Bengali Tigers win our hearts

Bengali players after the final

Today's historic Asia Cup final between Pakistan and Bangladesh will be cherished by cricket fans for a long time for many different reasons. However, here, I would like to shed some light on one important aspect called the spirit of the game. In the midst of a competition, we (fans and players) are often so high on adrenaline that we underestimate the emotional aspect of the game; our competitive drive suppresses our ability to think and behave like humans and our narrowly-focused goal of winning at any cost makes us forget that our actions can have dire consequences. For instance, today, Pakistani team and fans were so jubilant after the win that many of us forgot that our counterparts were also humans. On PTV, many fans were shown dancing to the beat music while Bengali players and fans were profusely crying after a heartbreaking loss. After those scenes, I was truly disgusted with myself. Instead of being proud at winning the Asia Cup, I was embarrassed by how insensitive and inconsiderate we have become. I must also admit that Pakistani players and majority of fans acknowledged and praised Bengali players for fighting till the end, some thought that cricket was the true winner today and others went as far as to dedicate this win to Bangladesh. Hence, Pakistan might have lifted the Asia Cup, one thing is guaranteed that Bengali Tigers have conquered hearts of cricket lovers around the world.

Misbah and Sachin: secret agents?

Secret agents of the Sub-continent
Credit: thisisamericansoccer.com

Before the Asia Cup began, no one in their right mind would have predicted Bangladesh to beat India. However, home advantage and pressure-free batting has made Bangladesh a serious contender for the title. Today's match between Ind and Ban will also be written in golden words in history books because of SRT's achievement of a mammoth record: his 100th hundred. However, responsible innings from Tamim and Nasir, and blitzkrieg from Shakib and Mushfiqur put Indian fans in the dilemma of whether to laugh or cry at the end of the match. One thing is for sure that the much awaited battle between India and Pakistan now carries even more weight as India will be looking for a win for another shot at Pakistan in the final and Pak team will be aiming to erase horrifying memories of Mohali semi-final from its fans' brains.

On a totally random note, I have two points of consideration before this match. First, Misbah's match-losing performances against India should earn him some cheers from Indian fans. Second, the fact that Tendulkar's century often helps the opposition would have many Pak fans praying for his 101st ton.

Guilty once, guilty forever! Is it fair?

Misbah's crime
Credit: sportskeed.com

In sports, heroes are born under pressure. When it comes to cricket, nothing can match the pressure of an Indopak world cup final. Such was the case in the inaugural T20 World Cup Tournament in 2007. Misbah's magical hitting had brought Pakistan within the sighting distance of the world cup trophy, but his inability to finish resulted in a disappointing loss and that too to India in a world cup final. He was deemed guilty that day and that perception has not completely changed since. He has managed to become a temporary hero, however, first by guiding Pakistan to light after darkness of spot-fixing scandal and then by leading team to an historic whitewash of England in the Test series in UAE. However, Pakistan's (not just Misbah's) failure in Mohali and then drubbing against England in UAE have revived memories of Misbah as a villain. My question is: what's Misbah's mistake (yeah, you read it right)? Has no one ever failed like Misbah before? The answer is simply no. One example that comes to mind is Lance Klusenar against Australia in the 1999 world cup semifinal. Therefore, in my opinion, Misbah's mistake is that he failed against arch-rivals India at a crucial stage. A country that still cherishes Miandad's last ball six against India over 25 years ago, would never be able to overcome a heartbreaking loss to the same team. Hence, in sports, not only heroes, but villains are also born under pressure.

Miss-ball-haq disappoints fans again

Misbah once again failed to deliver at a crucial momet
Source: cricinfo

The same man who was lauded as the savior of Pakistan cricket after the test series is now under the microscope for another heartbreaking loss. There is no doubt that Misbah had a golden opportunity to seal the series win for Pakistan, but so did U. Akmal, Afridi and even Azam. Overall, bowling was brilliant but Gul failed to deliver and Cheema also did not help the cause by bowling a full toss on the last bowl of the innings which was sent into the crowd by brilliant KP and proved to be the difference in the end. Pakistan were also below average in the field compared to England's outstanding performance which included Afridi's crucial run out. That being said, England deserve credit for staying in the game for 38 overs and finishing strong in the last 2 overs, when the game was at stake. As far as Misbah is concerned, although he has done wonders for Pakistan cricket, his monumental failures have deprived Pakistan of at least one and possibly two world cup titles and caused huge disappointment for passionate fans. As a captain, his inability or unwillingness to quickly adapt and react to changing situations in limited forms of cricket are also a reason for concern. In my opinion, however, he deserves another chance to prove himself in the upcoming Asia Cup.

