Monday, January 21, 2008

The Promise of Better Results

Pakistan and Zimbabwae ODI series has started. The Pakistan captain Shoaib Malik has promised better results. Frankly, I do not understand what he is trying to say. Is he implying that Pakistan will do better than the 2-3 performance in India? Or perhaps he is saying that Pakistan will do better than they have been doing in the past in general?

Honestly, this is a ridiculous statement to make. Anything less than a 5-0 result will be a disappointing result for the home side. Even a 5-0 result would not be something to celebrate. This series should be used by the home side to try some youngsters and give them sort of a cricket entrance test to see if there is any potential. Hopefully, we will see the team selections in the ODIs to reflect this strategy.

Historically, however, we have a habit of making meaningless and trivial victories and treating them as pivotal turning points in Pakistan cricket. We did this after the last World Cup when we beat Sri Lanka in an ODI series in which Sri Lanka played their 'C' team and we hailed that as a momentous victory that reflected reversal of our cricket fortunes and thats what continued the troubles in Pakistan cricket. We need to learn that winning and losing is important but not the end all; you need to see what the situation, opponent and skill level of the opponent is. It is my hope that we do not treat a victory in the ODI series versus Zimbabwae as nothing more than just uncovering some 'potential' talent. But I think our press, public and the players themselves are going to hail this as an impressive and awesome victory!

Make your pitch on this post...



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10 Pitched:

  1. Soulberry said...
     

    I was watching out for the match after Q's thumbnail introduction of Pakistan's new talent.

    He has been spot on in his subsequent article on who would open.

    My congratulations to him and I cannot but agree with you too when you say 5-0 is what would be some sort of an indicator. However, Zimbo has the penchant for throwing an surprising unpleasant punch...Pakistan should watch out for that.

    Today's match is almost won and Jamshed looked good.

  2. Q said...
     

    Actually SB, if u see the 'subsequent article' the XI that I have noted down there is the exactly the XI that played today.

    Whats interesting to note is that the XI in that article is what I had heard the chief selector wanted but not Shoaib Malik. Meaning the chief selector got his way at the end - a changing of guard in Pakistan cricket with the board having more say than the players?

    If thats the case then it can only be good as that is what happens in Australia and now we're seeing India adopt that approach as well.

    5-0 or 4-1 would mean little in this series altough Nazhar is right that the media and PCB will term that as a turnaround. It will be anything but that.

    What a 5-0 win will do though is surely give the players some confidence which has been dented badly in the recent past.

  3. Jrod said...
     

    I'm getting the feeling that Shoaib Malik doesnt think before he speaks.

  4. Q said...
     

    Uncle J, I think thats a problem with his command over the English language. He thinks in Urdu and when he speaks in English it probably comes out in a different way and means something else :-)

    For example. Before saying "I promise better results in the series against Zimbabwe" he could have thought to himself "Yeh series to jeetni hai, bahut haar liye India aur South Africa se. Zimbabwe se nahin haar sakte"

    Now that translated means - "We have to win this series. We've lost enough to India and SA, we can't lose to Zimbabwe".

    When he said it though, we all know what he said :-)

  5. Jrod said...
     

    Then my question would be, does he need to speak at press conferences in english?

    Is that a prerequisite?

  6. Q said...
     

    On foreign tours it has to be Uncle J cause all the journalists speak and understand English.

    At home though, i.e. in Pakistan the press conferences are usually held in Urdu. In that case maybe its the reporters who translate what is said in a different way.

    Add to that the reporter's 'own interpretation' and what comes out in the papers is...well we all know what it is.

  7. NAzhar said...
     

    I think it is dangerous to get confidence from a 5-0 win over Zimbabwae - we all know how much their cricket is struggling at the moment!

  8. Q said...
     

    When I meant by confidence as indvidual confidence, batting form, bowling form, etc.

    For example Nasir's innings yesterday - it would have given him a lot of confidence to play against stronger opposition.

    Plus its also a opportunity for struggling players to work their way back into good form.

  9. Soulberry said...
     

    If youngsters are playing, they have to begin somewhere and grow from there. While some wins are wins and others are just wins, I'm sure every sportsperson prefers to win rather than lose. They feed off it....

    I read both your articles Q, fine ones.

  10. Q said...
     

    Thank u SB :-)

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