I have started talking about the next IPL season.

Finally!

It's here.

If I were advising the IPL franchises, my 16 picks would be:

Pietersen, Flintoff, Shakib, Ryder, Duminy, Haddin, Clarke, Tait, Ashraful, Tharanga, Blizzard, Shah, Edwards, Dwayne Smith, Tamim Iqbal, and Mortaza.

Why the other 95 are even there is beyond me.

Not long ago I wrote about how Australia's ODI team excited me.

How could they not?

How could any side with a batting order that reads Marsh, Warner, Ponting, Clarke, Hussey, Hussey, Haddin, White, Hopes not excite you?

Well when they get thrashed 4-1 it makes you wonder.

It makes you wonder of the JP Duminys, the AB De Villiers, the Hashim Amlas and the likes.

It scares me to think that if a South African team sans Smith, Boucher, Kallis, Steyn, and Ntini can so easily beat Australia, what can they do to other opposition?

More importantly, what can they do when Smith, Boucher, Kallis, Steyn, and Ntini are back in the side?

Add that to Gibbs, AB, Duminy, Albie Morkel, Morne Morkel, and anyone out of Amla, Prince, McKenzie, Tsotsobe, Parnell, Harris, Botha, Jaarsveld, or whoever and you have a World Champion.

While the fall out from the ODI series against Sri Lanka was still being felt in Pakistan, Jayawardene and company have already started another ODI series against Dhoni's men.

The 1st ODI seemed like a walk in the park for Dhoni & Co. They didn't even break a sweat while chasing down that total.

After the 80 odd year old Jayasuriya smashed a ton that became the ton scored by the oldest ODI player ever, I thought the match would have gone away from India.

But Jayawardene has learnt the art to throw things away lately. Yeah so he didn't do it in Pakistan, but largely against Bangladesh and now India, a good start was thrown away.

246? You need a 100 more to contain this Indian batting line up.

Especially when your M&Ms take only 1 wicket between themselves.

And will Murali finally get that record. I've been hearing about it since the Lankans came to Paksitan. Well we know he's about to get past Wasim Akram and don't need to be reminded of that everytime he's about to play a match.

And whatsup wtih Mendis? As soon as his bowling average tipped the 10 mark he lost the art of picking wickets.

He couldn't do it in Pakistan. He couldn't do it in the 1st ODI against India.

With Sehwag back tomorrow, he might not do it in this series at all.

Not that bad, but something tells me he's trying a bit too much. Much like his captain. Much like Lanka actually.

The Lankans needs to stop playing already. They've been playing for as long as I can remember without a break. And they don't seem like getting one soon either.

They don't even complain. Not even with the oldest ODI player on their side.

Another 4 ODIs against India. A 20-20. Tests against Pakistan. IPL. World 20-20. Pakistan again. Who knows what after that.

What do they eat?

Abra Ka Dabra is what Pakistan's new captain, Younis Khan, wants his players to say to overcome the problems that the country's cricket team has been facing.

And I was always told not to believe in magic!

After a record breaking defeat, hastily arranged meetings between the Chairman and Malik, the selectors, other board members, and Younis, it was announced that Malik had stepped down and Younis was the new captain.

What went on behind those closed doors, no one knows, but I am intrigued to find out what it was that Ijaz Butt offered to Younis that made him accept a job he had declined twice before.

I tried to dig but I don't have the answer.

I do have some quotes though from the Chairman and the new captain, which I will try and read into.

"We haven't sacked Malik. In fact, I met Malik and told him about the situation, as the whole nation felt disappointed over the team's poor performance and a lot of people wanted a change. That is why I requested Malik to step down and he gracefully accepted" said Butt.

That essentially means that Pakistan were humiliated, no one wanted Malik as captain anymore, so we asked him to get lost. He had no choice but to listen to us.

"He (Younus) must have some reasons for not taking the captaincy before" said Butt.

I know why he didn't take the captaincy before, so I made sure I gave him what he asked for.

"I didn't need to think twice this time in accepting the post" Younis told Cricinfo.

Butt gave me everything I asked for so I accepted. There was no way I could have turned that offer down.

"It is and it isn't a tough challenge in a sense. Captaincy is always tough, but I've already been captain before and I don't think you can be in a tougher situation than the 2006 Champions Trophy, when we lost Shoaib and Asif a day before the tournament."

Captaincy is easy and it is hard. Really I don't know what it is. I have done it before so I know what it is but honestly I don't really know. Before I kept thinking about what if Shoaib and Asif were here, now I know they are not here. So it will be easy to not think.

"I will try and fix things that aren't right at the moment"

I will kick all those players who don't listen to me out of the team.

"But the boys will all have to get together and wave their magic wands. I can't just wave it by myself"

The boys will have to learn magic tricks and learn how to say 'abra ka dabra' in sync, otherwise the magic will not work. If I do it alone, it will not work. Afridi, Gul, Salman, Sohail, Misbah, they all will have to do it together. Only then will we create magic.

"I'm at the age now where I don't have a huge amount of time, but still some time"

You don't know my real age as we all fake it in Pakistan so you don't really know if I have a lot of time or not.

