A Query for Mr. Ijaz Butt - No Visa for The Best ???

Sir

From past couple of days.0. after 3 months and a week Team Pakistan would be taking an International field, notwithstanding event's grim significance in the context of Mega India Australia clash, objectively it is very important for Pakistan to keep theirs bats knocking and balls rolling even if they are to content with the legends of Canada, Zimbabwe, and of course Sri Lanka.

Best possible XI was assembled and sent to Canada - except for one little un-plausible hitch. You forgot to board your iconic player!

I can understand that present national calamitous circumstances holds much more for the Cricketing Pundits on the resolving agenda then, say, negotiating the inclusion of your most famed star with one Canadian Embassy.

One can easily project the global hyperbole that would have been genereted if, speaking hypothetically, any precious Indian or coveted Aussie was to face any problem remote of such sorts. Nevermind, the TATAs & BIRLAs who would have flown them over in their private jets; The New World Cricket Order...

Mr. Butt, in your managerial capacity with the National Team during 80s, you were known to standby the players all along to resolve issues from the horse's mouth. Without churning any political chords don't you see Yousuf's exclusion as a first of another head of problem taking rounds for Pakistan Cricket Booard - Visa Problems for those who support a definite apparant lookout? because otherwise even players from politically excruciated Zimbabwe manage to get hold of their Visas

Spare me but Board's kneejerk press statement for Yousuf's exclusion on the pretext of belated consideration is as concrete as Team Pakistan's status quo in the World Cricket Order.

Sri Lanka Tour to Pakistan January 2009 - ODI leg

2009 brings serious cricket back for Team Pakistan and it begins tomorrow. History repeats its cycle. Back in the day it was to be Pakistan helping the talented Islanders establish their brand of cricket. Today, Sri Lanka, a respected cricket nation is reciprocating that warmth & support. I heartily acknowledge their endeavor. 

Despite their rather unexpected struggle against minnows just recently Pakistan would very soon find them to more tough of a competitor then rather modest Caribbeans. Not to mention the "M" due and not to underestimate their sort of unheralded pace battery in the absence of seasoned Vass & Freak-Malinga... 

Watchout for Jayasuriya who is cricket's curious case of benjamin button ...  & of course Pakistan pace troika...! 

Renaissance of Karachi & Cricket - 7 GMT tomorrow!

21stTenners or 19Sixties? - Cricket Pakistan Today!

Test Cricket or if I may say Cricket in Pakistan is in shambles. The glossy corporate look, the performance contracts and the scandals have biffed the fans with everything but cricket!

One cannot help but glaringly notice a Test barren 2008 for Pakistan whereas just across the border players are counting themselves “out” because of too much cricket; Team India has already participated in nine Test matches in the on-going 2008 and there are no less than six more in offing before New Year’s celebrations would begun. A total of 15 Test matches to go with 35+ ODIs and of course hosts of T20 affairs here, there, everywhere!

One line of argument will correlate Modern India’s domination over the Global-Cricketing-Scene with the amount of cricket that they play but what is to be said about the innocent Kiwis? Who spirited in eight 5-day affairs and look comfortably set to finish the year with a healthy 12 Test matches.

While the Cricket Boards are advancing in terms of qualitative quantity of Test cricket for their National Units PCB is retreating – it certainly is knee-jerk lobbying on their part which is still visible even if covered in the veneer of security concerns, disciplinary hearings & shaggy negotiations at Board level. The fact that Pakistan’s next Test assignment is scheduled to take place at the start of next year (2009) takes one as back as to 1970 to find a similar empty year for the National Team – that was the time when only four opponents were on the cricketing scene (RSA was avoided due apartheid regime & ODIs were yet to be invented) and therefore, Test-less years were pretty much a common affair with players acquainting themselves with county & league cricket to maintain the nip-tick. Fast forwarding 38 years to find the similar situation TODAY compels me to say that indeed we love our history in every regard!

In fact, author finds serious correlations of present decade with the one that precedes the year 1970 because Test Cricket or any Cricket the quality of National reservoirs’ in totality defines the direction of World Supremacy!

The Dull Sixties are defined as the lowest ebb of Team Pakistan and I certainly don’t feel any joy in apprehending that the present one (00s) isn’t much different when viewed in entirety.

Let’s analyze,

After promisingly exciting 50s where Team Pakistan stunned the Cricketing World Order by announcing their arrival with a Test victory in every series but the last one against Australia. The victorious heroics of Lucknow’52, The Oval’54, Karachi’56, & Port-of-Spain’58 spirited the juvenile nation and much bigger things were anticipated in the years to come by. However, the dawn of 60s saw the bowling stalwarts’ a-la Fazal Mehmud, Khan Muhammad & Mehmood Hussain standing in the twilight of their courageous careers and there is to be no one remotely available to succeed their prowess. Instead, spin was comparatively flourishing and the likes of Nasim-ul-Ghani, Intikhab Alam & Pervez Sajjad emerged as a lot to carry the brunt of bowling.

