Oh Moin...Get a life

"Whatever may be the real reason, the fact of the matter is that Shoaib Akhtar literally exposed Sachin's present-day ability against quality fast bowling during a spell that will certainly be remembered for long."

My first reaction to this statement : Utter Crap.

Analysis : Remember Moin Khan ?? The chap who Sachin got on the third day of the Multan test with a googly he'd remember all his life ?? Yes folks, he is the same beleagured wicketkeeper from Pakistan who now knows what it feels like to be dumped. And who is he talking about ? Another character from Pakistan who presents himself as a case of mood swings (let alone reverse swings). I do not know how much this spell of Shoaib Akhtar will be remembered for him grabbing Sachin's wicket. Shoaib's spell in the Indian first innings would only be regarded by many for bringing some life into a rather dead contest - Nothing else. Period. But, rather than the wicket, what this article has done is exposed Moin Khan's naked analytical skills, filled with a sense of prejudice and bias - totally uncalled for as a writer.

This beginning-of-the-end theory has been posed by many in the recent past, and seems to conveniently pop up, as soon as Sachin fails ! Give him a break guys. After all he's the proud custodion of many a record, few would come close to shatter. Yes, he is indeed beginning to age, and it is showing in his performances, but that does not signal or hint towards any decline. The hunger, the humility and the desire to score runs is still within him, and a hundred sooner than later should be good enough to bay these looneys off. This lame article by Moin has brought the walking debate into question again. Gilchrist found a way out to clear his conscience by walking, and it was not something new. Greats like Sachin and Lara have always carried themselves with the highest integrity and pointing fingers at someone who upholds it, itself is a baseless venture. Although personally, I am not in agreement with players walking by themselves, what it brings about is an honest assessment of one's own integrity. As they say, if the player is sheepish enough to grin after he survives the umpire's call, another decision comes soon enough to haunt him. India still wont forgive Steve Bucknor for the call he made against the Little Master at Kolkata, when he was going all guns blazing. Where was Moin then ? Searching for the tunnel path towards the Pakistani team ? Sachin is as good a player of fast bowling as he was way back in 1989, and someone who himself was a joke against pacers has no right to comment over the issue. Such comments are to be respected no doubt, but with the same sense of judgement, only to be rubbished.

The second character involved in this printed drama is Shoaib Akhtar ! Oh Moin, what has he done for Pakistan over the years, so much so that this spell of his will be remembered for a long time ? He has played 30 odd test matches in about 7 years, an appalling record by itself and all we see is an injury sidelining him for at least a test in every series, except England (2005) and Bangladesh (2003). I still cant notice the change in Shoaib, that the whole of Pakistan is raving about. Its just that the English batting was too brittle to withstand his pace on flat-beds and now, see his performance against a better batting side - virtually anything to show. I think every cricket fan - Indian or Pakistani will rather choose to remember the three fours hit by Dhoni off Shoaib than the wicket of Sachin. It had the birth of an emerging star in International Cricket written all over it. Three brutal strikes, and the bowler gave in. Those 18 runs off Shoaib were more precious to India than the 14 by Sachin. Shoaib needs to prove and pass the litmus test. Apart from 4-5 Test Matches, I cant remember any being won singlehandedly by Shoaib. So, its time for his "supporters" to zip their mouths and let the boy doing what he is good at.

And Moin bhai, a piece of advice for you ! Please be objective in your analysis of any player, not emotional. The time has come, when we need some genuine cricket experts like Wasim Akram to run the show and not emotional fools, if I may say, like Moin Khan.

Sowing the seeds of improvement

Its been some time since I have posted something pertaining to Sri Lankan cricket. As Tom Moody and co finally seem to get their act together in Australia, I felt it the right time to write about their gradual upward movement in the improvement graph. I would tend to think that a tour of Australia was the right sort of tonic this team needed to get out of the rot they were going through earlier in India and later in New Zealand.

It is indeed satisfying to see Sri Lanka come out of their blues in a positive fashion. What really was impressive to see from the Lankans was the attitude and character they showed throughout the VB Series. In India, it was really disturbing to see them repeat mistakes over and over again. I mean Sangakkara getting out mistiming the hook three times in 7 games was not called for and was a true reflection of the mental state of the Lankans - just to see the tour through. Similarly in New Zealand, where the conditions and the opposition surely got the better of them. So, what is it that is taking Sri Lanka to new and newer heights in Australia ?

Firstly, the emphasis of the team management is purely on improvement and nothing else. Sri Lanka can learn a lot from this tour purely on how to better their own standards previously set. I am reminded of the Indian policy of trying newer talents in the highest level, and if anything Tom Moody has taken some leaf from Greg Chappell's book to test the bench. Youngsters like Akalanka Ganegama and Nuwan Kulasekara were sheer unheard quantities, but the very fact that their feat in the domestic competitions have been recognized and opportunities given subsequently shows the confidence they have on their youth. This was surely the kind of shake-up Sri Lanka cricket needed if they wanted to get going and has vindicated the amount of faith entrusted on them by the authorities. Non-performers like Upul Chandana and Avishka Gunawardena have been shown the way out. And more importantly, there is one eye on the future, which has given them a new leash of spirit needed to bring about the desired improvement.