"Fitness permitting I can still play another three-four years, but it's not the same as if you're younger and can really plan long-term"

If everyone keeps following my orders, there's no reason why I can't remain captain for the next 3-4 years. Either way I am approaching 40 so I can't really plan long term.

"There is enough time to make a mark though. Difficult decisions will have to be made and you have to be brave to be captain"

As I said, no one really knows I'm close to 40. Everyone thinks I'm 31 so I have enough time. Malik liked some players and kept them in the team. I don't like any of them so I will drop all of them even if they are your favorites.

"But I have nothing to lose and I'm naturally aggressive so that will come through in my captaincy"

I am natural born pathan and you will see that in my captaincy. I will fight against anyone who does not listen to me and I will not lose because I am a pathan.

As of going to press, news had come in that Younis Khan's top most demand was to have a pathan dominated team. With 4 pathans already in the XI (Younis, Afridi, Gul, and Sohail Khan), it is believed that Yasir Hameed and Mohammad Rizwan will also be roped in.

On the bright side, it was also brought to our notice that Younis Khan is the first pathan to be appointed captain of Pakistan since Imran Khan.

I hope he read my letter and that got him thinking.

Prior to the series against Sri Lanka, he had just returned to Pakistan after a successful stint with Western Australia, whom he represented in the KFC Twenty20 Bash, Australia's domestic 20-20 competition.

He was spotted wearing the Western Australia colors during one of the team's practice sessions.

Showing people your Aussie colors Gul?

Well he has every reason to.

The Twenty20 Big Bash is still going on. The final is tomorrow. Gul has been back in Pakistan for 10 days now. Yet he's still the leading wicket taker of the competition.

Shows why he's one of the finest when it comes to 20-20.

A century partnership in only their 2nd outing together, Marsh & Warner showed glimpses of what to expect going forward.

No one would have expected that Australia would be starting their innings off with such a young pair.

I believe its the youngest pair they've had in a long long time.

Quite a pair its going to turn out to be.

Warner the aggressor, Marsh the accumulator.

Thats what they showed earlier today.

I reckon this is one partnership that will go down in the books and be mentioned in the same breath as Haynes & Greenidge, Sachin & Saurav, Sehwag & Gambhir, and for some Hayden & Gilchrist.

I know its too early for they are only in their 2nd game together.

What they showed today, definitely has the makings of one of the greatest pairs.

Atleast on the ODI level.

Now that's a Player!

Read the latest on the Shakibbing.

Dear Shoaib,

I still remember your debut test about 12 years ago when Wasim Akram drafted you as part of a 4-man pace attack to take on the West Indies at your home ground in Rawal Pindi. You impressed everyone with your pace, and for once there was a pacer in Pakistan's ranks that outshone both Wasim and Waqar.

From there you went to South Africa and at Durban, in only your 3rd test, you took your first 5 wicket haul and helped Pakistan to their first ever test victory on South African soil. I still remember Kallis, Hudson, Boucher, and Klusener loosing their stumps to your blistering yorkers.

A sensation had arrived and you went on to prove that to us in many ways.

You rocked Kolkata blowing away Dravid and Sachin off consecutive deliveries giving Sachin the first golden duck of his career.

Then I had the pleasure of watching you live in action for the first time as you mesmerized the Sharjah crowd with your opening spells against England and India. Knight, Stewart, Thorpe, Ganguly, Azharuddin, Jadeja had no answer to your pace.

You went on to continue that awesome display in the 1999 World Cup, leading Pakistan into the final and ending the competition as one of the highest wicket takers. For me, your wicket of Steve Waugh stands out as one of your best from those days.

Later in the year you continued to impress in Australia in both the tests and ODIs. You had Steve Waugh a number of times. As you did Ponting and Gilchrist. You conquered the best down under.

You returned to Sharjah and in one of your best ever bowling displays removed Boucher, Benkenstein and Klusener in one over to give Pakistan a famous unlikely victory over South Africa. I still remember your figures of 3-9 of only 4 overs from that match.

Then the Kiwis bore the brunt of your force.

They had no answer to your pace as you blew them away in New Zealand, in Sharjah, and in Pakistan. Multiple 5 wicket hauls against the hapless kiwis and the Rawal Pindi express continued to march on despite chucking and ball tampering controversies.

I was there in Lahore when you bowled that 101.6 mile per hour delivery. I don't remember who the batsman was but from the Imran Khan Stand, I watched the speedometer go above a 100 and you officially became the first man to cross the 100 mph barrier.

You were the star Shoaib.

You were Pakistan's star.

It was Australia's turn again, when in Melbourne, in the enclosed stadium, your effort enabled Pakistan to an unlikely ODI series win against the world champions in their own back yard.

In what I reckon ranks among your best ever bowling displays you single handedly dismantled the Aussies, picking them up one after the other. Ponting, Martyn, Lehmann, Bevan, none survived in front of you.

You repeated that effort in a test soon after in Colombo when your 4 over spell almost won the match for Pakistan. Ponting, both the Waughs, Gilchrist, and Warne, all went within 4 overs of fiery bowling.