Let the fun begin!

T20 captains and trophy. Source: cricinfo

After two one-sided series, England and Pakistan step into the land of unpredictable i.e. the world of T20's. Before this fun begins, there are a few points to be noted. England are the reigning World T20 champs and unpredictable Pakistan are currently the uncrowned king of this format. England have the confidence and momentum to win and Pakistani tigers are once again cornered where they are the most dangerous. England have another chance of conquering an Asian side in Asia and Pakistan have the golden opportunity to avenge the ODI whitewash. All of these points may be important off the field, but frankly, they do not mean much on the field. One aggressive partnership or one breathtaking spell of bowling can change the course of a T20 game. It is equally important to note that in shorter formats quick decisions and proactive approach matters the most. Hence, in my opinion, the difference between the winner and the loser will be the number of critical mistakes. 

Can whitewashers be whitewashed?

ODI series in a nutshell
Source: Cricinfo

Before 3rd ODI, many of us thought that Pakistan were partly undone by losing tosses and chasing under lights. However, these excuses were put to rest as England lost the toss and successfully chased under lights in the 3rd ODI to set themselves up for a whitewash. Now Misbah and Mohsin (coach) have come up with their own explanations. They argue that the same players who before the series lauded UAE as their home are now not performing well because they are playing away from home. This reasoning does not seem to make much sense. In my opinion, main reasons for Pakistan's humiliating ODI performances are lack of balance in the team, irresponsible batting and poor captaincy. Current Pakistani team is heavily reliant on spinners and is in dire need of good pacemen and a competent opener (Imran Farhat needs to go). Batting is also a huge concern as almost all batsmen got promising starts at some point in the series but none managed to make an impact. Misbah's defensive approach and waiting game was also badly exposed in this series. He must learn to rapidly adapt to changing situations at least in limited forms of cricket if Pakistan are to salvage some pride in this series and succeed in future endeavors. That being said, due to their consistent assault on Pakistan in last three matches, England are favorite to whitewash the whitewashers!

Cook exposes Pakistan even more

Is Afridi ever going to learn?
Source: Cricinfo

Although Pakistan batted significantly better in the 2nd ODI, England almost produced a mirror image performance of the 1st ODI to muster another win. For England, Cook once again lead from the front with a match-winning ton, Bopara played another solid 50+ knock in the middle order and Finn repeated his brilliant performance from the other night with the same exact figures of 4 for 34. On the other hand, lack of positive body language from the beginning suggested as if Pakistan had accepted defeat after losing the coin toss. Misbah's inexplicable leadership once again defied common sense. The same set of spinners who mesmerized the same English batsmen on the same venue by attacking them were rendered ineffective by Misbah's defensive field placements. Not only that but Ajmal, the top ranked ODI bowler, had only bowled 3 overs when he was brought back into attack in 36th over. Even if he had take a five-for at that stage, it would have been useless (just like the 1st ODI) as irreversible damage was already done by Cook. After all these mistakes, Pakistan still had a reasonable chance to square the series in the final overs, but a rush of blood from Afridi tilted match in England's favor and Rehman's disastrous display of 1 run off 12 balls further strengthened England's grip. Misbah still had a chance to finish but his familiar inability to do so resurfaced memories of his match-losing qualities. Lack of balance and poor team selection were also a big factor in Pak's losses, but these topics will be discussed in a different post.

Captain Cook outscores Pakistan

Captain lead by example in team's win
Source: cricinfo

In the 1st ODI, Pakistan's brief moments of success proved no match to some brilliant performances by England's players. After a double strike from Afridi relatively early in the innings, England found themselves in an agonizingly familiar and vulnerable position; however, this time around, the ODI captain, Cook, and unscathed Bopara stabilized the innings by adding 131 together. By scoring his highest ODI score of 137, Cook outscored Pakistan's total (which included 14 extras) by 7 runs. Ajmal starred again with 5 wickets, but his magic came a little too late when most of the damage was already done. Pakistani pacemen, at their best, seemed out of sorts. They failed to exert pressure by containment and leaked 100 runs in 15 overs without picking up any wicket. Under lights, Pakistani innings folded like a lawn chair. None of the top order batsmen even attempted to weather the storm brought on by Finn. He bowled exceptionally and truly deserved to become the first English player to pick 5 wickets against Pakistan in ODI, but... The middle order also didn't show any signs of fight back and crumbled like a house of sand. Pakistani batsmen without any doubt played poorly, but credit to English bowlers who bowled straight and used conditions to perfection. After losing in such a humiliating fashion, Pakistani team reassured fans that they will never cease to amaze.

