side match against the South African Invitation XI which means that players such as Misbah-ul-Haq, Mohammad Hafeez, Umar Gul, Saeed Ajmal, Azhar Ali and Junaid Khan could have played at least a couple of rounds of the Quaid-i-Azam Trophy.

Of course, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB)’s decision to restrict the number of departmental players appearing for their regions also did not help the cause. Having conceded that, even players not selected for the South African tour were irregular with their appearances.

Sohail Tanvir — captain of Rawalpindi — chose to leave the tournament during its latter stages and flew off to South Africa to take part in a Twenty20 league. This has been a problem for some years now; the big stars typically do not mind skipping the regional matches.

Another factor that prevented some big players to represent their regional sides was the PCB’s decision to send as many as 18 players to South Africa.

With so many batsmen, there was no way Faisal Iqbal was going to get a game on tour. Similarly, Rahat Ali and Tanvir Ahmed were rushed to South Africa although the squad already had Ehsan Adil as a backup.

Then there was the usual lack of hype and awareness among the general public. Considering the fact that this is the platform which serves as the steppingstone for the youngsters to get to the highest league, the fans’ interest was minimal.

The Tier-I final was the only match that was televised live. Even at the local level, there was no effort by the respective Regions to create knowledge about the competition, attract crowds to the stadium and acknowledge the performances of their local heroes.

Another worrisome feature of the tournament was the inconsistent spread of matches. For example, Rawalpindi and Faisalabad played only one out of their seven first-round fixtures on home soil whereas Hyderabad played three and Multan played as many as four out of their seven first-round matches in Multan.

Plenty of matches were also played on neutral territories such as Mirpur and Gujrat. Ideally, the format should be such that teams play each other twice — once home and once away.

The organisers might be reluctant to do this as this can increase the number of matches but one way of managing it is to reduce the number of teams taking part in the prestigious competition.

The starting point can be to limit Karachi and Lahore to field only one team each. The two cities might be the nurseries of cricketing talent in the country but the results at the domestic level over the past few years suggest that these teams have not really lived up to that reputation.

Karachi Blues did win this year’s Super Eights Competition but the remaining three outfits finished behind Islamabad and Rawalpindi in the first round and it was Sialkot who ended up playing the final against the eventual champions.

It has to be understood that the objective of domestic first-class competitions is not to provide opportunities to maximum number of players; rather, it has to serve as a forum which can prepare competent, battle-hardened cricketers for the national team.

Equally, it also has to be a place where an out-of-form or out-of-favour international player can return in order to regain his confidence and sort out his shortcomings. For this to happen, the domestic cricket has got to be extremely competitive and this can only happen if only a limited number of high-quality players are allowed to participate at this level.

Going forward, it is imperative that a standard format is worked out keeping in mind all factors and is then followed in the coming years. The format should make every team play against all opposition on home and away basis thereby giving it a fair chance to excel. This will not only make this competition relevant for the players but will also allow the fans to get behind their local teams.

Needless to say, the nature of pitches should be such that the upcoming youngsters get equipped to deal with all types of conditions at home and abroad.

Last but not least, if the authorities are serious in enhancing the profile of this championship, they will have to hire professionals who would make sure that these matches are marketed to the general public.

This is especially important in a scenario where international cricket is not taking place in Pakistan.

(As it appeared in ‘Dawn’ on 6th March 2013)

Pakistan versus South Africa: Plenty to learn still

Despite promising much, the Pakistani cricket team could deliver little against the South African juggernaut.

It was a sound thrashing and a reminder that despite their resurgence over the past couple of years, the tourists have still got plenty to learn.

A number of things went wrong for Pakistan right from the beginning.

Starting with team selection, Rahat Ali – who was only sent as reinforcement – was chosen ahead of the first-choice Mohammad Irfan and Ehsan Adil. Regardless of the fact that his bowling was mostly ineffective, it is the manner of his selection that should raise serious questions.

Irfan and Ehsan Adil must be wondering why they were even selected in the first place!

Graeme Smith’s decision to bat first in bowler-friendly conditions had given Pakistan a huge opportunity to run through the hosts’ strong batting line-up; however, Umar Gul, Junaid Khan and Rahat all failed to exploit the conditions to their advantage.

