Christmas Day.
National holiday in Pakistan.
On this day in 2012 Pakistan played India in a T20 game - Pakistan won Hafeez MOM - Bangalore
On this day in 2013 Pakistan played SL in an ODI game - Pakistan won Hafeez MOM - Abu Dhabi
On this day these Ashes winning players in either 2005, 2009 or 2013 were born
Simon Jones
Marcus Trescothick
Alastair Cook
Thursday 25 December 2014
Sunday 21 December 2014
80th for Hanif Mohammad. The only Pakistan batsman in the ICC Hall of Fame apart from Javed Miandad.
Considered as Pakistan's best batsman to Qamar Ahmed - uncovered pitches, no helmets & all that.
The 337 and 499 were some of the greatest acts of individualism seen.
Here is Saad Shafqat's tribute on the 50th anniversary of the Bridgetown escape. http://www.espncricinfo.com/magazine/content/story/334540.html
Here a TV interview during CWC11, reflecting on his career. After Kenya game in CWC11.
Pakistan's best player during the infancy years.
Tuesday 16 December 2014
Perth 2004
Perth 2004 Test. Glen McGrath was on track for a magic 10 in the fourth innings. 10 years since. Of course, Pakistan previously have given all 10 wickets to a single bowler in the form of Anil Kumble in 1999.
Thursday 4 December 2014
Everyone likes an underdog. They create sporting drama like no one else, should they surprise. They create admirable story lines which can be applicable to several different walks of life, not necessarily on the playing field, but beyond that too. Teams in their infancy only get better with greater participation and exposure, not less. They should be encouraged, particularly in an age where sports are competing for globalisation on the world scale.
The end result is not the be all and the end all. Take the Afghanistan national cricket team who have made unprecedented progress to qualify for the forthcoming 2015 ICC Cricket World Cup, having been in division five of the World Cricket League in 2008. For a country who have suffered appallingly, the rise of their cricket team has improved the social lives of the Afghani people and given them something to enjoy in testing times. It's about the journey. It's about the story. It's about the remarkable progression. With more exposure, funding and playing opportunities, they will only get better. No one improves overnight or without being knocked down along the way as part of the learning curve.
The end result is not the be all and the end all. Take the Afghanistan national cricket team who have made unprecedented progress to qualify for the forthcoming 2015 ICC Cricket World Cup, having been in division five of the World Cricket League in 2008. For a country who have suffered appallingly, the rise of their cricket team has improved the social lives of the Afghani people and given them something to enjoy in testing times. It's about the journey. It's about the story. It's about the remarkable progression. With more exposure, funding and playing opportunities, they will only get better. No one improves overnight or without being knocked down along the way as part of the learning curve.
Technically, they are aggressive ball strikers, prepared to take the aerial route and challenge their boundary hitting capabilities. They have a variety of both seam and spin bowling stocks to work with. Their fielding can be sloppy and shoddy, a definite work in progress. However, perhaps most significantly they have a sense of team camaraderie, all in it together with a shared goal. Togetherness and shared ambitions are the hallmarks of successful sports sides. It’s a fundamental starting point. And Afghanistan has it in abundance.
Associates have caused upsets over the years. Associates are stronger than they ever have been in the game. Through the advent of Twenty20, because of the dicey nature of the format where the chances of upsets increase as there is less time for a stronger team to comeback should they be having an off day, associates are gaining greater confidence on the world stage.
High profile championships such as a World Cup lose its value with only a small number of sides playing. The greater the numbers of participants the better, assuming the format of the competition isn’t a drag. It’s time cricket abandons its elitist attitude and plays a more encouraging and supportive role towards their growth and subsequently the growth of the game, too.
Afghanistan have the potential to win a few games against teams such as Bangladesh and Scotland at the World Cup, both who have prior experience in the mega tournament. It’s a triumph just to reach where they are, given the odds stacked against them. However, they will dearly want to make their presence felt and walk away with some wins. Otherwise, it’s a bit like going to Rome and not seeing the pope. Regardless of the results, this is only the start of a remarkable sporting journey of a country who have suffered appallingly down the years. There is light at the end of the tunnel and thankfully sport is taking a pivotal lead in this.
Corruption from players is one of the toughest challenges the world of sport faces in the modern age. Trust is lost from the spectators. Integrity is questioned. Heroes are made into zeroes. Suspicion levels are raised every time there is an incident which comes across as dramatic or unusual in the future chain of events, rather than being an unbelievable piece of high class sporting drama to entertain the audience. The thought of match fixing or spot fixing circles the mind. One is questioning the very product they are viewing. Do the individuals participating have an ulterior motive in mind as opposed to giving their maximum best at every given opportunity? And subsequently enhancing their chances of success.
No individual is bigger than the game. Nothing is more significant than the credibility of the sport. One cannot be naive. A strong precedent must be established. A strong message must be sent.
Governing bodies and national boards need to set the benchmark with a zero tolerance approach towards those who abuse the privileges associated with representing a team in a professional environment. Few get the opportunity to play top level sport. Many dream of, but never get anywhere remotely close. How possibly could one abuse the privileges if they are provided with the opportunity many dream of, only to fall short of chasing such dreams by variable margins?