Ironically, Pakistan never completely played to their strengths (spin) unlike their counterparts who under the auspicious leadership of M.A.K. Pataudi were putting better shows with a troika of 3 together. In fact, the sole pace bowling success for Pakistan in the entire decade was of Asif Iqbal, who after migrating from India in the early part of the decade finished it off with 40 wickets in 17 Test matches; afar cry from 125 off 26 Tests by the Cutter & Swing Maestro Fazal
Mehmood in the previous tenner. On Team level Pakistan played some of their worst Test cricket ever by miserably losing the reputation in The Great Britain earned on the debut tour - by losing a plethora of Tests on their 2 tours to the homeland of cricket and touched nadir when beaten by New Zealand at home just before the turn of the 70’s.

History, contexts & fortunes, they say repeat themselves and I agree –SIXTIES made a return after an absence of some 30 years to usher the dawn of the New Millennium that witnessed in its nine years of existence the surrender of: Home & Away territory to India, Proud Reputation in The Great Britain, Any pride whatsoever against the Aussie Juggernauts’ & the inability to even
conquer now the defeatist of Caribbean territory; of course not to mention the humiliations of highest order in the World Cups & ICCCTs.

Alike sixties that suffered depletion in bowling reservoirs’, 00s also suffered with the exodus of a number of stars that upheld the game in the roaring nineties i.e. 2 Ws, Musthaq Ahmed & Saqlain Mushtaq all faded away either due to injuries or a call from Dr. Time. In fact none of them were in action after 2003.

To say that Pakistan didn’t found their decent replacements would be a thin statement but were the replacements’ procured & groomed with consciousness? A big flat NO! Rather they were left out to fry & dry on their own and what did they did? They did what their rather limited educational capacity allowed them to do by catching controversies of every breed from their left right & center and when handed a breather nursed their injuries, farcical at times (Shoaib’ emulating Sultan Rahi by hitting Asif with a bat). The depths of this vicious circle are news already making headlines about the attitude of latest lanky sensation Sohail Tanvir.

This decade, IMO would be best remembered with the biggest irony that Team Pakistan ever faced for being unable to field their best troika of Shoiab-Asif-Gul even once in a 5-day affair, hence, leaving their performance in that strengthened context only to conjecture.

Nevertheless, as the oft-repeated age old saying goes there’s always a light at the end of the Tunnel & I agree. The twilight of Sixties witnessed the egression of Sarfaraz Nawaz, Asif Masood, coming-of-age of Mushtaq Muhammad & Intikhab Alam that set the road alight for the entrance of first Imran Khan & then Abdul “Bao” Qadir & Iqbal Qasim to win endless laurels for the Homeland.

Similarly, even in the twilight of 00s, a bowling attack comprised of Akhtar, Asif, Gul & Kaneria can definitely see the home team restoring some of its pride when their old nemesis shall cross the border in early 2009 because bowling NOT batting had been the discipline that has witnessed the Players in Green victorious more often than not throughout the course of 56 years of Cricket Pakistan’s history.

May Allah bestow some sanity in the minds of our PCBian Gods. Amen!

One Day (Int’l) Wonderments...!

From Lancaster Park, Christchurch, on February 11, 1973 till National Stadium, Karachi, on 4 July 2008 Team Pakistan have appeared in 687 One Day Internationals same as those of Aussies and just a whisker shy of India’s 696 – this add up is and will change multiple hands between them for a while to come unless they bury ODIs which I am adamant would not happen.

In 35 years of razzmatazz of Team Pakistan & ODIs, 171 players have embraced the National Color in this form of the game – that reached its nadir in late 80’s and 90’s.However, all but 20 of them didn’t succeeded in witnessing a second National dawn in the field of One Day International Cricket. Those 20 are also the heart and soul of this piece. Let’s analyze,

Till date there have been Twenty (1) One-Day wonderments.

Nasim-ul-Ghani verses New Zealand (1973) -Slow left-armer!

Unarguably, the most famous Pakistani 1 One Day wonder and in that regard also shares the satire with no other than Sir Garfield Sobers.Nasim was a permanent member of the Team of Dull Sixties.

As Kamran Abbasi for cricinfo© profiles him:

“A bowler who never fulfilled his early promise, partly through his own failings and partly because of unfair selection. Nasim-ul-Ghani was the youngest Test cricketer at the time when he made his debut against West Indies, at only 16. His career started well but rapidly tailed off. Primarily a left-arm spinner, he could also bowl medium-pace. Flight was his main weapon. Nasim was a versatile batsman too: he opened the batting for Pakistan and also came in at No. 11. His batting ability was revealed when he came in as a nightwatchman at Lord's in 1962 and struck a century - the first by a Pakistani in England. He was assistant manager on Pakistan's 1996 tour of England. He has since had a spell as a national selector, an ICC development officer in South Asia, and a match referee.”

Ghani made his debut on the Carribean Tour of 1957-58, some 15 years before Pakistan made their entrance into the shorter version of the game. Therefore, it was theoretical that he was in the utter twilight of his career when handed an ODI Cap at Lancaster Park where he debuted with the rest of the XI. In a rather muted way he scored an eight ball 1 at #7 and was never called onto ball in the first half of the inning when Sarfaraz and rest controlled the Kiwis pretty well who though, eventually won by 22 runs.