Gul and Junaid did pick up a couple of wickets each, but they could have picked up more had they bowled to a fuller length thereby allowing the ball to move in the air – something that Dale Steyn did to good effect.

Pakistan still did well to restrict the Proteas to 253, thanks to a magical spell by Mohammad Hafeez.

A great deal was expected of Pakistan’s batting line-up which has certainly displayed plenty of resolve over the past two and a half years coupled with a willingness to stay at the pitch for long hours; however, South African bowling was perhaps too fiery for them to handle. Their dismal performance once again exposed the inadequacy of Pakistan’s domestic cricket and of course the inexperience of the touring batsmen who simply had no answers to the probing line bowled by Dale Steyn and Co.

By the time the South Africans went out to bat the second time around, the pitch had eased out. With rain being a possibility over the next two days, the need of the hour was to stifle the batsmen for runs and in the process try and delay the declaration; however, the bowlers seemed to have lost all the venom and continued to concede easy runs. Even the otherwise-wily Saeed Ajmal looked extremely flat.

As a result, South African batsmen scored at more than four runs per over and gave their bowlers ample time to dismiss Pakistan for the second time.

Pakistani batsmen did fare better with the bat in their second outing but the performances are largely irrelevant considering the fact that it was already a lost cause.

The half-century notched up by the talented Asad Shafiq might encourage a few but his actual temperament will be tested in pressure situations.

The real disappointment for Pakistan was the experienced Younis Khan.

Despite having a modest record in South Africa, he was expected to lead the young batting line-up by example; sadly, the veteran failed to put his hand up when it was most needed.

There were a few positives as well; Sarfraz Ahmed was a refreshing change behind the stumps as he – in stark contrast to the fumbling and faltering Akmal senior – looked extremely tidy and safe. He could not perform with the bat but his exploits at the domestic level suggest that he will come well sooner rather than later. Nasir Jamshed looked at ease for as long as he was at the crease.

Lastly, Pakistan’s catching – which has so often been a cause of embarrassment – was excellent in this Test match.

Despite the beating, Pakistan should not lose heart; they are not the only team to have been shot out for under-50 in recent times. The Australians were gunned down for 47 just over a year ago and the Kiwis were skittled out for a measly 45 only last month.

The team has availed the opportunity to get some confidence back against the Western Province Invitation XI before the 2nd Test starts in Cape Town; however, it has to be realised that even batsmen as celebrated as Inzamamul Haq, Mohammad Yousuf and Saeed Anwar have failed to excel in such alien conditions and hence the only way Pakistan can compete in this series is through its bowling.

It should also be kept in mind that the likes of Umar Gul and Junaid Khan do not possess the fearsome pace of a Shoaib Akhtar or a Waqar Younis hence it would be unwise for them to try and blow away the South African batsmen; rather, it would be better if they can focus on maintaining an impeccable line and length and cutting down on loose deliveries forcing the hosts’ batsmen to make mistakes.

Saeed Ajmal is perhaps struggling to come out of his limited-over mode; he should bear in mind that historically, the South Africans have been suspect against quality spin and therefore if he can change his line of attack from around-the-wicket to over-the-wicket and manage to add a bit of flight to his deliveries, he can actually be the trump card that Pakistan is looking for.

Coming to the umpiring, this Test match was a bad advertisement for the Decision Review System (DRS). The decision-making on referrals was extremely inconsistent, in fact bordered on outrageous.

The International Cricket Council (ICC) would do well to take immediate notice if it wishes to make DRS a permanent feature in international matches.

(as it appeared in ‘Express Tribune Blogs’ on 7th February 2013)

PCB’s stance against BCB is clear case of cricketing politics

Anyone following the cricketing affairs of the subcontinent over the past decade or so will agree that the cricket boards have got their priorities horribly wrong. Irrespective of the fact that one of them is a World Cup champion, another one has played two successive World Cup finals and the third one has qualified for the semi-final each time the World Twenty20 has been played, it is clear that cricketing politics rather than a genuine concern for the health of the game has been the guiding force.