There are several measures which can be taken to tackle the growing problem. Strong deterrents can include educational programmes, strict punishments and introducing a higher salary to provide the necessary financial security which ensures that players do not need to get into such type of activities in order to earn sufficiently. In certain parts of the world and in certain sports the salaries are too low and therefore can tempt athletes into entering troubled waters.
Perhaps the biggest deterrent of all, could be the track records and achievements statistics are totally nullified should a participator be caught and found guilty. Everything they have ever achieved in the game is gone and falls under the category of "anonymous." All that training, dedication and effort in their career will therefore count for nothing. There will be no evidence to back up what they have achieved. It will wiped out with the click of a button. This surely will make people think twice before engaging in such shameful activities which bring their team and more importantly the wider game into disrepute.
For example Lance Armstrong in cycling. He had various prestigious titles taken away from him. An unthinkable fall from grace. If more sports follow such a procedure, corruption could be minimised for the better. One wonders why they don't already? Without the fundamentals of integrity, all past achievements are futile. Sport must take a lead in that. One should not be able to cherish what they have achieved for the rest of their careers, if they fall over that dreaded line. Corruption is a major issue. There is little option but to take extremely bold steps. Sport has that precious ability to inspire and bring about change like nothing before. It's survival has to be at the forefront of everyone's minds. Being ruthless in acting against it is the only way forward.
In statistically dominated sports where individuals get pride, pleasure and satisfaction from their numbers which reflect achievements and performances over a career, perhaps the option of that being nullified will reduce the number of match fixing cases. It may to be too idealistic to expect games to be 100% clean. But the closer to 100% the better.
No individual is bigger than the game. Nothing is more significant than the credibility of the sport. One cannot be naive. A strong precedent must be established. A strong message must be sent.
Governing bodies and national boards need to set the benchmark with a zero tolerance approach towards those who abuse the privileges associated with representing a team in a professional environment. Few get the opportunity to play top level sport. Many dream of, but never get anywhere remotely close. How possibly could one abuse the privileges if they are provided with the opportunity many dream of, only to fall short of chasing such dreams by variable margins?
There are several measures which can be taken to tackle the growing problem. Strong deterrents can include educational programmes, strict punishments and introducing a higher salary to provide the necessary financial security which ensures that players do not need to get into such type of activities in order to earn sufficiently. In certain parts of the world and in certain sports the salaries are too low and therefore can tempt athletes into entering troubled waters.
Perhaps the biggest deterrent of all, could be the track records and achievements statistics are totally nullified should a participator be caught and found guilty. Everything they have ever achieved in the game is gone and falls under the category of "anonymous." All that training, dedication and effort in their career will therefore count for nothing. There will be no evidence to back up what they have achieved. It will wiped out with the click of a button. This surely will make people think twice before engaging in such shameful activities which bring their team and more importantly the wider game into disrepute.
For example Lance Armstrong in cycling. He had various prestigious titles taken away from him. An unthinkable fall from grace. If more sports follow such a procedure, corruption could be minimised for the better. One wonders why they don't already? Without the fundamentals of integrity, all past achievements are futile. Sport must take a lead in that. One should not be able to cherish what they have achieved for the rest of their careers, if they fall over that dreaded line. Corruption is a major issue. There is little option but to take extremely bold steps. Sport has that precious ability to inspire and bring about change like nothing before. It's survival has to be at the forefront of everyone's minds. Being ruthless in acting against it is the only way forward.
In statistically dominated sports where individuals get pride, pleasure and satisfaction from their numbers which reflect achievements and performances over a career, perhaps the option of that being nullified will reduce the number of match fixing cases. It may to be too idealistic to expect games to be 100% clean. But the closer to 100% the better.
Pak have won 6 of their last 16 LOIs
Pak have won 2 of their last 10 ODIs against major teams
Pak have lost 6 of their last 7 ODIs
Pak have lost their last 2 Twenty20s
All in Asia
Might as well not turn up in Aus
2 each
World Cup, Champions Trophy = India
Asia Cup, World Twenty20 = Sri Lanka
Under 19 World Cup, Test Number 1 = South Africa
Women’s World Cup, Women’s World T20 = Australia
World Cricket League, World T20 qualifier = Ireland
Sydney, Bangalore, Manchester, Centurion, Mohali and now
Adelaide
The cancer of the Pakistan ODI side is back in the team…
you know who
Aakash Chopra’s guide as an opener on Australian wickets http://www.espncricinfo.com/magazine/content/story/546827.html
Ajay Jadeja promotes South Australia https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L9JgDUiEyOk&safe=active
Waz doesn’t know the groups – they’ve only been out since July
2013! Embarrassing for an international commentator
5 Major
Tournaments in Hockey
World Cup
Olympics
Commonwealth Games
Asian Games
Champions Trophy
Cricket
World Cup
Champions Trophy
World T20
Under-19 World Cup
Asia Cup
Pak won the Asia Cup in the 20th anniversary
month of their 1992 victory. Can the hockey side celebrate the 20th
anniversary month of their 1994 victory by winning the Champions Trophy?
Pak-SA
Last at Eden Park http://www.espncricinfo.com/ci/engine/current/match/473928.html
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