IPL without Pakistan: Who is the real loser?
Since its inception mid-way through the last decade, Twenty20 cricket has added a new dimension to the gentlemen’s sport. This relatively new brand of cricket not only marked a certain form of revival for the sport, it also managed to expand its fan base by exploring regions of the globe that had previously shunned it because of the length of its duration. The inaugural T20 World Cup soon followed and brought the most significant twist in its otherwise steady growth. The crowning of India as the World T20 Champions marked wild celebrations back home and took Mahendra Singh Dhoni and many of his unknown men ...
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Pak vs England: Fantastic stats for Team Green
It still hasn’t sunk in that Pakistan have not only won the second Test, but also won the series; if that is how I am feeling then I can’t even begin to imagine what the critics and doubters are going through right now. Believe it or not, Pakistan are up 2-0 and the prospects of a whitewash are truer than ever. Pakistani magic against low totals This was only the second time that Pakistan successfully defended a total below 150 in a Test match. The last time this happened was against New Zealand in 1993 when Wasim and Waqar took five wickets apiece and ...
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Team Misbah did us proud
Victory against any opposition is sweet. But when you win against the world’s top Test team, it is memorable. Pakistan beating England by 72 runs last week has to go down as one of the best successes of the Pakistan cricket team. Defending just 145 against one of the best batting line ups of the world would have been a tough job in any case, but Pakistan never let England off the hook. Surprisingly, the chief destroyer was Abdur Rehman who grabbed six wickets for 25 runs in just 10.1 overs. Saeed Ajmal supported him well with three wickets for ...
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Team Pakistan: Back with a bang!
Can anything taste sweeter than victory? If you are a Pakistani fan who has gone through the spot-fixing case, the ensuing talks of banishing Pakistan from world cricket, the semi-final losses in the World T20 and World Cup 2011, clearly not. And what if that victory is against the number one side in the world? It just makes it all the more sweet. It might take a couple of days for this to settle in. Consider this- in 2010, the cricketing world was so irritated with a particular team and the board’s chairman that there were talks of throwing them ...
Read Full PostSaeed Ajmal, the doosra Saqlain
Off-spin bowling has never been as glamorous and stylish an art as leg-spin. In fact, it wasn’t long ago when off-spin wasn’t event considered an art, as every part timer could roll over his arm for an end changing spell of off-spinning lollipops. From Benaud to Qadir and Warne to Mushtaq, leg-spin was the only form of slow bowling that was considered an essential ingredient of a potent bowling unit. All that, however, changed with the emergence of a skinny young man from Lahore who not only reintroduced off-spin as a genuine threat but also added such artistry to his repertoire that his invention laid the foundation of ...
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England’s might will soon be put to the test
‘It is more difficult to stay on top than to get there.’ England are rated as the number one ICC Test team but the current series against Team Green will determine whether they truly deserve the position. This is the first time England will be playing an away Test series after gaining the top position when they humiliated India at home. By the look of things, the series is shaping up to be an exciting one for the fans of both teams. In 2011, Pakistan and England put in some dominating performances and both won six Tests each. England’s performances came against ...
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Pakistan cricket, soaring through the ranks
It wasn’t a very long time ago that words such as ‘stability’, ‘consistency’ and ‘Pakistan’ were never used in the same sentence. However, since the spot-fixing trial, it seems that the Pakistan players and the incumbents at the board have finally grown out of their primitive mind set and realised what needs to be done. The emphasis displayed on consistency in selection and backing of players has been crucial to Pakistan’s success in the one dayers and Test matches. And, of course, the fear of real jail time and extended bans seems to have worked in favour of Pakistan. Pakistan now sits comfortably ...
Read Full PostPakistan’s Test side shows promise
Last year when that dreadful News of the World (NoTW) sting named some players in a fixing scandal, many feared the death of Pakistani cricket. With international teams already refraining from touring Pakistan, allegations of corruptions almost completely isolated Pakistani cricket. As this year ends, we find Pakistan slowly, but surely, roaring its way back into the cricketing world. All credit must be given to the players who have somewhat managed to recreate the market value that was once associated with this brand of cricket. Pakistan’s form in ODIs this year has been nothing short of spectacular. With 24 wins and ...
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Team Green: Wish you all the best!
Last year in November 2010, Pakistan cricket was going through a very tough time. Already reeling under the dark clouds of spot-fixing shenanigans, a representative team lost to Afghanistan in the semi-finals of the Asian Games in China. As always, a loss in Pakistan is attributed to match-fixing while a win is credited to ‘qaum kee duayen’ (the nation’s prayers). “How can Pakistan bounce back from this low of losing talented cricketers with the cricket World Cup just a few months away?” This was the question which perturbed many Pakistani fans like me. But as they say, the sun needs to set ...
Read Full PostTest cricket: Pakistan, five for five
With the third Test between Pakistan and Sri Lanka ending in a draw, Pakistan managed to win yet another Test series under the captaincy of Misbah-ul-Haq. This is now the fifth consecutive Test series that Pakistan has played under Misbah’s leadership. This is also the fifth consecutive Test series that Pakistan has not lost. That surely must be some sort of a record. When was the last time Pakistan played five Test series without losing even a single one? With draws against South Africa and the West Indies, and wins over Sri Lanka, New Zealand, and Zimbabwe, Pakistan’s Test outfit is looking quite strong. These results ...
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