I was in awe.

The Aussies were in awe.

You were among the best pacement in the world.

It didn't stop there.

You went on to conquer Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, India, New Zealand before returning to Australia again where you lit up Perth and Melbourne with amazing bowling displays and more 5 wicket hauls. Ponting and Lehmann still had no answer to you, and this time you dominated Hayden as well.

You brushed aside injuries and questions regarding your fitness and showed the world that you were still a force to reckon with when you took on the English at home.

Wickets came in abundance on dead Pakistan pitches and you ended that series with a magnificent 5 wicket haul in Lahore leading Pakistan to a 2-0 test win, after which, the Ashes winning captain declared your 17 wickets as the difference between the two sides.

You were on top of the world.

You were Pakistan's hero.

But then tragedy struck.

You got injured. Your knees gave way. Your career was threatened and doctors said that you may never play again.

You went through surgery.

I didn't know if you would ever play again. But I hoped that you would. And you did.

Against all odds you regained your fitness and joined the Pakistan team in England in the summer, and as always you blew away the opposition in the ODIs. You were back in full force, at full pace, and those yorkers were still alive. Strauss, Collingwood, Bell, and others all saw yet again what Shoaib Akhtar was all about.

Pakistan still loved you.

You were still at the top.

When another tragedy struck.

You tested positive for a banned substance. Nandronolone was found in your urine sample and you faced a ban. The world suspected that you had taken injections to speed your recovery from career threatining injuries. You got banned for 2 years.

But I knew you would be back.

Pakistan could not lose its star.

We were still behind you.

I was still behind you.

The ban, as expected, just or not, was overturned and you were back.

You returned once again and yet another time led Pakistan to a test victory in South Africa as De Villiers, Amla, Kallis, Pollock fell victim to your pace.

This return though was also short lived as you got injured, argued with Pakistan's late coach, and returned home.

You missed the world cup due to injury, though I knew it was probably because of that substance in your blood. Everyone thought it was over for you, but I knew you will come back.

And come back you did.

You went to India and played all the tests. You looked like the only bowler Pakistan had and your single minded and single handed effort showed but lacked the support. You were still the bowler we loved. Fitness concerns were there but you battled all criticism and all concerns and fought.

But then yet another tragedy.

You fell out with the authorities.

It seemed as if Pakistan did not want you anymore as the PCB banned you and the players did not give you any support. It was hardly any wrong doing at your part but you still suffered. Yet again your career came to a stand still and no one knew if you would come back.

But I knew this was not the end. This could not be the end.

Yet again, as always, come back you did. This time in gold and black for the Knight Riders, and as always in your first game, you dismantled Sehwag, Gambhir, De Villiers, and Tiwary and you made me proud.

You were still the star and you still had it in you. I knew you were not going to go down without a fight.

You fought on the field and off it as well. You appeared in domestic games and showed that you were fit enough to play for Pakistan. You fought the battles in court and proved that the PCB was wrong.

You made the return in Pakistan colors again and you came down to Abu Dhabi.

I saw you bowl with good pace in the nets. I saw you bowl of a full run before the start of the matches. But you did not play a single game. Maybe you weren't fit enough but I believed that soon you will be.

My belief came true two days ago when I saw you in the starting XI for the match against Sri Lanka. Pakistan's star was back. But you were not the same.

You were not the same Shoaib. You lacked the pace. The batsmen picked you up with ease. You didn't even bowl your full quota of overs. You did not look the same pacer that had created fear among the best batsmen around the world.

This morning, I did not think that you would play. But you were there again. In the XI and on the field with the new ball in hand. But yet again the pace wasn't there. It was even lower than yesterday. In the field you seemed lost. You looked tired. You looked jaded. You could not chase balls, you could not bowl fast, you could not bowl.

You are not the star you once were and despite all your comebacks against all odds you are not the same Shoaib Akhtar that we have known and loved over the years. Your body has given way and you cannot bowl at the same pace you used to.

And with the one thing you cherished gone, I believe its time that you let the game go as well.

Let Pakistan go Shoaib.

I beg of you.

Do it now, before it gets too late. Before your captain, your coach, and your supporters lose faith in you.

Make the call before they do.

Put your hand up and hang up your boots Shoaib.

Don't let them kick you out because then it will leave me hoping for another one of your comebacks.

You need to make this decision for yourself.

I won't have it any other way.

Pakistan won't have it any other way.

It is always a pleasure to read an outsider's view on Pakistan cricket.

Glad to see that someone else also recognises the talent this side possesses, and that if off-the-field shenanigans are ignored, on-the-field Pakistan hasn't been all that bad a cricket team.

Thank you Nesta.

The questions were raised.

How do you tackle him? how good is he? Do you read him from the hand or off the pitch? How many videos of him have you seen?

There was a brief response from the coach.

We have analysed him; we have a strategy, but that was between me and the team.

The media caught something:

Pakistan's batsmen have been practising on shorter pitches to try and counter the threat of Ajantha Mendis.

The key men spoke.