The latest episode in this regard is the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB)’s refusal to grant no objection certificate (NOC) to its players that would allow them to participate in the 2nd edition of the Bangladesh Premiere League (BPL). Regardless of PCB’s official stance that the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) has not followed the protocol, it is obvious that the actual reason behind PCB’s action is the BCB’s refusal to give a solid commitment to the PCB regarding their cricket team’s tour to Pakistan. In fact, this specific issue has assumed such importance that the relations between the two cricket boards — which have been extremely cordial since the 1980s — are turning sour.

It must be remembered that the PCB played an important role in enabling Bangladesh to gain the coveted Test status. Similarly, the PCB supported the candidacy of Bangladesh’s Mustafa Kamal for the post of International Cricket Council (ICC) vice-presidency. Just last year, the PCB released its top players for participation in the BPL’s first edition. Keeping this background in mind, the PCB perhaps feels that the BCB has a duty to oblige the PCB at this time and that it has every right to react if the BCB does not do so.

The current situation is a confirmation that decisions based on reasons other than cricket can bring consequences that can have negative repercussions. It is no secret that the support that came from the cricket boards of the subcontinent for Bangladesh getting Test status was not based on their cricketing credentials, as is evident from their progress over the course of this period; rather, it was motivated by the fact that the so-called ‘Asian bloc’ will have an extra vote at the ICC. The fact that this extra vote has not yet been utilised to bring about any constructive development is a different matter altogether.

Similarly, the decision to side with Mustafa Kamal in his efforts to become the vice president of the ICC again cannot be justified in cricketing terms. Despite having remained president of the BCB, there wasn’t any significant progress witnessed as far as the self-proclaimed Tigers’ results at the international level are concerned. It is clear that the cricket administrators of the
subcontinent wanted their ‘own’ man at the helm rather than the ‘most suitable’ candidate.

It is fair to say that the much publicised ‘Asian bloc’ has as yet not done anything worthwhile to enhance the overall health of the game. The PCB — in its own capacity — has miserably failed to play a constructive part.

Following India’s refusal to tour Pakistan after the Mumbai attacks, the PCB convinced the Sri Lankan team to come and play in Pakistan in 2009. Similar to what the PCB is doing at present in the case of Bangladesh, the Sri Lankans were also reminded about how Pakistan helped them when the Australians and the West Indians had refused to tour the war torn island nation
during World Cup 1996; however, what transpired during that 2009 Sri Lankan tour is something that will be noted in the annals of Pakistan cricket as the saddest episode that has ever happened. The Sri Lankan team was attacked by gunmen and they were lucky to escape only with bullet wounds. This was despite the assurances of state-level security that were promised to them by the PCB.

With such a bloody history and a tale of false promises, how can the PCB expect any cricket board — let alone the BCB — to trust them? Even if the BCB decides to oblige them, will it be fair to the Bangladeshi cricketers to force them to come to a country where there are genuine security threats? Can they be expected to give their hundred per cent in such an uncertain situation? Also, the cricket tour to any country is not just about playing cricket.

It is also about stepping out of the five-star hotels, getting away from the gun toting security personnel, witnessing the culture and interacting with local people. It is understandable that the people of Pakistan desperately want international cricket to return to Pakistan and the PCB chief sees it as an opportunity to win their hearts; however, being in a position of responsibility, he will have to practice a bit of restraint.

Law and order situation of the country has surely not improved in comparison to 2009 and hence pressurising foreign teams to tour Pakistan at this time is not doing anything to enhance PCB’s credibility.

The general elections are just around the corner and therefore a wiser approach would be to wait for the situation to settle down and then devise a sensible course of action.

(as it appeared in ‘Dawn’ on 23rd January 2013)

PCB should not be apologetic in revival of Indo-Pak contests

The chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Zaka Ashraf has received heaps of praise for his untiring efforts that have resulted in the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) finally acceding to PCB’s requests to resume bilateral contests. The two countries are scheduled to meet each other in India for a series of limited-overs matches in December-January.

The achievement says a lot about the doggedness and perseverance of the chairman and shows that he has the ability to make things happen once he puts his mind to it. There is also no doubt about the fact that an Indo-Pak series brings unparalleled excitement on both sides of the border; nonetheless, there has to be a vision, a long-term objective associated with bringing the two sides together at this point in time.

