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.
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.
1 comment:
good wrtie up. plea heard. gustakhi of not bloggin frequently maaf'ed. and oh ya... the ball certainly swung early on. cross ur fingers, the battle is on..
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