Ghani was out of favor immediately afterwards.

Naeem Ahmed – verses England (1978) -Slow Left Armer!

One of those lucky ones i.e. Hasan Jamil, Liaqat Ali & Aamer Hameed etc... Who sneak into the National Team courtesy of a ban on Packerstanies & boarded the plane to The Great Britain in the absence of Imran Khan, Majid Khan, Zaheer Abbas, Musthaq Muhammad and Asif Iqbal. Though, on paper Naeem Ahmed barely merited his inclusion with a career accumulation of 202 wickets at an ordinary purchase of 39.43, and a wicket every 63^rd delivery sustained in 10 seasons of Domestic cricket before the England Tour.

Pakistan after losing the first of 2-ODIs Prudential Trophy, replaced Iqbal Qasim with Naeem Ahmed, a twirler from the same school at Kennington Oval, London on May 26, 1978. The poor lad toiled along a basically weak attack – coming as 3^rd change and bowling 10 overs for 43 without any threat as David Gower announced himself onto the International scene with a silkily swift inning of 114 at a SR of 93.xx in those novice days of shorter version of the game.

Curtains were immediately drawn on his International strides once the ill-fated tour was over.

Saleem Pervez - verses West Indies (1980) -Right Hand Opener!

Lahore-born opener who labored in representative cricket for no less than 22 years was strictly past his prime when handed a chance to shone at the ripe old of 33, at Lahore against the touring Caribbean Juggernauts. Though, before making his debut he only managed a handful of List A appearances and was primarily selected on the basis of his sound FC record that readed well above 4000 runs at 37.x in 13 years of FC cricket preceding his first, last and only ODI.

Pakistan, after losing the One Day Series engineered few changes and for the dead rubber on December 19, 1980 handed caps to Ijaz Faqih, Rashid Khan, Tahir Naqqash and Saleem Pervez. Miandad won the toss and put WI into bat, who in their allotted 40 overs set the home team a target of 4.27 per over to win. A formidable target in those days coupled with the misery caused by the quartet of Clarke, Croft, Garner and Marshall. Pervez, debuting at his home ground started the innings cautiously with Taslim Arif, also appearing in his debut series and garnered an opening partnership of 44 runs before that garnering was cut short by J. Garner who not only got Saleem Pervez's wicket but also sent him back to the Pavilion for ever...

For the records Pakistan lost by mere 7 runs.

Masood Iqbal verses New Zealand (1984)

– Wicketkeeper!

Sufferers of Bari’s longevity who when played his solitary ODI was few months shy of his 33^rd spring. Sadly, the above-noted cricketer demised 5 years ago, and his obituary – published by Wisden© and quoted by author is as following:

Masood Iqbal Qureshi died from kidney failure on October 31, 2003, aged 51. Known to his contemporaries as "Billa", Masood Iqbal was a controversial selection to understudy Wasim Bari as Pakistan's wicket-keeper on their 1972-73 tour of Australia and New Zealand. His batting was negligible, but he was an agile keeper and there were fewer quibbles when he went to England in 1978. "He owned the sweetest sense of timing - that was the key to his wicket-keeping," said Dr Nauman Niaz, a former cricket analyst for the PCB. By the time he played his only one-day international, though, against New Zealand at Multan in 1984- 85, he was past his best and gave away 18 byes in 35 overs. Two years later he retired after 17 years of first-class cricket for Lahore teams and for Habib Bank, where he continued to work on completing his MBA. In the 1990s he returned to cricket as an administrator, A-team tour manager, referee and selector. In 2000 he was appointed a PCB groundsman.

Shakeel Khan – verses England (1987) -Pacer!

Anand Vasu for cricinfo© profiles him as, "Tall and strong, Shakeel Khan bowled brisk medium pace for Habib Bank and was called up to play a solitary one-day international for Pakistan when Wasim Akram was injured in 1987. He played against England at the Arbab Niaz Stadium in Peshawar on November 22, 1987, and claimed the wicket of Chris Broad, clean bowled, in a nine-over spell that yielded 50 runs. He made a duck batting last as Pakistan collapsed to a 98-run loss. He was never picked to play for Pakistan again, but is still very much involved in cricket as a part of the media cell of the Pakistan Cricket Board".

Statistically, he took 258 wickets domestically in 13 Seasons.

Maqsood Rana verses Australia (1990) -Pacer!

Son of Shakoor Rana (who stood in 40 Internationals), younger brother of Mansoor Rana (who did better than the younger one by managing 2 ODI caps) and nephew of Shafqat & Azmat Rana (Test

Cricketers) never really came out of the debris of above stated names.

