Will this be Ponting’s last year?
The vultures are circling and Ponting can hear them clearly. He knows that if he lies down now, they will surely tear his flesh apart. Critics have been calling for his head for some time and he knows he hasn’t been able to shut them up. Potential successors to his spot in the team have been putting up their hands with notable performances and it only seems to be a matter of time before he will be shown the door. Unless, he comes up with a performance that only Ponting is capable of. There used to be a time when ...
Read Full PostTainted trio: Getting what they deserve
No matter how hard Pakistan tries, controversy seems to dog its footsteps. It was a historic day for cricket as a major judgement came forth regarding the spot-fixing scandal. The verdict: Salman Butt and Muhammad Asif have been sentenced to 30 months and one year in jail respectively, whereas Muhammad Amir, who pleaded guilty, was sentenced to six months. The once loved cricketers were found guilty of conspiracy to cheat and conspiracy to obtain and accept corrupt payments. This is such a massive and unnecessary tragedy that an already depressed nation did not need to suffer. What is even more tragic is that the trio had tremendous ...
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Pakistan’s approach defies logic
Test cricket has been losing its edge in the day and age of T20 slam bang cricket. Who would you want to watch David Warner or Chris Gayle bludgeoning sixes or Asad Shafiq playing as though he were playing a timeless test match? It is fairly natural for all of us to look for some excitement in test matches. Pakistan had a golden opportunity to bring back the flare that it is famous for – unfortunately, Misbah and his men decided to play for a draw on a pitch that provided very little chance of allowing ten wickets to ...
Read Full PostKiwis tour: Finally, a series win!
Pakistan drew the second test against New Zealand on Wednesday and claimed their first series victory since 2006. Just when it looked like Misbahul Haq and Younus Khan would make a win or draw for New Zealand inconceivable, the demise of Younus changed the setting; he had held the innings together with a superb and confident 81 runs. But unpredictability is what makes Pakistani cricket truly delightful; the opposition always has a chance. They are rarely locked out completely, and this makes for exciting cricket. What Younus’s dismissal meant – apart from a chance at victory for New Zealand – was ...
Read Full PostSouth Africa vs India: Battle for supremacy
If India had won, lost or even drawn the series there would have been no change in the ICC Test Ranking. It would remain on top and South Africa would be number two. However, since India has never won a series in Australia, England or South Africa, the team could not truly call itself the ‘best Test side’ in the world. Hence, this series in South Africa was the unofficial Test Championship for the best test side. The series lived up to the expectations with some exhilarating cricket being played by both sides. It will be remembered for Sachin Tendulkar scoring ...
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Australia’s selection woes mount as England shines
The mauling Australia had to endure at the hands of England in the second Test of the Ashes at Adelaide has prompted wholesale changes in the squad. If Australia’s batting was a worrying sight, their bowling was lamentable to put it mildly. In fact, such is their plight in the spin department that there have been numerous calls for a comeback from legendary leg spinner Shane Warne, who is 40 years old now. England on the other hand won the Test match firing on all cylinders, and it would not be surprising if they go into the third Test, which start ...
Read Full PostAshes: Australia’s toothless bowling attack fails them
A glance back into the annals of Test cricket would reveal that Test teams or at least those of a dominant variety always had potent bowling attacks. The fearsome West Indies sides of the 70s and 80s and the all-conquering Australians of a few years ago had bowlers whose names induced fear in the hearts of batsmen all over the world. It is widely known and accepted in cricketing circles that if you do not have a line-up that is capable of bowling out the opposition twice over the course of five days then you most probably would not have ...
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Bowling with teeth
For genuine connoisseurs of pace bowling, Pakistan’s tour of England has not only been resuscitating or made for compelling, if not compulsive, viewing but, in its own unassuming manner, it has also been reassuring, given all the public concerns about fast bowlers turning into no less than “dinosaurs” or “dodos.” All three pace batteries, Australia included, have displayed an acute sense of skill, class and discipline, which underscores the very essence of fast bowling, and made for a healthy distraction from events in Sri Lanka, where getting 20 wickets against two top batting line-ups was seemingly unachievable. The context of ...
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Enough with the negativity, we won!
After fifteen long hard years and a lot of heartbreaking moments we have finally managed to cross the psychological barrier and beat Australia in a test match. How big an effect this losing streak had on the psyche of our team was evident from today’s play in Leeds. Requiring 40 runs to win with 7 wickets in hand at the start of the days play, Pakistan stuttered, stumbled, and just as memories of Sydney began flowing back, managed to cross the finish line. For a long time I have felt that no matter what the target is, be it 180 ...
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