What exactly is it that the PCB expects to achieve out of this initiative? It will surely bring smiles to a lot of faces, but for how long? Will it ensure that the BCCI will not sever the cricketing ties again if any untoward incident happens in future?

The chairman of the PCB must surely know better than an ordinary cricket fan who only thinks short-term and just wants to see India and Pakistan play against each other regardless of the context or the consequences.

Talking about context, an India-Pakistan series has often been touted as the fiercest rivalry in cricket — even bigger than the Ashes; however, it should be noted that Australia and England never come across each other in random limited-overs matches.

They would either play a proper series comprising of Test matches, ODIs and T20Is — that too after a gap of two years — or would come up against each other in traditional formats such as the World Cup, Champions Trophy, World T20 or the World Series Cup.

In this case, it would have been better if the two cricket boards had decided to schedule a proper series at a suitable time instead of agreeing to play a hastily-arranged series of ODIs and T20Is. Going forward, the two boards should agree to make such a series a regular feature of their international calendar which can take place after every 2-3 years irrespective of the political situation between them. Such a series can perhaps be called the ‘Peace Cup’, ‘Indus Trophy’, ‘Kashmir Championship’ or any other name deemed appropriate.

At a time when the ICC is trying desperately to eliminate unnecessary limited-overs contests and prevent player burnout, such a series might not be able to find favour with them.

In any matter of mutual concern, the most effective problem solving technique is to negotiate. The PCB chairman has done well in this regard and has managed to break the deadlock in Indo-Pak cricketing relations; however, by going out of its way to convince the BCCI and by pushing for the cause through diplomatic channels, he has just made the PCB look a tad apologetic for something that is not its fault. In doing so, it has given the impression that the Indians can somehow dictate its terms on matters of common interest.

It should have been kept in mind that it is not the first time that the cricketing ties between the two countries are suspended.

India and Pakistan did not play any cricket between 1962 and 1977 in the aftermath of political tensions that led to two bloody wars between the neighbours in 1965 and 1971. The 1999 conflict in Kargil once again forced the arch-rivals to cut cricketing ties with each other for a period of five years. This time around, the cricketing ties between the two countries were severed unilaterally by India and that too against Pakistan’s wishes.

In fact, India was scheduled to tour Pakistan in early 2009 for a return Test tour but the November 2008 terror attacks in Mumbai forced them to cancel that tour and suspend all two-way cricketing ties with Pakistan. Hence logically, the onus should have been on the BCCI to resume the bilateral relations, and not the PCB.

Even if the interest of the fans is at the heart of this initiative, it would have been better if he had convinced the BCCI to send the Indian team to Pakistan rather than agreeing to send his own team to India. After all, it is India’s turn to tour Pakistan and not the other way round. India’s security concerns are genuine and hence the series could have been scheduled in the UAE.

Despite all these abnormalities, the upcoming series promises to be a thrilling one.

Zaka would surely hope that it is the beginning of a healthy and prosperous cricketing relationship between the two countries.

But in order to ensure that, he will have to go a step further and look for a permanent solution which can serve to separate politics from sports and ensure that the normal business continues regardless of any unpleasant incident on either side.

(as it appeared in ‘Dawn’ on 6th December 2012)

Cricket administrators required to look beyond short-term glory

Plenty of excitement prevails each time a global cricket event is held under the aegis of the International Cricket Council (ICC), be it the World Cup held every four years or the World Twenty20 Championship organised on a biennial basis.

The fans mark the dates the Pakistan team is scheduled to play on, the advertisers customize their campaigns according to the occasion, the musicians come up with patriotic compositions, the religious ones arrange special prayers for the team’s victory and the bookies bet millions of rupees on the results.

While it is understandable for the fans and the advertisers to attach so much importance to such events, the same is not expected from the cricket administrators whose main responsibility is to ensure the overall health of this game in the country.

Unfortunately, over the past few years, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has looked more interested in succeeding in these extravaganzas at the expense of sustained success over a consistent period of time.