Intikhab Alam:

"I can't tell you the details but we are looking at everything. If Mendis was hit around by a player we check who the batsman was and how he went about it. Some say play him from the hand, some say off the pitch. But the thing is he's quick, so whatever we do, we have to decide properly. We will definately be positive and attack him."

Shoaib Malik:

“Mendis is a relatively new bowler and we have prepared a strategy to tackle him”

“It’s (the strategy) a secret and you will know about it during the series.”

Misbah Ul Haq:

"We will definitely try to attack and unnerve him"

"We saw him in the Asia Cup and even though he took four wickets, he went for a few runs"

"We are practicing a lot for Mendis"

"We're playing bowlers from shorter distances so we can counter the fast pace. There is no reason why we cannot handle him because all Pakistan players are good against spin."

“Nobody’s scared of him (Mendis)”

The Result.

BAW Mendis 7 0 41 0

I'm not sure why Australia opened with Micheal Hussey in the 1st ODI but now with Clarke gone, Hussey will go back to doing what he does best - finishing.

But whose going to open then?

Hopes? Haddin?

Nope!

I'm sure everyone out there is already aware of who has been called in to replace Micheal Clarke and join Shaun Marsh at the top of the order.

Are you excited?

I am.

More than ever I think.

The prospect of watching these two open the innings is just too much.

It could be the start of something special.

Very special.

A great pair in the making?

Possibly.

Fireworks?

Definitely!

Lick your lips gentelmen, and the ladies, for Australia tomorrow opens with...

Shaun Marsh and David Warner.

Did you read that?

Shaun Marsh and David Warner.

Reckon the South Africans must be having a sleepless night.

For the viewers - spend your night licking your lips because tomorrow your jaw might not close for as long as these two bat.

Marsh & Warner.

Sounds like the new law firm in town.

Moses, you were right.

... do a tribute post for Matthew Hayden and wonder whether he's retired to become a fisherman or a cook or maybe both in a sea food restaurant.

Irrespective, I believe Australia have lost the man who put into practice Steve Waugh's plans for winning first sessions of test matches. Without those starts, Australia of the last decade would not have been Australia.

... refute Mohammad Yousuf's disgruntled arguements regarding Malik's captaincy, his status as a member of the ODI team, and how India hasn't backed Pakistan in times of need.

MoYo needs a reality check.

... laugh, write, and provide evidence against Ponting's claim that Hayden might be the best opener ever in the history of cricket.

Ponting needs to get on to StatsGuru.

... write about how the last World Cup held in the subcontinent turned a minnow into a champion and how the next one could do the same.

Bangladesh need to continue Shakibbing.

... ponder over why Fawad Alam was dropped without ever getting a chance to prove himself while remaining with the squad for over 2 years.

Pakistan selectors need more consistency.

... highlight Sehwag's comment on Hayden - "I haven't seen an attacking batsman of such calibre".

Sehwag needs to take a look at the mirror.

... be amazed at Sri Lanka slipping to 6-5 and then be shocked at Muralitharan playing a match winning knock!

Lanka's batting needs work.

... point out that for the first time since he started playing ODI cricket, Mendis' bowling average topped the 10.0 mark.

Mendis needs to be more consistent.

... wonder which IPL team will snap Shakib Al Hasan and how he will probably be the star attraction at next month's auction.

Shakib needs a million dollar contract.

... describe JP Duminy's amazing run with the bat in all forms of the game and how South Africa had a ready replacement for Kallis once Prince gets fit.

Kallis needs to go. Duminy is here to stay.

... list the things Sehwag does in his free time if he doesn't listen to people, watch TV, or read the papers.

Sehwag needs some entertainment.

... gag at ICC's list of all time greats.

ICC needs to stop rating players.

... be amazed at Warne's and Mcgrath's awe of David Warner.

Warner needs to be pinched.

... write about how Pakistan plan to cope against Murali and Mendis.

Pakistan needs to do a lot and I will talk about it... soon.

Over the last week I had all these points jotted down as topics for my posts.

Never happened.

Been a busy week.

What happens when one of your favorite cricketers goes up against another?

Or rather, lets say one of the flavors of the season comes up against another flavor of the season?

There are bound to be fireworks, and one is going to come out on top.

There will be winners and there will be losers.

There will be heroes and there will be villians.

No villians or Heroes here. I'm having my Heroes withdrawals since it went on a 3 week break.

There was a Hero though, down at the Bangla stadium in Bangladesh.

The same Hero I have been talking about over at the BCC!

Shakib!

The Lankans experienced some SHAKIBBING, and that too not for the first time.

I'm telling you this kid is quite something.

He's had a phenomenol 2008 and 2009 promises to be even more so.

I reckon that if Bangladesh are to one day become a force in international cricket, Shakib Al Hasan will be at the forefront of that force.

Ashraful, Rahim, Iqbal, and Murtaza won't be far behind, but this 21 year old will be the one to watch out for.

If you have been busy following the global media coverage of the Warners and the Ryders, and the Pietersens and the Haydens, make sure you go back and catch up on some SHAKIBBING.

And some more.

