Pakistan drop bundle after Ponting chance
So far the 14 fluffed chances in Australia have cost Pakistan over 550 runs
Osman Samiuddin at Bellerive Oval
14-Jan-2010

Out of reach: Khurram Manzoor and Imran Farhat stretch for the ball on another bad day for Pakistan's fielding • Getty Images
Pakistan have dropped 14 catches in this series. There are still a maximum
of four days left and many batsmen to give lives to so the
number could rise. In New Zealand before this affair they dropped,
conservatively, 10 catches, in three matches which means that by the time this Test comes
to an end, they will have missed on average four per match over
the course of their Australasian adventure.
So far the 14 fluffed chances in Australia have cost them over 550 runs;
what cost there has been in morale, mood and momentum nobody can put a
number on. All catches are crucial but some more than others. Of all the
batsmen in the world, the one not to drop when on 0, in uncertain form
and at an advanced age, is Ricky Ponting. Pakistan were fully on top when
Ponting pulled again, this time straight to Mohammad Aamer, only for him to drop one
of the simplest offerings likely to come his way. It changed the day.
Intikhab Alam, Pakistan's coach, was left to repeat the excuse that
Pakistan's camp has been using every day here. It is a
grassroots problem and a serious one. "Yes that was a bad drop and things
would have been different," Intikhab said. "It was an easy catch but again
that was a very vital catch for us. Especially on a wicket like this we
can't give chances.
"When we arrived here I said we had a problem. It's a grassroot problem
back home, people don't take fielding seriously when they play for
associations and departments and regions. This is where we have to work
really hard. It is a serious problem, we practice every day, we practice
all kinds of different drills but at the end of the day they have to do it
themselves."
What can be, or is being, done about it is not clear. Specialist fielding
coaches have been talked about and their usefulness with the Pakistan side
could be argued either way. Jonty Rhodes couldn't do much in 2006, but he
was only with them for two weeks. Mohtashim Rasheed has been with the side
on and off over the last couple of years and when he has been around the
catching hasn't been as poor as it has over these last few months.
The current coaching team is adamant that as much as can be done is being
done. Clearly it is not enough, but they feel no need for a specialist
fielding coach. "Myself, Waqar [Younis] and Aaqib [Javed], the three of
us, work very hard and do different drills," Intikhab said. "A specialist
fielder can come and coach and won't make much difference. At the end of
the day these are the players and they have to have confidence in their
ability. It is serious and we have to address it. It is a debatable point
actually. I don't think he will come with new ideas. We have done
everything and we do it every day. But it's up to the Board now if they
want to have a specialist man for it."
Pakistan's other major obstacle on this tour has been their own lack of
intent, which has been startling at times. It became apparent again here, immediately
after lunch. Pakistan were fully on top then, the pace bowlers had a
wicket each and Ponting was still struggling. Yet Mohammad Yousuf chose to
open the afternoon session with Danish Kaneria, disregarding both Ponting
and Michael Clarke's general command over spin. Aamer didn't bowl through
the entire session, by which time captain and vice-captain were firmly
entrenched.
No clarity emerged as to why they did it, only further evidence - and it
isn't needed - that Pakistan still don't think they can take Australia. "I
don't think it was a mistake to not bowl him [Aamer]," Intikhab said. "It
was very important to keep every bowler fresh. After lunch Kaneria bowled downwind and the idea was to give him a few overs and see
and seamers can bowl at the other end. But it didn't work out that way. We
did talk about it, but we thought if we bowled two seamers again one will
get tired and we will have a problem."
They have a problem now anyway with Australia dominant and looking good
for a fourth successive whitewash against Pakistan. Intikhab is confident
Pakistan can score runs on this track as well, but it matters little now.
"If you analyse the first two Tests, we say senior players are not getting
runs but actually it is the fielding," Intikhab said. "Even though we
haven't got runs, if we had taken those catches still we had a very good
chance of winning it."
Osman Samiuddin is Pakistan editor of Cricinfo