Is Pakistan cricket in crisis?

Well it looks as though the Pakistan cricket is in crisis when the news broke out that the retired Pakistan batsman Mohammed Yousuf has been called back into the Pakistani 16 member squad for the upcoming one day series against England in England. Of course, since the past two years or so, nothing has been able to be told regarding Pakistan cricket. In the beginning, it was only a problem for Pakistan cricket team in Pakistan. But, now, the Pakistan team is facing unbearable defeats outside as well, with the most recent one being the loss in the 1^st and 2^nd tests against England.

Not only did Pakistan lose both the aforementioned tests but also they were bowled out for a score less than 100 in both the tests. They have to consider themselves lucky for not getting all out for a score less than 100 in all the four innings they played. Nevermind that they did well to bowl out the Aussies unexpectedly for a score of 88 in the first innings of the 2^nd test last month. In early 2009, almost all cricketing nations started boycotting their tours of Pakistan for reasons not necessary to be cited specially. And, the only team that toured Pakistan had to pay the price for the same.

And then, Pakistan did which no other team in the world could do when they spent more than a year without playing a test match. This was also the year which Pakistan spent without hosting a test match on its home soil which is evident. Not even Bangladesh were able to achieve such a feat and Pakistan must be proud to have entered the record books for the wrong reasons. With teams viz Australia, New Zealand,England and South Africa along with India (obviously) dropping plans to tour Pakistan, one had to wonder as to what made Sri Lanka tour the nation. Were the Sri Lankans trying to justify that they are lions indeed as their flag suggests!

Off late, their performance is also found following the security situation back home. They were the first team to lose all matches to any team when they lost three tests, five one dayers and the lone T20 game that was played late last year. West Indies - who toured Australia at the same time were successful in drawing a match. Following this, the PCB took a drastic step by dropping eight players from the side and later on dropped the idea itself which is a different issue. Now, the worst of all is that Mohammed Yousuf is called back to the one dayers that follow against England.

The PCB never called back Wasim Akram, Saeed Anwar or Waqar Younis once they retired. But, the case with Yousuf is a different one and shows the insecurity in Pakistan cricket as well similar to the one in Pakistan.

400* in tests and 200* in ODIs: The new landmarks

This was perhaps the only record that Sachin Tendulkar had not made his own. I remember the way Sachin Tendulkar was looking helplessly in that particular match against Pakistan at Chennai that played more than a decade back when Pakistan's Saeed Anwar belted Anil Kumble for three consecutive sixes enroute to his 194. Finally, it was in the bowling off Sachin TendulkarSaeed Anwar's dream run came to an end when he was 6 runs short of scoring a double hundred. May be Sachin had told this to himself that these 6 runs would be scored by "me" which turned into a reality yesterday when he scored the world's first double hundred.

People would have gone sick looking the way Sachin Tendulkar scoring hundreds the way sun rises and sets every day. But, it would be wrong to consider this a hundred. The ICC and all major cricket websites must open a new column in batting records indicating the number of double hundreds scored by a batsman, which would at present contain only one name-SachinRamesh Tendulkar. The record, until yesterday was against a player who had achieved it by an unfair means when Saeed Anwar had a runner when his individual score was 70 and had no problems when he took to front foot to send Anil Kumble out of the ground on 3 successive occasions.

It is a bad fortune of the record that it remained unbroken until last August when Charles Coventry notched an unbeaten 194 which is considered to be better than the one set up by Saeed Anwar for the fact the the Zimbabwean batsman remained unbeaten. Finally, the unfair record set up by Saeed Anwar will never ever pop up as the highest individual score in one day internationals anymore. For, the score of 200* by Sachin Tendulkar is not only the highest individual score by a batsman in one dayers but also a new landmark called the double hundred that'll be the one for ever.

In case by a freak chance someone is able to overtake Sachin's record, still Sachin Tendulkar will be the man to have first scored a double hundred. And no one would highlight Saeed Anwar as the first batsman to have crossed the 190s. This can no doubt be considered to be in par with the unbeaten knock of 400 by Brian Lara against England which became another mark in test cricket. If the difference between these two batsmen is that one player plays right handed and the other left handed, similarities exist with both batsmen using a MRF bat. So cool isn't it!!

Dinesh Karthik's Immaturity!!!

It was good to see India win the third one day international against Sri Lanka at Cuttack rather convincingly by 7 wickets. Not only did the Sri Lankan team made a mess of their performance in all departments of the game but also, the Indian players did well to dominate the show in every departments. However, some things need to be made clear with respect to players' thinking when it comes to onfield performances. This points directly to Dinesh Karthik despite having a hand in India's victory. Despite having been in and around in international cricket since 2004, some things are not found to be learnt by Indian or international players.

Dinesh Karthik hits a six in the final stages of the match which no doubt did see his team through the match. But, at the same time, the six grabbed the opportunity for Sachin Tendulkar to score yet another century in one day international. That was not at all the moment for Dinesh Karthik to go in for any sort of big hitting. The hit came exactly in the 41.5 over, just 4 balls prior to finishing the match in style. There were as many as 8 overs left for team India to finish off the game and one cannot understand as to why Dinesh Karthik had to go in for such a shot at that stage!

None of would have seen Dinesh Karthik even in T20 cricket blasting the bowlers all over the stadium. If the circumstances are taken a closer look at, it would not be wrong to say that the SriLankan bowler Randhiv desperately bowled the ball in such a way at Dinesh Karthik so that Sachin Tendulkar dows not get another hundred. For nothing can be ruled out in today's cricket. Anyways, Sachin Tendulkar would not have regretted over not having another hundred against his name. May be that Sachin himself would have got tired of scoring hundreds and missing one or two like this would not be a problem for him we can guess be sure.

However, recalling the past, it is remembered even today the way Javagal Srinath let go a leg before appeal of Wasim Akram to see Anil Kumble grabbing all ten wickets in the Delhi test. Another instance that comes to my mind is the way Pakistani batsmen saw to it that SaeedAnwar take most of the strike when he scored the world record 194 which even today is the joint highest in ODIs. Howevr, there are some likes of Dinesh Karthik who have played a spoilsport in their teammate's performances like, Mahela Jayawardane never handed the ball to AjanthaMendis in the finals of the Asia cup which would have otherwise seen Mendis taking a 7-wicket haul.

There can be no calling a press conference to address such issues and it is upto the player to take decisions at times which can see his teammate making his day.