In case you've missed it, I'll take you on a quick trip down memory lane.

It all started with two magnificent ODI innings of 75 and 108 against Pakistan in April last year. The first one almost helped Bangladesh chase down 308.

He seems to have a thing for those big run chases.

Bowling figures: 2-50 and 1-34.

Then came that test match against New Zealand in October.

7-36 to rock the kiwis and an innings of 71 to give them a difficult target, which the Kiwis managed with just 3 wickets left.

It was another nearly effort by Shakib.

He's got the Bangladeshis close a number of times, soon he'll be closing the deal for them too.

A month later was a tour down to South Africa.

Two innings losses for Bangladesh against the best test side of 2008, but Shakib, with 5-130 and 6-99 showed that that 7 wasn't a fluke.

On the same tour, Shakib had shown South Africa what he was capable of in the 1st ODI of the series. He was the pick of the bowlers with 2-48 and yet again got Bangladesh close to the target with a knock of 51.

He doesn't disappoint this kid.

Alright, so he doesn't finish the job, but I'm telling you a few more years and he will be what Aravinda De Silva was for Sri Lanka.

Pakistan done, New Zealand done, South Africa done.

Now it was Sri Lanka's turn.

First he bundled Jayawardene, King Sanga and Co. for below 300 with yet another 5 wicket haul, his 4th in as many months.

Then he gave them a scare with a beautious 96 that got Bangladesh to within a 100 runs of an impossible 4th innings target of 521.

The next test against the Lankans was a more sedate one but Shakib still managed a 4 wicket haul in the 1st innings and a knock of 46 in the 2nd.

Then the year turned and the Zimbabwe joined the two Asians for a tri-series.

They must have heard of Shakib and the ing.

Surely they must have.

And they got it too.

3-23 and an innings of 52.

Bangladesh though, still not over the winning line.

Today, however, was different.

Sri Lanka bowled out for 147 without a single wicket to Shakib - shocking!

Bangladesh, with an easy target to chase, down at 11-3 - not shocking!

Who do you call?

Shakib ofcourse!

From 11-3, it took Shakib a mere 20 overs to smash an unbeaten 92 and take Bangladesh to victory and to the final of the tri-series.

I'm telling you, with time this would be the norm.

Shakib at the forefront of every Bangla victory.

Wait and Watch!

Shoaib Akhtar

Umar Gul

Sohail Tanvir

Rao Iftikhar

Sohail Khan

Yasir Arafat

I'm not listing the fast bowling options that Pakistan has but the names of those pacers that have been included in Pakistan's squad for the 1st ODI against Sri Lanka later this month.

Pace seems to be the order of the day and from what I have heard the pitches to be prepared for the series are going to be quicker and bouncier.

Thats what the PCB has ordered the groundsmen to do.

Good thinking that from whoever it was.

It was definitely not Javed Miandad as he had recently ordered all the wickets for the domestic matches to be more batsmen-friendly.

Don't even ask why but he had.

Looks like Abdul Qadir and possibly Intikhab Alam had some plans in mind and its good they managed to keep Miandad out of the selection process.

Fast wickets. Fast men.

Sounds good to me.

But then where the selectors do right, they blunder and do wrong as well.

Its good to see the pacers, Sohail Khan and Yasir Arafat, back in the fold but where's Nasir Jamshed?

He was unfit for the Abu Dhabi series against West Indies and was replaced by Khurram Manzoor, but surely Nasir was the preferred one for the longer term.

Nasir played some outstanding innings during 2008 and impressed one and all.

Khurram did alright as his replacement, but Nasir definitely deserves to be the first choice opener given his performances.

The selectors in the past destroyed the careers of Imran Nazir, Imran Farhat, Tuafeeq Umar, and Yasir Hameed by chopping and changing them as openers without giving either of them a fair run.

They are nor doing the same with Nasir, Khurram, and Khalid Latif.

It would be better for Pakistan cricket if they stick to one of them for a longer period and give one a proper chance.

Nasir should have been the choice.

The selectors have also inducted a fresh face in the squad in the form of Umar Amin.

Umar has played some brilliant knocks at the under 19 level and was also the second highest scorer in the RBS Pentangular One Day competition recently.

He is definitely one for the future, but again I feel the selectors should let these youngsters bide their time at the domestic level before pushing them on to the international stage.

There was no reason why Nasir could not have been in the squad instead of Umar had the selectors wanted to continue with Khurram.

The rest of the squad are the usual suspects including Malik, Afridi, Misbah, Younis, Akmal, and Salman Butt.

Good to see that they have retained Saeed Ajmal as well.

As always, its a mixed bag from the PCB selectors. On paper the team looks good, on the field its always another story.

But if they stick to the script that dictates pace, it might bring back the shades of Pakistan of old.

Regular readers of Well Pitched are well aware of my fascination of Ajantha Mendis.

The man is a freak and every now and then I come out with a small reminder of his abilities.

The last time I spoke of him was during his 18th ODI when I expected him to pick up his 50th ODI wicket and become the fastest man to that mark.

That never happened and for a change Mendis went wicket less.