There is clearly a sense of purpose within each and every individual as he strides out onto the field - something that clearly was lacking in both India and New Zealand. The mindset towards approaching the game has totally changed, and for the good. And the familiarity with new rules has alarmingly increased. The Lankans were pretty much dull with their knowledge of the Super-Sub and Powerplays, but with so much of international cricket being played with these rules, the bug has finally caught with them. Its good to see the tact the Lankan strategem is using in applying these rules. Malinga Bandara is being more than a handy super-sub and as their knowledge of the rules are getting better, so is the progress. Conditioning of the team under these new rules might have come late, but the psotive is that the process has begun.

It may not be the experience of Jayasuriya that they lacked in India, but the support factor. Their tour to India was in a way a reflection of an environment they werent used to playing in. But, as we know, Australia has been a haven for Sri Lankan support. With expats pouring from the island to Australia, one thing they can expect is sheer support. Wherever they have been going, thousands of Sri Lankans leaving their work at bay have been coming to grounds to support them. Nothing bigger than a large contingent of your countrymen to back you during difficult times. This has surely gelled with the Lankans whenever they have been to Australia and perhaps why they have been a major thorn in the Australian camp.

Although they have a fair bit of work to do to "get there", the journey of improvement must continue. Having beaten Australia in Sydney is perhaps the biggest morale-booster, but the most important thing will be to maintain this performance consistency. Yes, it was a big achievement considering the phase they were going through, but they cant stop there. It will be really interesting to see if that win acts as a much-needed catalyst to revive the Sri Lankan fortunes in International Cricket. I am personally very optimistic about their future, but for me, improvement is the key word to success for Sri Lankan Cricket.

Say "Green" please !!

Dear Readers,

I am very sorry that I could not regularly update my blog. I was held up due to several academic commitments. However, I will try my level best to contribute regularly and keep you guys posted about the state of the game.

To be very frank with you all, I have not been following the recent India's tour to Pakistan with the same vigour and anxiety as earlier. The reasons could well be over-playing, the pitches and of course projects. But, whatever little I have seen, the sights do not cheer me at all. Bowlers toiling hard to get a dot ball, the pitch beyond all pre-series promises and indeed the sub-standard state of the pitches. That brings me to a very elementary question in today's post - Is too much of Indo-Pak cricket boring afterall ?

My answer would be yes. We are overplaying each other. It almost seems as a routine to play each other every year. Yes, it sure does loads of good as far as the treasures of the Boards are concerned, but as we play each other too often, the quality of cricket has surely gone down and hit its lows. The intensity has gone down, although the traditional exchange still lives on. I came across an article in a Mumbai afternooner, which said that at Lahore, over 15,000 seats were given for free, which provided a stern reminder to the administrators of the game, to leave considerable gap between two India-Pakistan series. The next day, we hear an announcement by the BCCI and PCB chiefs, that the two nations will play each other every two years, and that for sure was music to my ears. Following the Ashes model was the best we could have done to preserve the intensity and quality of cricket between the two nations.

All said and done, since the tour is going on, a few comments over the happenings so far. Whatever we are seeing, as genuine cricket lovers is a sight to forget. Two games gone, over 2000 runs scored in 6 innings is not something that cricket should be proud of. The wickets in Pakistan have come under immense scrutiny by everyone concerned, and it is time we get what we deserve - consistently good contests between the bat and the ball. The hype and the hooplah created over the faster and greener pitches before the series seems nothing more than a balloon waiting to be busted. Or, if there is room for conspiracy theorists in this small world, one must say that the "fear" of losing a Test series at home to India, has motivated Pakistan to prepare such flat as a pancake wickets. I do not know how credible this strategy is, but considering the long-term of Pakistani cricket, it is taking a step backwards. I do not know who to blame for the pitches debacle - the PCB, the curator or the Faisalabad Cricket Association (if such a thing exists). But it sure is about time someone puts his hands up and takes responsibility for the deplorable levels of cricket we have seen. This is not Test cricket by any stretch of imagination.

But all will be forgiven if a good wicket is produced at Karachi, for it plays host to the decider. All indications and reports point towards a green-grazer. If these reports are indeed true, it is an encouraging situation to be in, as we could see a better contest between both teams. Another key aspect to remember with regards to Karachi is that it is a port city, nearer to the coast. For Indian fans, trace your way to the Wankede stadium to get an idea of how the conditions might be. So, do not be surprised if the ball swings early-on and in the evenings due to the moisture in the air and the breeze. It will be interesting to see the combinations of both teams. Harbhajan Singh will most certainly make way for Saurav Ganguly in the side. Ganguly's recent domestic form with both the bat and the ball have been encouraging, and in such given circumstances, he could be more than a useful seamer. For Pakistan, I back Umar Gul to make the cut, ahead of Mohammad Asif and Faisal Iqbal and Imran Farhat for Inzamam and Shoaib Malik respectively.

Given the importance and the end-result associated with this game, one really hopes to see a humdinger, much on the lines of Chennai 1999. So, all is set for Karachi and the umpires to play and I really really hope that the curator finds some grass from the General's garden to give us all a sporting encounter and one to remember.