Kamran Abbasi
Haider bright amidst the gloom
Pakistan's replacements provided the only positives from the defeat at Edgbaston
Kamran Abbasi
25-Feb-2013
Pakistan's replacements provided the only positives from the defeat at Edgbaston. Of the two, Zulqarnain Haider was the brighter. Yes, he dropped catches but you might excuse those as debut nerves. He also bagged a golden duck. Nerves again. But despite these setbacks he almost produced an incredible hundred and made himself a major player in a Test match where virtually nothing was expected of him.
It is too early to judge what impact Haider will have on international cricket. At the very least, he should have earned himself the big gloves for the rest of the Test series. This doesn't spell the end for Kamran Akmal. He should still be Pakistan's first choice in limited-overs cricket. And a break from Test cricket might help him resolve the technical problems that have dogged him for nearly five years. It is simply a relief to have choice.
Similarly, Saeed Ajmal made enough of an impact to dislodge Danish Kaneria this summer, which is a graver problem for Kaneria as he is superfluous in other formats. Ajmal has much to prove too but the character he showed at Edgbaston makes him the kind of personality that should be in a Pakistan squad. Unfortunately, Pakistan's ideal long-term solution would be a legspinner or slow left arm bowler to partner the pace attack.
Full postSalman's soldiers fight again
After the fuss over Mohammad Yousuf's return, tiredness and lack of practice have ensured that Salman Butt can fight another battle with his team
Kamran Abbasi
25-Feb-2013
After the fuss over Mohammad Yousuf's return, tiredness and lack of practice have ensured that Salman Butt can fight another battle with his team. It is time to stand and deliver.
Yousuf says he has been unable to practice for almost two weeks. That knowledge combined with the short gap between the first and second Tests raises further questions about the sanity of the Pakistan Cricket Board in rushing back Yousuf from his reverie.
At the toss, Salman pointed at the construction work around Edgbaston, explaining that the building work might look ugly but the finished product will be worth seeing. Nice analogy but any buliding work needs to show evidence of progress or the builders will get the boot. Any half-competent builder will also ensure that the foundations are not dodgy.
Full postButt, where's the logic?
Pakistan's depressing defeat at Trent Bridge has exposed the hollowness of the Pakistan Cricket Board's claims that we are entering a new era in Pakistan cricket
Kamran Abbasi
25-Feb-2013
Pakistan's depressing defeat at Trent Bridge has exposed the hollowness of the Pakistan Cricket Board's claims that we are entering a new era in Pakistan cricket. A ruling body with any sense of purpose, process, or principle would have stuck to its guns as, in the words of the Pakistan captain, the new era is only two Tests old.
First, let's put aside the issue of whether or not Mohammad Yousuf and Younis Khan should have been in the original touring party. They were not. We should also temporarily put aside, although it is difficult, the result at Trent Bridge. It is still one win and one defeat in the reign of Salman. I urge you to focus on the decision to appoint a young captain with a young team. I've been as concerned about the inexperience in this squad as any Pakistan fan. But if these players have been identified as the best to take Pakistan cricket forward they should been allowed a longer run without interference.
Logic suggests that you back that captain and his team. You also back your recently appointed coach, who happens to be one of the greatest cricketers in your country's history. Despite some imaginative spin from Pakistan's cricketing bureaucrats, there is no reason to question the reporting on Cricinfo and elsewhere of the post-match statements made by Salman and Waqar Younis. They were powerful messages that the team required support and time. Indeed, they were a plea for patience. Waqar even questioned why you would recall under prepared Mohammad Yousuf from retirement?
Full postBowlers need a break
For the first hour and a quarter of Friday's play, Pakistan relived the euphoria of Headingley
Kamran Abbasi
25-Feb-2013
For the first hour and a quarter of Friday's play, Pakistan relived the euphoria of Headingley. In ideal conditions, Mohammad Asif produced a beautiful spell of swing bowling to wrap up England's innings unexpectedly quickly.
The fear for Pakistan was that ideal conditions for their bowlers would equate to undesirable conditions for their rookie batsmen. And so it transpired. England, especially James Anderson, bowled almost flawlessly, a performance befitting their growing status in world cricket. But there is no substitute for batting experience in English conditions, and Pakistan's top order simply doesn't have enough of it.
It is a rum do for the bowlers, especially the youngster Mohammad Aamer. You spend just over a day bowling your heart out. You believe you have earned a well-deserved rest, and within a couple of hours you are back at the crease expected to save the team with your batting. In fairness, Aamer and Umar Gul made a decent fist of supporting Shoaib Malik. But Pakistan's bowlers require a mental break as well as a physical one.
Full postBowling legacy lives on
As Pakistan registered their first win in over a decade against Australia it was fitting that two bowlers were at the crease
Kamran Abbasi
25-Feb-2013
As Pakistan registered their first win in over a decade against Australia it was fitting that two bowlers were at the crease. Without a doubt it is the bowlers who have won the match and settled the nerves of Pakistan’s supporters.
In Mohammad Asif, Umar Gul, and the exhilarating Mohammad Aamer, Pakistan have a world-beating bowling attack—one that can provide the backbone for Pakistan’s recovery in international cricket. If Pakistan had batsmen to match, the world might truly be fearful. But that would be too much to ask and atypical of the Pakistan cricket we know, love, and pull our hair out over.
These young bowlers are fortunate to be supported by the wisdom of Waqar Younis, whose passion for his team has been evident on this tour. All the signals from the camp have been that the mood is good and the team upbeat despite a perpetual whirlwind that swirls around Pakistan cricket. The quick recovery from Shahid Afridi’s dramatic departure vindicates their claims.