But it happened this morning.

19th ODI, 3 wickets.

Total tally - 51.

51 wickets in 19 matches.

Fastest by a fair margin.

His ODI bowling average is still below the 10 mark!

Sure he's played the minnows recently but don't forget how he tamed India.

The tougher opposition will come soon and Mendis seems all set to take them on.

For Well Pitched's previous coverage on Mendis can be found on the following links.

Part 1.

Part 2.

It may as well be a coincidence but there's no harm in assuming that Peter English read the title of my post on David Warner and then wrote this.

Either that or Mr. English I and think along some similar lines.

Or maybe its just the name David has.

Warner.

Warner.

Warner.

As NC said, expect a lot of banter!

DAVID WARNER

I don't think there's a connection but in case you're wondering, David Warner is the 22 year old Australian who is playing his first international match for Australia as I write.

Warner has created waves in the current domestic season in Australia with his awesome hitting, which eventually led to his elevation to Australia's T20 squad for the match against South Africa.

"I'm going to be in the same dressing room with the guys I've looked up to all my life. Just to be next to them is going to be very, very special and I might actually ask for some autographs."

Thats what Warner said when he heard of his selection.

After his 89 off 43 deliveries today, Ponting & Co. might be asking for his autograph!

Six 6s and Seven 4s.

He was up against Ntini, Steyn, the other Morkel, Kallis. Even Botha!

This is what he did to Steyn:

5.2 Steyn to Warner, SIX, what a shot! That was bowled at 149.8 kmh and Warner merely turned around and helped the ball over the fine-leg boundary with an audacious paddle shot, fine leg was in the circle, Steyn can't believe it

5.3 Steyn to Warner, SIX, 52 off 19 balls! Warner gets there by charging and pulling the short ball high and far over deep midwicket, this guy has awesome hand-eye co-ordination, and terrific bat speed

Warner missed the chance of becoming the first man to score a ton on his T20 debut, but his 89 put him second on the list of highest scorers on T20 debut, only behind his captain.

And his 50 off 19 deliveries is the second fastest 50 in 20-20 internationals.

Those are not his only achievements this season as Moses and Jrod would tell you.

According to Moses, Warner's unbeaten 165 off a mere 112 deliveries against Tasmania is the highest score by New South Wales batsman in history. He batted only 34.1 overs for that!

If Jrod is to be believed, Warner is the first non Indian without first class experience to be recruited by an IPL franchise.

I believe Jrod. Warner has signed up with the Delhi Daredevils.

Can you just imagine a top order that reads:

1. Sehwag
2. Gambhir
3. Warner

!!!

All of 22, second highest score on international 20-20 debut, second fastest 50 in T20Is, highest One Day score for his state team, and the first non Indian without first class experience to sign with the IPL.

And this is just the start!

This is going to be a slightly long post. It's a recount of a unique event that hardly anyone talks about. I was lucky to be an up-close and personal witness to it, and would like to share my experience with the readers of Well Pitched.

In October 1991, the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) was held in Harare, Zimbabwe. My father was stationed as the High Commissioner for Pakistan to Zimbabwe at the time and was responsible for handling the visit of Pakistan's Prime Minister, Nawaz Sharif.

Sharif, being a huge cricket enthusiast, and a regular and serious club cricketer, sent a message to my father a few months before the conference indicating his desire to play cricket with other world leaders during the conference.

Negotiations began with Sharif's counterparts to gauge the interest level. Prime Ministers John Major (UK) and Bob Hawke (Australia) responded with great enthusiasm. The President of Maldives (Mamoon Abdul Gayoom) also indicated his interest in playing, though he admitted he had limited exposure to the game. Unfortunately, India declined participation. Not because of any political reasons, but because Prime Minister Narsimha Rao was 70 at the time and not in great shape (I'm not even sure if he was much of a cricket player/fan himself).

Cut forward a few months and we arrive at Friday October 18th, 1991. It was a typically flawless Zimbabwe early summer afternoon. And the full crowd at the Harare Sports Club was giddy in anticipation for this historic occasion. All proceeds were earmarked for charities. The sponsors agreed to contribute ZIM$ 1000 for each six, and ZIM$ 500 for each four, and various other amounts (just for clarification, this was when the ZIM$ was about 5ish to the USD! Hard to believe, isn't it??? The "official" current rate is now about ZIM$ 10 million to the USD! Unofficial rate is much, much more than that.)

When the motorcade arrived, my father was leading Sharif to the dignitaries enclosure where other leaders were waiting. But Sharif refused to go there! "Why?," my father asked nervously. Sharif put it very simply - "I need some net practice!"

So off we went to the nets! A crowd gathered around to see Sharif warm up for the main event. The ground provided us with a half-dozen or so balls, and it was pretty much open to anyone to bowl to him. After a few of Sharif's staff took their turn at bowling, my father (regrettably) handed a ball to me. Now, I'm definitely not known for my bowling skills, and naturally I was very nervous. Sure enough, I threw a beamer straight for Sharif's head! That split second was one of the most agonizing of my life. All I was thinking about was the headline in the Zimbabwe Herald the next day - "Young idiot knocks out Pakistani PM and cancels historic charity match!"