New series, new beginning or is it?

Captains posing with trophy
Source: gulfnews

As the ODI series kicks off in UAE, both England and Pakistan would like to start with a clean mind; however, it would be hard, if not impossible, for both teams to hit delete on their memories from the recent test series. One thing is clear that both teams would enter the contest with a positive mindset. English players would relish the ODI series as another chance to showcase their talent and leave the Arabian desert with their heads held high, and Misbah XI would like to carry its momentum from the test series to retain its supremacy upon England with another series win. Though most of the players retained their places for the limited over format on both sides, there are a few major changes. England will be lead by a new skipper, Cook, in blue uniforms and Pakistan will be energized by the presence of Afridi in green outfits. Even though Pakistan start off as clear favorites due to their tremendous recent ODI form, expect England players to play their hearts out to salvage some pride.

Afghan warriors debut with a big bang!

Nabi going boom boom
Source: cricinfo

While playing against the hottest team in the international cricket these days in packed Sharjah cricket stadium, an affiliate team like Afghanistan was expected to crumble under pressure. However, Afghan warriors who had survived gun fires and bomb blasts while growing up in their war-torn country, took on this battle between bat and ball with no pressure whatsoever. They displayed their innate aggressive nature by hitting Gul and Ajmal into the crowd several times. However, their progress was soon halted by an equally, if not more, volatile Pakhtun brother, Afridi. Boom boom showed no mercy as he picked up his 8th five-for to become only the 4th bowler to do so in ODI history. In the end, Afghanistan neither managed to play whole 50 overs, nor did they score over 200 runs, but they certainly made international debut with a big bang!

Ajmal's critics silenced

Ajmal's response to his critics esp. Bob Willis

Combination of broken English and hilarious facial expressions has made Saeed Ajmal's interviews a youtube sensation. However, a similar post-match interview after the final test match sparked confusion regarding legality of his bowling action, and gave his critics an opportunity to characterize him as a cheat. Much to the critics' disappointment, however, PCB and ICC soon issued statements which not only clarified Ajmal's comments, but also released scientific facts which will hopefully put this issue to rest forever. Per ICC, Ajmal starts the delivery with a bend of 23.5 degrees in his arm and finishes it with a bend of around 15.5 degrees. Therefore, his arm straightens by about 8 degrees, much less than the limit of 15 degrees allowed by the ICC. Even more surprisingly, when he bowls doosra, his arm straightens less then when he delivers his off-break and faster ball. Hence, his doosra which is widely-debated for its legality, is "more legal" compared to his other deliveries (:P)

A Chakwalian in the national T20 squad

Awais Zia
Source: pakpassion.net

Awais Zia, a new addition to Pakistan's T20 squad against England in UAE, hails from a very hospitable and historic town of the district Chakwal (my home district), called Bhown (or Bhaun). He is a hard hitting left-handed batsman for Rawalpindi Rams in the domestic circuit. In the last domestic T20 tournament, he played a central role in Rams' progress to the final, which has now earned him a spot in the national T20 squad. For more information about Awais, visit these links: Awais Zia's cricinfo profile and articles on him on cricinfo and pakpassion. Also, watch the video below to see one of his boom boom performances.

England "greenwashed"

England vs Pakistan, 3rd Test, Day 4, Dubai
Pak 99 & 365
Eng 141 & 252
Pakistan win by 71 runs

Pak spin duo mesmerized Eng
batsmen throughout the series

Today, Misbah XI not only defied odds by clean sweeping the mighty England, but also repeated history. Over a century ago, England won a test match after being bowled out for less than 100 in the first innings. Today, Pakistan achieved the same feat, ironically against England. That being said, it wouldn't be wrong to characterize this test match as spinners' fest as Abdur Rehman, Ajmal and Panesar bagged 7 wickets each. However, Gul also shone for Pakistan by picking up 6 crucial wickets. The match winning (or saving) performances, however, came from Younis and Azhar. They batted England out of the match by putting together a double century stand and completed the only individual centuries of the test series. On the other hand, English batsmen once again suffered against the mysterious art of Pakistani spinners resulting in their "greenwash". In the midst of excitement and celebration, please keep in mind that the real test of Misbah XI starts now, as pressure and expectations are sky high.