He made to the Touring Party to Australia, solely on Youth Cricket potential (experience of 3 FC) games and possibly unperceptible networking that handed him debut againt Australia in Pakistan’s 2^{nd League Game of B&H Cupb, on 3rd day of 1990 scoring 5 at #10 and came in first change to Wasim & Aaqib - only to be replaced by Nadeem Ghauri after 2 overs because Team was defending a meager target and were in need of wickets which didn’t came as desired, Pakistan lose and Rana was convieniently overlooked for the rest of the League and Final fixtures.}

Maqsood Rana never wore National Blazer again. Though appeared domestically for a whole succeeding decade representing National Bank of Pakistan & Regional teams, however, inconsistently.

Tanvir Mehdi – verses England (1992) – Pacer!

Lanky & skidy Lahore born Tanvir Mehdi on the back of an impressive 1991-92 domestic season, 45 wickets at 25.x was included onto the plane to the British Isles in the summer of 1992. After a couple of first class games & list A appearances’ against Sussex where he took 2/48 & 1/13 was handed ODI Cap at The Foster's Oval, Kennington, London on May 22, 1992, more so because of the absence of Wasim Akram (with a stress fracture of the left shin) and Waqar Younis (back trouble). Tanvir Mehdi, coming in as first change to Aaqib Javed & Naved Anjum had a nightmare of a game, conceding 72 off 11 mandatory overs for a solitary wicket of Neil Fairbrother – 5^th most expensive ODI analysis for a Pakistani bowler by that time!

The Lahore born quitted cricket altogether merely 18 months after his ODI debut, an age when an Englishman is getting ahead from Academy to 2^{nd Division of County Cricket.}

Irfan Bhatti – verses Zimbabwe (1993) -Medium Pacer!

After acclaiming Test Status Zimbabwe made their first ever Tour to Pakistan in the dusk of 1993, Unpredictable as they are Team Pakistan in spite of winning both Test & ODI series were rough and at times shoddy in their display on the field.

In came the dead ODI rubber at Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore on December 27, 1993 and one military medium-pacer made his debut totally out of blue – namely Irfan Ahsan Kaleem Bhatti from Peshawar. An ordinary medium pacer who up to his only International fixture have managed to appear in all of 18 domestic fixtures claiming mere 19 wickets in 4 Seasons. Though, in the on-going 1993-94 Season he was one of the better performers with 14 wickets at 14.x in seven List A appearance that probably earned him an International cap to savor; in a dead game where nothing except National Pride of losing to an utter minnow was at stake. It is also noteworthy to mention that the debutant also turnout for Bank of Khayber XI just before the ODI against the same opponents with muted figures of none for 54.

On Bhatti’s day in sun he opened the bowling with certain Wasim Akram and surpassed him in that moment by claiming both openers and ended the day with the satisfaction that he had the best figures for a seamer on either side: 8-0-22-2 Nonetheless, with Pakistan blessed with a barrage of speedsters it was nigh to impossible for the Peshawarite to get another game under his belt. Later, he mentored a much more complete and celebrated player a-la Azhar Mehmood Sagar!

Javed Qadeer & Mehmood Hamid verses Sri Lanka (1995) - Wicket-Keeper & Right-hand batter!

1995 is a year utterly marred with controversies ranging from players revolts; powerful lobbying, match-fixing and you name it! Therefore, when the team for The 5th Asia Cup was announced, it ushered a bundle of surprises for all and sundry to ponder - Javed Qadeer was one of them!

Karachi-based and PIA contracted Wicket-Keeper - a product of U-19 cricket was primarily selected on the gut-feeling of the selectors because his FC experience, all of 3 games was not remotely close to being eligible. Although, with Moin Khan captaining the side as well holding the gloves, chances were grim for Qadeer to get a debut. However, former met with Chicken Pox and latter got an International debut - in an important last league game against Sri Lanka, on April 11, 1995. Though, by the time he stepped onto the field for the 1^{st time - Pakistan, enforced to bat first were all but down and out. Qadeer scored 12 off 23 including a boundary, and that's pretty much one can do at #9.}

^{Pakistan lost the game and were done for the tournament and so was Qadeer’s career... Who in his only International also took the catch of a certain Aravinda de Silva. Nonetheless, it is suffice to say that just like the era of Bari’s sole dominance peak of Rashid/Moin's rivalry too never saw any WK being considered rather more seriously.}

Javed Qadeer went on to play domestically for more than a decade after his stint with the National Team but was never considered again, more so because of his ordinary batting skills and global mastery of R.L. & M.K.

In the very same game another Karachiite made his ODI debut for Pakistan, Mehmood Hamid -one of those consistent yet silent domestic batters who because of the euphoria caused by the Youth and Underage stars seldom get a look on. Therefore, when selected for The Asia Cup, Hamid backed his inclusion with a tally of nearly 7000 runs and 13 tons in domestic cricket. However, when the moment to glow came along Hamid met his worst fear - to be a victim of a dismissal not of his own making and being left to forever rue the reality that he was, in his only International inning - ranout out by none other than Big Inzzy!

Mehmood Hamid, alike Javed Qadeer went on to represent domestic outfits for more than 10 Seasons, scoring another 10 centuries at a sustained average of 40. Yet, never got another call!

Shahid Anwar verses England (1996) - Right Hand Opener!