Thankfully, Sharif was able to use his skill to comfortably defend it down. A huge relief for me, and my father (who politely suggested I didn't bowl anymore!). My brother had better success as he was the only one who managed to bowl Sharif out (a ripper that went around Sharif's legs). I saw a couple of my school friends and handed them the ball and they took part as well. Random members of the crowd also participated. Overall, Sharif impressed in the nets.

Sharif completed his stint at the nets as word came that Major, Hawke, and Gayoom were ready to get the show started. Among other political dignitaries in attendance were President Robert Mugabe of Zimbabwe and PM Khaleda Zia of Bangladesh. I can not recall if PM Rao was in attendance (if anyone has this info, please share in the comments).

Sidenote before I proceed: Looking back at it, the most amazing part was the low security of the event. There were no security checks in the entire ground that day. There were no barricades set up. Nothing. No one even really questioned me as I walked into the dignitaries area and got stuck between Mugabe and Khaleda Zia for a portion of the match. That's how great Zimbabwe was in those days. A calm, peaceful place, where people lived to enjoy. And I guess the world wasn't as crazy back then as it is now, so you could afford to be a bit lax on security.

Anyway, moving on. Here's how the game worked. Hawke and Major were the first pair, and Sharif and Gayoom were the second pair. Each pair would face three overs from the Prince Edward School team - the school where the likes of Fletcher, Hick, Houghton, Brandes, etc. were educated. (I have to admit I was a little miffed that my school, St. Johns College, was not selected as the fielding side, but oh well!) The bowlers were instructed to bowl dollies, and each pair would face a full three overs regardless of whether they got out.

So Major and Hawke walked toward the pitch amidst tremendous applause. Obviously I can not recall ball by ball what happened, but at least a couple of fours were hit in those three overs. Whether they were hit by Major or Hawke, I'm not sure. They also managed a few twos and some singles. I don't think either of them got out.

Before you knew it, three overs were up. The crowd cheered them back, and cheered in the pair of Sharif and Gayoom. As is the norm on any cricket ground in the world, Pakistani supporters showed up in good numbers to cheer on their representative!

Sharif seemed a bit nervous, and he confided to my father just before going onto the field that all he needed to do was survive the first ball, and then he would be ok. And he easily defended the first ball back to the bowler - a good omen!

I'm not sure whether it was the next ball, or the one after that, but Sharif made great use of his feet by charging down the pitch and smacking the ball way over the boundary for a huge six. The entire crowd went wild! And no, he was not done. He hit another two massive sixes, and at least two fours in his innings! It was phenomenal. No one expected this level of entertainment, so it was pure exhilaration for the responsive and supportive crowd. Gayoom gave able support for whatever little of the strike he had, but I think he did get out on one occasion.

The pair walked back in after their three overs to a raucous ovation. The crowd did express their desire to see more of the explosive Sharif. But the leaders had to fly off to Victoria Falls later that evening for the conference retreat, so there wasn't much flexibility in the schedule.

I think there was some small presentation after Sharif and Gayoom walked back into the dignitaries area. And then they were off. But the on-pitch festivities continued. Graeme Hick took to the field. The bowlers were now bowling at full strength, but Hick (naturally) crucified them! It was a savage barrage of boundaries. A few other greats also batted, including Clive Lloyd. I seem to recall Dave Houghton and/or one of the Flowers batting as well, but maybe not. A Pakistani diplomat (and accomplished cricketer), Shahryar Khan, also batted for a bit.

Overall, a very memorable experience. Not too many people remember it, perhaps because coverage was limited. Pakistan TV did tape the entire event and sent a condensed report to Pakistan. I have a copy of the unedited tape (including the beamer!), but it is in storage somewhere in Pakistan. If I ever get my hands on it, it will be on Youtube in a heartbeat. Till then, the match remains in my mind as a great memory, and now documented on Well Pitched for posterity!

On a sobering note, I can't even imagine anything like this taking place ever again. With the amount of security required these days, and the heightened political tensions, it's practically impossible. A sad direction the world has taken. And even sadder is how Zimbabwe, such a beautiful and wonderful place, has suffered so much since those happy days.

I'd love to hear your thoughts in the comments. And especially from anyone who attended the match as well. My memory is a bit hazy so I may have some of the details wrong. Please feel free to correct me. Also, please try to avoid any divisive political comments if possible. I know this post mentions lots of world leaders, and a lot of you would have strong opinions about them (as do I). But I respectfully request you keep those for another blog.

Thanks for reading, and apologies for the length of the post. It became much longer than I thought it would be!

Not the test team.

Atleast not till they find someone with even quarter of the magic that Warne had and an opening pair to match the Hayden & Langer of old.

Its their ODI team that excites me.

Shaun Marsh is one of the reasons but there are more.

They have a series coming up against South Africa and recently announced their squad.

And unlike their test cricketers, their ODI cricketers seem to have a buzz around them.

In Shaun Marsh at the top of the order they have one of the most exciting batsmen in world cricket today.