The wave of whitewashes

The wave of whitewashes started last year when top-ranked India visited England. With Ashes title already in the bag, England blossomed in home conditions and thrashed India 4-0 to ascend to the top of test rankings. India's bad run away from home continued when they went down under to face an upwardly mobile Australian team. The result was another 4-0 whitewash with India once again on the receiving end. Unlike these whitewashes, however, Pakistan's clean sweep of England was least expected. The whitewash trend-setters, England, were the top ranked side with world class batting and strong bowling line up. However, England were outclassed in both departments and forced to taste their own medicine by a relatively inexperienced, but confident Misbah XI. This wave of whitewashes has certainly revived interest in test cricket, however, one area of concern is teams' ability to quickly adapt, if at all, to foreign conditions.

Yuvraj undergoing chemotherapy

One of the leading all-rounders of the current era and Man of the last World Cup, Yuvraj Singh, was recently diagnosed with a rare but curable form of cancer between his lungs (mediastinal seminoma). He is currently undergoing chemotherapy in the United States. Please join me in prayers for his speedy and complete recovery from this fatal disease. May Allah grant him health and enable him to make a comeback in international cricket soon. Ameen!

Yuvraj, who is renowned for his aggressive batting, put on a spectacular and memorable show against England in the first T20 World Cup. Before Stuart Broad was handed the ball to bowl the penultimate over of the innings, Flintoff said something to Yuvraj which he most likely regrets to this day. What happened next can probably be best described by quoting Shastri: "ballay, ballay, ballay...". Watch it for yourself and leave your feedback in comments below.

England show some courage and resolve

England vs Pakistan, 3rd Test, Day 3, Dubai
Pak 99 & 365
Eng 141 & 36/0
England need another 288 runs with 10 wickets in hand to win

Azhar Ali after century
Source: cricinfo

The first milestone of the day came rather early when Azhar and Younus brought up the first 200 runs partnership of the series. Even though Younus departed soon after, Azhar carried on and eventually reached his best first class score of 157. It was all Pakistan until Misbah was dismissed, which injected life in the English team and resulted in another familiar Pakistani collapse with England grabbing last 7 wickets cheaply for 34 runs. Monty once again starred for England and picked his second five-for of the series. When England came out to bat, the careful and defensive nature of the English openers suggested as if England were playing for a draw. However, considering their embarrasing batting performances in this series, they should be admired, rather than blamed, for their patience and calmness. Meanwhile, Taufeeq's poor run in the series got even worse, when he gifted Cook another chance to redeem himself and save England from humiliation. Overall, today was another average day for both teams. Even though England will have momentum when they come out tomorrow morning, pitch is increasingly becoming spinner friendly which will be a significant concern for them. 

England on life support

England vs Pakistan, 3rd Test, Day 2, Dubai
Pak 99 & 222/2
Eng 141
Pakistan lead by 180 runs with 8 wickets in hand

Malik Imran and another
chacha cricket in the making

Day 2 started with the match in delicate balance; however, it ended in anything but balance. After being bowled out with the lead of mere 42 runs, English bowlers sent openers packing with Pakistan still in deficit. At that moment, England seemed in control, but little did anyone know that England's luck had run out, at least for the rest of the day. As Azhar and Younus joined forces in the middle, they methodically aimed for the jugular and put the oppostion on life support. Additionally, Younus' ton revived the batting friendly tag of UAE to some extent and restored sanity in the series. Not only that but it also earned him a well deserved applause from both teams' supporters and neutrals alike. As expected, the pitch started to play tricks for spinners towards the end of the day, which would add to England's unending list of worries when they come out to chase target in the final innings. Tomorrow, every run will of course increase Pakistan's lead; however, it will also squeeze the remaining life out of the top ranked team. With Pakistan in firm control, the clean sweep is in both sight and mind, but before getting hopes too high, remember that it's not over till it is over. 

The day when cricket won!