Shahid Anwar, an opener, suffered from the rare stability of Pakistan on opening front – where the duo of Sohail & Anwar rarely let any other batter a serious go in nineties and Shahid Anwar was one of them. Multan-born Shahid made it to the touring party of The Great Britain in 1996 on the back of years of persistence shown on the domestic front that saw his garnering nearly 13,000 runs and 22 tons in no less than 13 Seasons and 250+ representative matches.

Anwar played a mixture of 9 innings on the Tour where he batted at an average of 32.x, including 89 against Leicestershire and was admitted in the final XI of the final, yet dead ODI of the Texaco Trophy on September 01, 1996 - replacing Aamir Sohail. Shahid made better of the opportunity by forging an opening stand of 93 with Saeed Anwar and contributing himself a flowing 37, including six 4’s and a SR of 84 – good enough for a debutant!

Pakistan won the game – courtesy Rashid Latif’s late innings heroics but lost the Series and when embarked onto their next Internatioanl assignment merely couple of weeks after, Shahid was no where to be found and was quickly off the media’s memory too...

Today, he is an accomplished coach, steering Sialkot Stallions to a string of T20 cup victories.

Irfan Fazil verses Sri Lanka (2000) – Pacer!

After being mortified in the 1999-2000 Australian Home Season Pakistani Selectors chopped and changed the National Team by default for the Home Series against visiting Sri Lankans. Continuing with the tradition of thrusting young ones with the big ones by in came Younis Khan, Yasir Arafat, Imran Abbas, Faisal Iqbal and 18 year old Irfan Fazil – the last addition was primarily on potential shown in Youth Cricket and not on any domestic credentials (as age would state).

However, he didn’t make it to the final XI in any of the 3 ODIs; may be because of tasteless figures of 6-0-51-1 against the visitors, for PCB XI. Though, he took 5-120 against the same opponents in a FC game later that escalated him a Test Cap in the dead Test of Karachi, on March 12, 2000. Fazil contributed with peculiar figures of 8-0-65-2 and despite a highly erratic display (8 noballs) was lucky in getting at least one of those wickets. Pakistan retrieved some Pride by winning the Test and for that good omen he was also selected to tour Caribbeans immediately afterward.

Fazil made his ODI debut in last of Pakistan’s League Game on April 16, 2000 against the Hosts, in a Tri Nation competition also involving Zimbabwe. Where after opening the bowling beside Waqar Younis started exactly where he left from Karachi – again bowling waywardly (3 noballs) and all over the wicket (2 Wides) with mustered numbers of 6-0-46-0 meant an effective stop at any more International strides.

The irony was that in the immediately succeeding Season he came to age by snatching 70 FC wickets aided with six 5-fr’s including 13 wickets on a Sri Lankan A tour for not many... Fazil is still active in the domestic circuit but persistent vulnerabilities about the righteousness of his radar have yielded an economy of expensive 4.05 in the FC and 5.39 in the List A face of the game, in 10 Seasons of domestic cricket. An epitome of his only International Caps in Test and ODI...

Kashif Raza – verses Sri Lanka (2001) – Pacer!

From the land of traditional and reverse swing crafter Aaqib Javed, Sheikhupura, came another of potentially the same league and boarded the plane to Sharjah for a Tri Nation Event, also involving Sri Lanka and New Zealand. Kashif Raza earned his call through consistent showing in the 2000-1 domestic season by claiming 73 wickets at mere 19 with a wicket every 6 overs.

Pakistan, after winning their initial two fixtures rested Mohammad Sami and handed the young lad a debut, on April 20, 2001 against Sri Lanka. After setting a tough target of 279 skipper Waqar Younis shared the ball with the domestic star - who after early jitters eventually got the line right and in his 4^rth over forced Kaluwitharana to play onto his stumps. However, with Team loaded with All rounders, Raza never got another spell and statistically ended with rather odd figures of 1/36 at 7.20 per over.

Even after half a dozen years from his debut he is just a shade under 30 and is still active for WAPDA and regional teams but the return to National scene even in present depleted atmosphere is far fetching, in my opinion.

Faisal Athar - verses New Zealand (2003)

-Right Hand Batter!

Yet another batter who was selected for his endeavors in the First Class version of the game to make debut in a One Day International. Which turnout to be not only the Final of that tri-nation tournament but also to be his first and final international fixture.

After the debacle of WC 2003, there was an exodus of celebrated yet aging cricketers from Team Pakistan; enforced or otherwise. Therefore, when the time to select the touring party for a Tri Nation ODI Tournament in Sri Lanka came, inclusion of fresh blood was inevitable. At the side of Yasir Hameed, Mohammad Hafiz and Umar Gul Hyderabad-born right hander also got the nod.

He was handed the green cap in the most pressurized game of the tourney, The Final, on May 23, 2003. Rashid Latif won the Toss and made Athar open the proceedings with Hafeez, who got out in the opening over followed by Hameed to effectively cast a shell on the debutant who after snailing 9 off 38 balls in an hour’s stay ended the misery by snicking one behind.