No sooner does a World Cup end, the process of axing the aging but experienced stalwarts and premature induction of youngsters begins. Losses in important bilateral encounters are accepted with an understanding that it is all part of the ‘rebuilding’ phase leading up to the next World Cup. All of this points towards the PCB’s preference for bringing these trophies home rather than a commitment towards improving the team’s overall ranking in world cricket.

The question is: just how important is it to succeed in these tournaments if looked in isolation? Does victory in a World Cup or a World T20 Championship signify a shift of power in world cricket? Does it mean that the winning team is above all its contemporaries? Does it mean that the winning team is the most consistent in world cricket? Does it mean that the country has a proper cricketing infrastructure in place? Does it mean that the country’s cricket is in responsible hands?

Pakistan’s victory at the 1992 World Cup has undoubtedly remained the proudest moment in country’s cricketing history.

There is a common perception that more than the team’s efforts, it was the fate that conspired to bring victory for the team; However, the truth is that under Imran Khan’s astute leadership, the team had performed exceptionally well over the preceding five years or so.

They had won bilateral series in India, England and against Australia at home. They had drawn against the mighty West Indians and were the only team of that era who could give them a run for their money.

Pakistan had also won an Australasia Cup and a mini World Cup in India leading up to the World Cup. Hence Pakistan’s victory in the 1992 World Cup was not a fluke; rather, it was a logical culmination of the team’s efforts during all the years preceding the
World Cup.

The same cannot be said about the Pakistani teams that have competed in world events eversince. Despite being talented outfits, the teams of 1996 and 1999 could never quite manage to clear the cloud of corruption hanging over them.

The team of 2003 was an aging team of superstars which was known to be plagued by infighting. Team of 2007 was a mediocre one and had arrived at the World Cup fresh from a demoralising defeat in South Africa. The team of 2011 was an unsure one which didn’t even know who its captain was till 10 days before the World Cup.

Even though Pakistan team has done well at the World T20 Championships over the past five years, it is evident that things are not well at the domestic front with an uncertain captain at the helm, a chairman who seems more desperate to resume bilateral cricketing ties with India rather than bringing about reforms in the structure and players who enjoy the colourful T20 leagues around the world more than they enjoy playing Test cricket for the country.

It should be noticed that the Sri Lankan team of 1996 was a team that was on the rise and had defeated a strong Pakistan side on their home soil just before the World Cup.

Similarly, the Australian team that completed a hat-trick of World Cups between 1999 and 2007 was probably the strongest team ever to have played the game. And the Indian team of 2011 was at the top of the ICC rankings going into the World Cup.

It is high time that administrators running the affairs of cricket in this country understand that improving the cricketing infrastructure and making domestic cricket more competitive are the only ways to ensure a consistent performance from the national team — not only in world tournaments but also during the years separating such tournaments.

Success at a World Cup as a consequence of this hard work will be that much sweeter and legitimate.

(As it appeared in ‘Dawn’ on 21st Oct 2012)

World T20 2012 – Hosts will be tested against stronger opposition

Poor fielding by a listless Zimbabwe side made Sri Lankan batting appear extremely formidable on a not-so-easy Hambantota pitch. Two dropped catches and a few mishaps in the field including a missed run out opportunity allowed the islanders to rack up a mammoth 182 in the allotted 20 overs. Mahela Jayawardene’s decision to send Jeevan Mendis ahead of Angelo Matthews and Thisara Perea also meant that he read the conditions better than most of the experts who had predicted a pitch favouring seam bowlers. Jeevan Mendis plays with a straight bat and did extremely well to continuously rotate the strike in the company of Kumar Sangakkara.

Ajantha Mendis made a remarkable comeback and recorded the best-ever bowling figures in T20 Internationals by bettering his own best of 6-18; however, he will be tested against better opposition and on a different pitch. On an overall basis, the Sri Lankan bowling does look potent in the presence of Lasith Malinga, Nuwan Kulasekera with veteran Rangana Herath and the exciting new comer Akila Dananjaya waiting for their opportunity.

Zimbabwe’s batsmen were never going to last the distance against Mendis & Co. and therefore Brendan Taylor’s decision to put Sri Lanka in after winning the toss only served to ensure that the hosts’ batsmen got an excellent opportunity to spend some time in the middle.