Well it was fascinating not only to see England win the first test at Nottingham yesterday but also the scorecard was one of its kind when the top three individual scores in the 2nd innings of Pakistan's batting happened to be 14, 15 and 16. Of course, the score of 14 in the innings was scored by extras and that is no player. These three add up to 45 runs which is more than half of the total score of 80 put up by Pakistan. Recently, a couple of weeks back, Pakistan made news for the right reasons when they bowled Australia for 88 which was their first score below 100 to lose all ten wickets.
Now, they themselves make news this time for the wrong reasons when they lost all their ten wickets for a score 8 runs less than what the Aussies scored. Coincidentally, the aforementioned scorers were the only three which crossed the double digit mark. Extras apart, there were just two Pakistani batsmen who scored above ten and with one making up his mind in leaving out the tail end batsman Danish Kaneria who scored 16, the number reduces to just one batsman out of 11 scoring double digit. It is nothing but a tragedy that the top scorer in the innings happened to be a number 10 batsman in Kaneria.
One more thing that would fascinate all Pakistan cricket fans would be the fact that the top scorer for Pakistan, with both their innings combined would be another tail end batsman in Umer Gul when he top scored with an unbeaten 65 in the 1st innings. That was the 3rd highest individual score in the match after the English batsmen Eoin Morgan and Matt Prior notched up centuries for their team in the 1st and the 2nd innings respectively. It was a good toss to win by the England captain Andrew Struass who wisely chose to bat. The scorecard tells us the pitch which was found favoring the bowlers and batting 2nd would have been inviting trouble.
Of course, hardly any captain wins the toss and elects to bowl first no matter n what pitch he is playing. The Indian captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni can be excluded from the list who is often found making abnormal decisions with reasons which only he justifies after making a fool out of himself and his team. One can see 8 bowlers from the Pakistan side having the red cherry in their hands in the first innings when England scored 364 as against the only 4 bowlers from the English side. This showed the pressure that the Pakistan players were. This was unnecessary with three more sessions and four more days to go in the match. Pakistan needs to learn a lot. Better approach Bangladesh.
Showing posts with label Umar Gul. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Umar Gul. Show all posts
Monday, 2 August 2010
Friday, 19 June 2009
South Africa's Loss Not A Big Issue
Well most of the viewers of the first T20 final of the ongoing T20 world cup between South Africa and Pakistan would be cursing the South African players for getting eliminated yet again from a mega event after being unbeaten until then in the tournament. However, if one would ask me regarding the same, I say that there was nothing official in the South Africa's defeat over Pakistan. The T20 format of the game itself is like that. This is no test or an one day international match for anyone to expect something like this. Nothing can be taken for granted in this game's format.
South Africa have never been the favourites of the T20 world cup. Not even after the wins against say West Indies, New Zealand or even India for that matter was convincing in this tournament. The win against the West Indies saw the West Indies' batting dominated only by one batsman who scored 77. It was a 1 run win for the Proteas against New Zealand. Agreed that a win is a win irrespective of the margin of the same whatsoever. The only convincing victory for South Africa was against England where the Proteas could breathe easy after their 7 wicket win. They never faced either Australia, Sri Lanka or Pakistan to prove their myth in this world cup.
Rather than taking conclusions from their previous losses at crucial stages of any ICC sponsored mega events, it would be better for one to take into consideration the way the South Africans have played their game off late and where they stand in the T20 ratings. They were placed well below Australia, India and England in the latest T20 ratings. On the other hand, Pakistan played better cricket comparitively if not for their losses against Sri Lanka and England. The game of cricket is not only about winning or losing but the way the players show their class in the game. And when it came to class, the Pakistan were way ahead of South Africa.
It would not be right to say that the Proteas got carried away after their success until then. Despite losing to England and Sri Lanka back to back, Pakistan never let the opposition cut loose and pulled a one sided victory from Ireland and New Zealand. Both the teams were no where in the picture when Umar Gul sent devastating spells and Shahid Afridi got the ball to turn. There was Gibbs, De Villiars and Morkel who could have done the job for the Proteas which was not the case. And what sort of a team is South Africa who could not contain a part time bowler like Afridi? It was the losses against England & Sri Lanka that made Pakistan wake up from sleep and the victories for South Africa to only remain temperory favourites.
I think that South Africa did deserve to lose and Pakistan to advance to the finals for the second time in a T20 world cup.
South Africa have never been the favourites of the T20 world cup. Not even after the wins against say West Indies, New Zealand or even India for that matter was convincing in this tournament. The win against the West Indies saw the West Indies' batting dominated only by one batsman who scored 77. It was a 1 run win for the Proteas against New Zealand. Agreed that a win is a win irrespective of the margin of the same whatsoever. The only convincing victory for South Africa was against England where the Proteas could breathe easy after their 7 wicket win. They never faced either Australia, Sri Lanka or Pakistan to prove their myth in this world cup.
Rather than taking conclusions from their previous losses at crucial stages of any ICC sponsored mega events, it would be better for one to take into consideration the way the South Africans have played their game off late and where they stand in the T20 ratings. They were placed well below Australia, India and England in the latest T20 ratings. On the other hand, Pakistan played better cricket comparitively if not for their losses against Sri Lanka and England. The game of cricket is not only about winning or losing but the way the players show their class in the game. And when it came to class, the Pakistan were way ahead of South Africa.