At 32, Athar is still playing active cricket and is roughly 2 years younger to the current batting maestro Misbah-ul-Haq but the inclination towards youth cricket stars and the peppering of Khalid Latif, Fawad Alam & rest alongside 3 bigwigs of the Middle-Order - Athar would be laid to rest as one 1 ODI Wonder...

Who could still break the Jinx?

At-least 6 namely Khalid Latif, Khurrum Manzoor, Rizwan Ahmed, Naumanullah , Mansoor

Amjad & Najaf Shah can strive to shrink the No. down a bit because of their recent debuts and a couple of them are already tipped for more regularity at National level. I personally have high hopes from Karachi-born & bred Khalid Latif who made good showing in the recent Practice games and looks well set to extend his opportunities in coming International commitments (if, any) and possibly the biggie against the might of the Indians.

Conclusion

In fact, the bowler who took the first-ever ODI wicket that of G. Boycott was also a 1 ODI Wonder - Alan Thomson! A pair not really fancied today to play the first ever delivery & acclaim the first of all the ODI wickets, some 37 years ago!

Many players in this research paper turn-up for their single moment of glory at the dead end of any given series, except for Faisal Ather who played in the Final of a Tri Nation. Be it the Shakeel Khan of Arbab Niaz Stadium or the Shahid Anwar of Trent Bridge... they were handed glory when it really wasn’t glorious.

On the concluding flip side there are as many as 12 International Players who enjoyed their ace-day-in-the-field against the Mercurial Team Pakistan in a list that includes alongside Poor Guy’s Andy Roberts a la Jammie Siddons, also the current Bangla Coach.

Opening Test Blues – Reasoning Predicaments!

Aussies or no Aussies! Pakistan is carrying its own unique paraphernalia of problems from a while now i.e. formation of a first choice bowling OR to try and avoid their dull & soggy starts to the 450-450 format of the game!

Author shall try and dig the pattern further in following paragraphs...

Pakistan’s inability to start a Test series with all guns firing and engines steaming is been their nemesis in recent years - may be the curse of weakened opening partnerships have extended its sphere leaving Pakistan with their work cut out for them for the rest of the series.

In a statistical perspective, Pakistan have participated in 13 Test series in past four years – starting from all-famous 1^st Test against India in Multan, 2004 till their series defeat on Indian
soil after 27 years; courtesy Pakistan’s 89^th Test defeat, yet again in the first Test (Delhi) of the series!

Collectively in firsts of these 13 Tests series team Pakistan have performed well and truly below par! Hashing a W/L % of mere 0.28 and pocketing 7 defeats on the run compare to a decent enough W/L % of 1.13 & reasonably lesser amount of defeats (8) in rest of the 23 Tests that Pakistan appeared in last four years. They have shown the world that they are late bloomers when it’s down to recycling the batteries to be ready right from the onset! Though, the W/L % of 1.67 and 5 wins in seconds of these test series implicates that Guys in Green learns their lesson the harsh way when they are asked to switch to their white trousers.

Prior to the recent Dehli Opener which Pakistan lost in spite of being nearly competitive, the preceding First of the Home series against Republican of South Africa was also conveniently ended with a 160 runs home defeat; that too at the sacred National Stadium of Karachi. That time hosts of reasons were fired from left, right and center; ranging from Twenty20 hangover, lack of depth in batting brigade to perennially mediocre fielding and horrendous spin-win strategy. However, from author’s perspective, problem runs deeper than the dent at National Stadium’s pride OR the ceasing of being undefeated on India Soil for exactly 28 years...

Notwithstanding above, Pakistan’s inclination towards rustiness at the start of a series hinders their chances towards clinching one in the end – only 30% of these series turned out to be triumphant for Pakistan and significantly, all were set-up by either a win or a draw in the opening encounters… which pretty much surfaces the circumference of area where one of Pakistan’s major problems lies by and large whose reasons in present frame of affairs are glaring I believe.

Dependable openers & consistent first-choice pace attack are the stepping stones of a Test match either or otherwise and sadly Pakistan has suffered badly on those fronts in past four years...

Above all, after the rare triumphant Home season of 2005-06 & only away series victory in Sri Lanka 2006 Pakistan have more often than not played with some joke of a bowling attack. Narrowing down the criteria by lime-lighting past two years only clinkers telling facts on Pakistan bowling armory!

Starting from infamous tour to Britain till away series against India – in nearly two years – Pakistan appeared in 15 Test matches, the participation level of Pakistan’s premier pace & seam
attack reads as follow:

Umar Gul 60%
Muhammad Asif 40%
Shoaib Akhtar 26%

No wonder Pakistan, apart from easy pickings against West Indies was only able to mutter one Test Victory in rest of the 12 Test matches. Ironically, when all 3 of the first choice attack are fit & nearly available Australians turn their back – though harshly acceptable yet devastatingly denting from National viewpoint.