The unpredictable nature of an India and Pakistan cricket match promises a gripping contest between the bat and ball. During these matches, adrenaline is always on its highest, mercury is fast approaching its boiling point and loss is simply not an option. In 1999, when Pakistan faced India in Chennai Test, the match was almost a perfect embodiment of aforementioned characteristics. Throughout the match, both teams made comeback after comeback and simply refused to lose. After a series of twists, Tendulkar and Mongia finally managed to craft a 136 runs partnership in the 4th innings, which set India well in its pursuit of 271. With India mere 17 runs away from the  target and Tendulkar (136*) out in the middle, the crowd had already started celebrating. But, much like bollywood hits, there was another twist (or shock) left in the game. Saqlain picked crucial wicket of Tendulkar, and along with Wasim, quickly cleaned the tail to grant Pakistan a famous 12 run "win". Players and fans of both teams were stunned; however, their feelings were polar opposites: Pakistanis were immersed in the joy of "victory", whereas Indians were buried in the agony of "defeat". And that's when the final shock decreased disparity between emotions of opposing fans. A huge adrenaline rush lead Pakistani team on a victory lap in Chennai (no, it's not a typo), and much to everyone's surprise, the crowd started applauding! It might just seem a good gesture to some, but you have to understand the history of sub-continent to truly appreciate the gravity of this moment. That day, neither Pakistan won, nor India lost; instead, cricket was victorious! 

Following videos show the final moments of the Chennai test and series highlights respectively: 

Pakistan out of jail? Well, not quite yet

England vs Pakistan, 3rd Test, Day 1, Dubai
Pak 99
Eng 104/6
England lead by 5 runs with 4 wickets in hand

After being bowled out for below 100 in 1st innings of a test match in Asia, it would have been considered impossible to stage a comeback a few years back. But thanks to the advent of the Umpire Decision Review System (UDRS) and the presence of multiple world class bowlers in the Pakistani bowling attack, that is not the case anymore. Pakistan could have been batting again today, had Misbah not missed a couple of tricks: first, he didn't introduce spin when KP came out to bat (poor captaincy) and second, by misusing the UDRS on a couple of occasions (England can be accused of the same mistake though). That being said, I would give England a slight edge because if you glance at Pakistan's recent performances against the tail, there is almost nothing to be proud of. Tomorrow, Pakistan would take the lead of below 50 without thinking twice, but there is still a lot of hard work to be done before we even consider the idea of a whitewash. 

Pakistani cricket team spot-fixing scandal: A blessing in disguise?

Today, when I learned about the release of Mohammad Amir from a British jail, memories of the 2010 spot fixing scandal resurfaced in my mind. I couldn't resist to think about Amir's return to international cricket. Even though I think that criminals should be punished fully for their actions, but my heart has a soft corner for Amir because of his young age and admirable talent. Majority of people deserve a second chance, and in my opinion no one more so than young Amir.

Well all this aside, today, I am more interested in commenting on the positive aspects of the spot-fixing scandal. Unlike many Pakistani cricket fans, I have always considered the spot fixing scandal a blessing in disguise for Pakistan cricket. My reasoning is pretty simple and well apparent: the rise in performance of  the green team since the scandal. Since the disastrous tour of England in 2010, Pakistan have only lost one test, made it to the semifinal of the ODI World Cup and continues to ascend in ICC cricket rankings in tests and ODIs. Not only that, but the phrase "the most consistent thing about Pakistan cricket is it's inconsistency" is no longer valid. We have not only been consistently good against below par teams, but we have also proven ourselves against top-ranked teams like South Africa, Sri Lanka and England away from home. One may argue that UAE is Pakistan's "home" away from home, but don't forget commendable performances in West Indies, New Zealand, Zimbabwe and Bangladesh. Cricket pundits may attribute good results to Misbah's astute leadership and team unity; however, in my opinion, the spot fixing scandal is equally responsible. If there were no spot-fixing scandal, Misbah might not have returned to the team, let alone become a captain. Moreover, after the scandal, it became apparent to players that their actions can speak louder than their words, which not only united them but also brought the best out of them. Hence, instead of accusing foreign elements and now defunct News Of The World of conspiring against Pakistan cricket, we, especially the Pakistani cricket fans, should be thankful to them. 

About me

Hi, my name is Awais and I was born in Buchal Kalan, a town in district Chakwal, Pakistan. After receiving my early education there, I moved to the United States and completed my high school diploma. Later, I graduated from the University of Maryland in College Park with degree in Neurophysiology. My academic and career interests include medicine, medicine and medicine. Inshallah, I will be starting medical school in fall of 2012. My long term goal is not to just become a doctor but also a healer that can combine the science of medicine with the art of caring and compassion to treat physical as well as emotional wounds. Aside from medicine, I like sports and I am a die-hard cricket fan. This blog is for the most part about cricket. I think this much information is plenty for an intro. I promise, you will get to know me better by following my future posts...