It would not be right to say that the Proteas got carried away after their success until then. Despite losing to England and Sri Lanka back to back, Pakistan never let the opposition cut loose and pulled a one sided victory from Ireland and New Zealand. Both the teams were no where in the picture when Umar Gul sent devastating spells and Shahid Afridi got the ball to turn. There was Gibbs, De Villiars and Morkel who could have done the job for the Proteas which was not the case. And what sort of a team is South Africa who could not contain a part time bowler like Afridi? It was the losses against England & Sri Lanka that made Pakistan wake up from sleep and the victories for South Africa to only remain temperory favourites.
I think that South Africa did deserve to lose and Pakistan to advance to the finals for the second time in a T20 world cup.
Saturday, 13 June 2009
New Zealand Unfit For T20?
Well last night, I had written a post regarding Sri Lanka's advance to the semis at the cost of Ireland and Pakistan (may be), with New Zealand being the other team to get qualify to the semi finals, given their good run rate and the unpredictable cricket from Pakistan side. But, after yesterday's match between Pakistan and New Zealand, it is almost confirmed that New Zealand can no more hope to go to the finals of the tournament. Perhaps! A win against Sri Lanka can grant them a place in the semis provided conditions apply. First of all, Sri Lanka should win against Ireland with a bad NRR and lose against New Zealand as well.
It has been a long way back since New Zealand has beaten Sri Lanka in any international tournament sponsored by the ICC, be it the world cup, T20 Championship or even the ICC Champions Trophy. I remember New Zealand last beating Sri Lanka in a mega event in the Benson & Hedges world 1992 played in Hamilton. After that, the two teams met in the Champions trophy 1998 where Arjuna Ranatunga's men made the better off New Zealand (probably under Adam Parore). There were no contests between New Zealand & Sri Lanka in the 1996 or 1999 WC. Then in 2003 WC, Sri Lanka beat NZ by 47 runs and later in 2007, SL beat NZ twice.
Likewise, even Sri Lanka had never beaten Pakistan in any major ICC event. Perhaps! Sri Lanka had never faced Pakistan after the 1992 world cup until 2007. However Pakistan beat Sri Lanka in the CT 2006 and then in the T20 world cup in 2007. Anyway, coming to the match between Pakistan and New Zealand, New Zealand were found to be in the game only in the first over of their batting, where Brendon McCullum blasted 16 runs aided with twi hits to the fence. And the rest of the match, especially the New Zealand's batting is all about Umar Gul. who devastated the New Zealand batting returning with figures of 5/6. Such figures are available only in the matches involving a minnow and a test playing nation barring Bangladesh.
This is I guess the lowest total in a T20 world cup by a test playing nation after Bangladesh were bowled out for 83 in the inconsequential match against Sri Lanka. It was amazing to see only three batsmen crossing the double digit mark in a match that could prove too costly for New Zealand. On the other hand, Pakistan chased the total of 99 in 13 overs. C'mon how could this be such a one sided affair? In the beginning, New Zealand threatened to steal the show after blasting 16 runs. Then, gradually the run rate dropped to 8.0 in the third with the loss of 1st wicket and finally, neither could New Zealand cross the 100 run mark nor could they play their full quota of 20 over nor could they maintain a run a ball run rate.
I wish the ICC make norms for a team to qualify for T20s like it has been done for the tests. Just kidding!!!
It has been a long way back since New Zealand has beaten Sri Lanka in any international tournament sponsored by the ICC, be it the world cup, T20 Championship or even the ICC Champions Trophy. I remember New Zealand last beating Sri Lanka in a mega event in the Benson & Hedges world 1992 played in Hamilton. After that, the two teams met in the Champions trophy 1998 where Arjuna Ranatunga's men made the better off New Zealand (probably under Adam Parore). There were no contests between New Zealand & Sri Lanka in the 1996 or 1999 WC. Then in 2003 WC, Sri Lanka beat NZ by 47 runs and later in 2007, SL beat NZ twice.
Likewise, even Sri Lanka had never beaten Pakistan in any major ICC event. Perhaps! Sri Lanka had never faced Pakistan after the 1992 world cup until 2007. However Pakistan beat Sri Lanka in the CT 2006 and then in the T20 world cup in 2007. Anyway, coming to the match between Pakistan and New Zealand, New Zealand were found to be in the game only in the first over of their batting, where Brendon McCullum blasted 16 runs aided with twi hits to the fence. And the rest of the match, especially the New Zealand's batting is all about Umar Gul. who devastated the New Zealand batting returning with figures of 5/6. Such figures are available only in the matches involving a minnow and a test playing nation barring Bangladesh.
This is I guess the lowest total in a T20 world cup by a test playing nation after Bangladesh were bowled out for 83 in the inconsequential match against Sri Lanka. It was amazing to see only three batsmen crossing the double digit mark in a match that could prove too costly for New Zealand. On the other hand, Pakistan chased the total of 99 in 13 overs. C'mon how could this be such a one sided affair? In the beginning, New Zealand threatened to steal the show after blasting 16 runs. Then, gradually the run rate dropped to 8.0 in the third with the loss of 1st wicket and finally, neither could New Zealand cross the 100 run mark nor could they play their full quota of 20 over nor could they maintain a run a ball run rate.
I wish the ICC make norms for a team to qualify for T20s like it has been done for the tests. Just kidding!!!
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