On the modestly positive flip of the coin, formers absence paved way for some old-timers and created an urge for trying new faces & hunting down the raw ones:

1. Out-of-Blues
   a la Sohail Tanvir – who I believe is the most improved find of past 7-8 months. The tall lanky left-armer has further established his credentials in the just concluded Pentangular Trophy 2008 where he complimented his 19 wickets from 4 fixtures with 211 runs including a career-best 132.

2. (2) Fringe-from-a-while a la Yasir Arafat - who I trust as becoming Pakistan’s very own Freddie Flintoff if handled a bit more carefully. Apart from his lion-hearted effort in debut Test in India - his FC credentials of 535 wickets @ 23.x & 4700 runs @ 28.x speaks enough for his perseverance & ability to make it big.

3. Relishing-his-Time
   a la Sohail Khan – heartening find of the domestic season 2007-08 & should in my opinion lead Pakistan’s bowling attack against the incoming Bangla Tigers. The fact that not many have had such an exuberant start to their FC career – 91 wickets in 2007-08 in only 14 games @ SR of 34.x. he in my opinion is in just the right kind of form & frame of mind to be entrusted with National responsibility..
   
   Still early days to say but I am seeing him as an integral part of Pakistan’s strategy to combat Giant Indians later this year.

Turning the spotlight onto the second integral to hold a Test match from its horns – Openers doesn’t possess a decent picture either:

Pakistan’s most consistent opener in past 4 years is been their current captain Shoaib Malik – grinding out an average of 43.x in 11 innings that he opened for Pakistan. However, with management relegating him down the order due to added responsibility of captaincy, from last two years opening spots are since been musical chaired between Imran Farhat(544r @ 34.x), Muhammad Hafeez(463r @31.x) Salman Butt(281r @ 23.x) & Yasir Hameed(158r @ 26.x) – the so-labeled Specialist & Stop-Gap solution Kamran Akmal(187r @ 31.x).

Pakistan lost Imran Farhat to ICL – an episode where both parties were equally guilty yet in the end Pakistan cricket suffered by losing a good player to meaningless Indian domestic cricket and some silly money. Moving ahead with list sees Hafeez & Hameed out of favor and hence will not be considered for a while, unless something horrible happens yet again!

This leaves solitary Salman Butt from the tried lot, who, I believe is still pretty much in contention on the back of a gigantic Pentangular Trophy 2008, but to partner him PCB is definitely looking ahead of the ones mentioned above...

As its been framed by PCB as well as Geoff “Henry” Lawson, three openers – Nasir Jamshed, Khalid Latif & Khurrum Manzoor are being focused upon with an aim to fill the void vacant from several years now. Though, their strong home seasons - Jamshed(1353r) & Manzoor(1283r) topping the runs ladder & Latif registering (867r) do hitch a glimmer of hope yet the credibility of our turfs is till date debatable; more so after the failure of local groundsmen to build bouncy turfs as were promised for the season 2007-08.

That all been said, the way things are moving locally & internationally anything may and can happen before Pakistan will embark onto their next Test match commitment.

So Long Inzzy !!!

“Today, at Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium young right hander from Multan scored his second consecutive ODI ton against the touring Lankans to seal the series 4-1”.

My introduction to cricket and Inzzy’s opening to the National Team goes pretty much hand to hand. Relocating to Pakistan immediately gifted me a newly found love for the game of the gentlemen.

Labeled as yet another Imran’s hand-picked tiger, Inzzy scripted history at the biggest stage of world cricket by playing two knocks which made him an overnight hero and talk of the town in a matter of 5 days.

Imran lifted the cup for Pakistan and Inzzy emerged as a new batting hero for his country!

Though, immediately afterwards reality struck Big Guy on his debut tour to The Great Britain when he found real version of the game tad difficult to adopt right away and raised few eye brows suspecting his approach only for them to boil down when Inzzy landed his first major test contribution - coming at #6 with 5/39 & a deficit of 9 runs punctuating the score sheet Big Man scored 43% of Pakistan second inning total and supplemented 2 Ws with something to bowl and to pen a famous victory in NZ’93 subsequently.

Inzzy v Lara was the slogan once Team Pakistan landed in the Caribbean Islands and Shair-e-Multan held the better of two individually by not only saving the embarrassment of a 3-0 whitewash but in the process also scoring his first hundred in 8^th test appearance. Not to mention his input in helping Pakistan drawing a bilateral series in WI for the first time.

That hundred at St John's, Antigua set the tone for Inzamam-ul-Haq and Pakistan for years to come by!

Void created by the absence of another legend Javed Miandad was aptly balanced by Inzzy with a demeanor only reminiscent of the modern greats. The likes of Salims, Ejazs, Saeeds faded into the ultimate twilight of their careers but there always remained a solid hope that Big Guy is still there, able to sail the young troops.

Through out Inzzy’s career captaincy changed numerous hands (of course, till he himself became one); match fixing scandals ballooned to unprecedented heights and internal rifts seemed to have no visible end BUT in the midst of all the usual turmoil of Pakistan cricket Inzamam by and large played the role of a lone ranger successfully – not to undermine the contributions of the Salims, Ejazs and 2 Lefties, former saw the home team home more often than any other batter wearing green blazer in 90’s!