Full postImran misses launch of renaissance
Imran Khan is a hero, a role model
Kamran Abbasi
25-Feb-2013
Imran Khan is a hero, a role model. He was Pakistan's greatest captain and probably the country's greatest cricketer. He was known for attack not defence. He is a man who speaks his mind, fearless in word and deed. Last week he was inducted into the MCC Hall of Fame, and this week he had the honour of delivering the MCC's Spirit of Cricket Lecture. Today, he is off awarding degrees at Bradford University in his capacity as chancellor of the university. I wonder how he will reflect on his lecture at Lord's?
It was an opportunity to send out a powerful message, a global platform for a Pakistani voice. It was a chance to set out a grand vision, to challenge the establishment, and to provoke. Yet Imran chose defence over attack. The great captain and leader did something I least expected - he played safe.
Imran's themes were familiar, hard to disagree with, and full of entertaining anecdote. Fast bowling, his own specialty, is a dying art that needs revival. Neutral umpires, his initiative, helped restore the spirit of cricket. West Indies of the 1980s, his greatest opponents, were the greatest team in the history of cricket. When your biggest statements are that limited overs cricket is killing Test cricket and that we need more technology to support umpires, you leave your audience with the sense of an opportunity missed.
Full postBoom Boom goes bust
Shahid Afridi's decision to quit the captaincy of the Test team and retire from the format has caused a crisis quicker than anybody could have expected
Kamran Abbasi
25-Feb-2013
Shahid Afridi's decision to quit the captaincy of the Test team and retire from the format has caused a crisis quicker than anybody could have expected. The reaction has been mixed. Afridi has been blamed, and so has the PCB. Others have sympathised with Afridi's plight and praised him for his honesty.
After a weekend of reflection I remain disappointed with Afridi's decision. Yes, it is admirable to be honest and admit your limitations, and perhaps it is best for Pakistan cricket to move on quickly. And, yes, ultimately the cricket board is responsible. But with power comes responsibility and Afridi is experienced enough to know what he was letting himself in for.
My view is that Afridi should have waited until the end of the Australia series before making a decision. Ideally, he would have decided to fight through his own limitations, establish his role in the team, and grow into a worthy captain over this summer. Indeed, there were signs at Lord's that, despite the defeat and an inexperienced batting line up, some of the magic ingredients of Pakistan cricket had returned.
Full postLessons from Lord's
Pakistan's batting fortunes have changed with the Lord's weather
Kamran Abbasi
25-Feb-2013
Pakistan's batting fortunes have changed with the Lord's weather. Facing a world record fourth-innings target, Pakistan have begun to restore some credibility if not hope. At the outset Pakistan's coach Waqar Younis argued this tour was a learning experience for him and his charges.
Lots of good has come out of this Test. The overall bowling effort, two new batsmen have debuted, and Salman Butt and Umar Gul have begun to reassert themselves in Test cricket. But lessons are usually focused on areas for improvement and here are some lessons Waqar might want to consider:
1. Play your best batsman at No.3. Umar Akmal has continued a peculiarly Pakistani tradition of the best batsman in the team shying away from the top spot in the batting order. Senior status comes with a cushion that helps you warm the bench while more junior colleagues suffer. The most alarming statistic of this contest is that it is the first time since Pakistan's inaugural match that the batsmen at Nos 3 and 4 have been making a debut. Umar should have grasped the mantle in the manner that he charges out to the crease.
Full postAfridi attack lifts new Pakistan
Same bowlers, same opposition - but different captain
Kamran Abbasi
25-Feb-2013
Same bowlers, same opposition - but different captain. This was Shahid Afridi's day. In the beginning he sat wrapped up on the balcony of the Lord's pavilion, a fluffy owl. Later, he appeared for the toss, a dapper country gent in blazer and whites, to win an important toss.
The Pakistan captain's final incarnation was as an attacking leader, a giant among midgets--this is after all, one of the shortest Pakistan teams ever to take the field.
Afridi has laid claim to an oubreak of right thinking in the Pakistan camp. It might be true. For a start, the Pakistan players all strode out proudly in green caps, not a floppy hat in sight. Next, Afridi set five slips in an attempt to pressurise the mighty Australians. He has the bowlers to justify his actions. It is the batsmen who he will be most nervous about, if he ever feels nerves.
Full postNo limit on spirit
After an appetising pair of Twenty20 matches, a sterner challenge awaits Shahid Afridi's team
Kamran Abbasi
25-Feb-2013
The spirit of cricket is open to interpretation. Idris Baig, the Pakistani umpire, debagged and doused with water by a touring MCC team, might not appreciate the term. The history of Pakistan cricket in England is a catalogue of conflict, right up to the last tour and the abandoned Hair-Inzamam Test match at The Oval. Australia against Pakistan is similarly loaded, with Lillee-Miandad and Malik-Warne evoking painful memories.
Yet the spirit of cricket strikes the right note for this series. The ECB has turned over part of its summer schedule to the irritants from Pakistan. Cricket Australia has crammed another series into a tight international calendar, already saturated with victories over Pakistan. Lord's and the MCC are welcoming Pakistan cricket in its time of crisis. A fresh wind blows optimism into the hearts of Pakistan supporters.
After an appetising pair of Twenty20 matches, a sterner challenge awaits Shahid Afridi's team. Australia will be unforgiving opponents in Test cricket. Ricky Ponting will return to reassert his team's authority, and the trivial matter of consecutive Twenty20 defeats will be enough incentive to prove a point. The spirit of cricket will be put on hold when the Lord's bell tolls on Tuesday morning.
Full post