Like all the great batsmen, Inzzy also hit a slump in form, starting from 1996 home season and stretched well into the first half of 1999. For best part of 30 month sleeping giant was made to sleep more often than not, with average humbling tinge below 30 Inzzy was made to sweat even by the likes of Zimbabweans’ (with all due respect for the better Zims of 90’s). Simultaneous slump in the shorter version of the game (mid 1996 – late 1997) when he only able to muttered net 25 runs in 29 complete innings added further insult to the injury. Although, he reclaimed his ODI form comparatively quickly but still his compounded effect was missed badly by Pakistan during that period of time.

During this period (late 1996 – early 1999) Inzzy played 21 tests to yield almost 900 runs and subtracting a comfortable home run against visiting West Indians walloped the per innings scoring down to mere 22. This indeed was a rough time for the big guy and few even went onto to claim that he will be yet another case of underutilization of talent and may not be able to touch heights he seemed destined after his initial years. But as they when the going gets tough, the tough gets going, Inzzy shrugged off all the shackles of disintegrated form by scoring his first double hundred in the final of Asian Test Championship.

Nevertheless, by the time 90’s closed in Inzzy was still considered to be talent yet to bloom with full colors… An average of 43.xx appears good but not exemplary and the fact that 9 times he fall in the range of 80-99 showcased the reasons behind his 8 centuries from 97 innings and a rather modest conversion rate of 25% from 58 tests.

That’s been said,

The Turn of the century witnessed Imzamam-ul-Haq’s image-shift from potentially great towards one par excellence!

In all of 62 tests that he played in current century oversee him adding 12 net runs to his average – 55.57; complimented by 17 hundreds and a far better conversion rate of 43%. In spite of the fact that Inzzy scored merely with an average of 32.xx in his last 5 test series’ without a three digit score…

In a statistical perspective, 70% of Inzzy’s test centuries resulted in being match-winning ones. Though, critics tried rationalizing off this celebrated percentile by pointing out the brigade of Wasims, Waqars, Shoaibs, Musthaqs & Saqlains who often helped Pakistan bowling out their opposition cheaply.

Notwithstanding above, bowlers can only march towards victory once ‘runs’ are on the board and Inzamam-ul-Haq’s average of 78.17 in 76 innings of 49 triumphant tests cleanly demonstrates his instrumentality in winning matches, statistically too!

Be it the,

National Stadium of 1994 – 58* at #8 to secure last home test victory against Australia.

Harare Sports Club of 1995 – 40% of entire team’s score to save the embarrassment of test series defeat in Zimbabwe.

Sydney Cricket Ground 1995 – top scored in Pakistan’s second innings to set-up Greens last test victory in the land of the juggernauts.

Lord’s 1996 – 148 out of a total of 340 laid the platform for 2Ws and Mushtaq to script successive Lords victories.

Manchester 2001 – Holding the reins from precarious 4/92 & 3/63 to help post 403 & 323 by contributing 114 & 85! Hence, setting up another last victory, this time in The Great Britain…

Lahore 2002 – 329, gradual step up on the ladder by adding another feather to his elusive cap.

Multan 2003 – 138*, arguably Inzzy’s best effort! given the sensitivity of the circumstances; embarrassment of becoming the first one to lose a test to Bangladesh, that too at home. Inzzy’s comeback game after a nightmare of a WC and if there was some room for relaxation it was balanced out with the venue being his home ground

Bangalore 2005 – 184, admittedly that memorable win was a combined effort but so was the instrumentality of this inning, raced along at a SR of 70.xx that it does not only complimented Younis on equal note but paced the game so nicely that India in spite of big first inning score still had nearly 100 overs to negotiate.

Port Elizabeth 2007 – 92 at #8 in a low scoring thriller which ultimately made all the difference and helped Pakistan registered their yet another last victory in South of Africa…

Unlike the first half of his career, Inzzy together with the talent of 2 Ys forged a highly formidable middle-order for Pakistan which oversaw, and at time put out of sight many weak opening stands and late order tumbles to secure safe deals for the team.

Onus now will be on Yousuf & Younis to carry on the legacy by nudging the young ones alongside them.

To say, Inzzy maintained a clean slate in all of 16 years shall be a statement hinged with naivety. Starting from infamous Sahara 1996 to the findings of match-fixing commissions, Inzzy, particularly find himself in the thick of precarious and at times funny incidents once he put on the thorny cap of leading Pakistan - starting from initial refusal to be Tendulkar’s backup in ICC super test to dismissals in the form of hit-wicket and handling the ball - from Oval’s fiasco (unarguably the biggest) to the subsequent ban and the ultimate showdown engineered by minnows Ireland in the misfortune event of the Carribbean WC pretty much sealed the International arena for a legend who was still hungry to carry on…

In these final lines, I may say that although Inzamam couldn’t able to fulfill all of his individual objectives, he was allowed to leave the show with grace. In my eye, becoming the first since Imran Khan to leave the ground head high and self-esteem unscratched.

Inzzy, you will be missed…