With Hayden's ODI career coming to a halt and Shane Watson out with yet another injury, I'm not sure who will partner Marsh.

Marsh and Watson, in my view, formed a great combination at the top and they could be the openers to look out for in the future if Watson can get some more cow blood into his body.

Looking at Australia's squad, James Hopes seems like the most likely option.

Marsh & Hopes did the job in the 1st ODI against Bangladesh in August last year.

And they did so during the IPL as well for the Kings XI.

We know what another IPL opening pair has done last year - that too in all forms of the game.

Brad Haddin has done the job as well in the past, not so successfully though.

However, with the form he is in these days, it might be the perfect opportunity to send him at the top of the innings with Marsh.

Nevertheless, whether its Marsh & Hopes or Marsh & Haddin, fireworks will be the order of the day.

Good attacking cricket will be on view.

And for some reason, I feel it will be better than watching the Australian test team of late.

These guys are not the only ones that get me excited.

Cameron White is another.

I have a thing for leggies. But more than that its White's power hitting that makes him what he is.

I'm glad the Aussie selectors have ignored their blunder of playing him as a leg spinner in the tests against India and have stuck with him for the ODIs.

The usual suspects - Ponting, Clarke, and Hussey - are there, but they're hardly exciting.

Actually Hussey is in ODIs. Ignore his test style. In ODIs he can be brutal and has been.

And then there's another Hussey.

David Hussey.

Now thats a player you don't want to miss.

He can hit and he can hit hard and far.

We saw glimpses of what he can do in the IPL and then in the West Indies.

But I'm sure there's more to come from him.

He's been in smashing form in the ongoing 20-20 Big Bash.

How can anyone not be excited about him.

So while Australia's test batsmen seem lost in time and don't seem all that threatening anymore, the ODI batting line up seems to be a fine one.

Marsh, Hopes, Ponting, Clarke, Hussey, Hussey, White, Haddin

Read that again.

Marsh, Hopes, Ponting, Clarke, Hussey, Hussey, White, Haddin

Thats why the Australian ODI team excites me.

Steyn & Co. - watch out!

...Pietersen would no longer be the captain of England

...Strauss would get a second chance

...Kolkata Knight Riders would put Shoaib Akhtar up for sale

...Pakistan would give him a Category A central contract

...Hayden would no longer wear the green and gold colors

...Australia would still be the number 1 ranked test team

...A Pakistani bowler would be the leading wicket taker in an Australian domestic competition

...Graeme Smith would get a standing ovation at Sydney

...Graeme Smith would gain the respect of Australians

and above all...

...Graeme Smith would gain the respect of this man!

...We would have witnessed all this !!!

Graeme Smith showed some serious guts in the Third Test against Australia by batting with a broken arm. And he almost saved South Africa in what was an enthralling test.

His performance brings to mind a similarly courageous performance more than 22 years ago (wow, I'm feeling very, very old right now!). On the way back from school in Islamabad, my bros and I turned on the radio to get the latest on the first test between Pakistan and West Indies in October 1986. Pakistan, in its second innings, had established an overall lead of around 200 against the mighty Windies when they lost their ninth wicket. Given that Saleem Malik's arm was broken by a Windies pacer in the first innings, we were sure the innings was over.

As we were contemplating the solidity of the lead, the radio commentator in typically dramatic radio commentary style (anyone who listened to Pakistan radio commentary in the 1980s knows what I'm talking about) announced that Saleem Malik was (*gasp*) making his way toward the pitch!!! We couldn't believe it! We rushed home and were able to make it in front of the TV before Malik faced his first ball.

We were mesmerized as Malik defended, avoided, and even steered the fierce deliveries of the likes of Marshall, Patterson, Gray, and Walsh, all with one hand in a cast and one holding the bat. This was truly dramatic, legendary, and heroic stuff, especially for an impressionable 10 year-old who had just recently become addicted to cricket (a certain Sharjah match a few months prior did it for me!).

Malik's presence at the crease allowed Wasim Akram to get his first test fifty, and stretch Pakistan's lead to a more comfortable 240. Incredibly, Malik remained not out, and scored 3 runs in an eventual partnership of 32.

Now, the West Indies were demolished in the second innings and were dismissed for just 53! (I think it was their lowest total at the time). Qadir with six and Imran with four were the chief destroyers.

It's tempting to say that Malik's heroics were unnecessary given the large margin of victory. But I like to think it was Malik's presence at the pitch that won the mental game for Pakistan, and the West Indies could not recover. I felt that way all those years ago, and I feel the same way today!

Thank you Saleem Malik for this memorable contribution, and so many other classic innings. Malik's contributions are often disregarded because of his unwise and dishonorable involvement in certain off-field activities. But the fact remains that he was a great player and contributed a lot to Pakistan with the bat (and, on occasion, with the ball as well!).

I never thought that dressing room spats, ego clashes between players, captain-coach tussles, captain-player arguements could hit teams like England.

Australia and England somehow remained immune to such things.

These "misunderstandings" were always considered to be part and parcel of the game in the subcontinent.

Pakistan has had a fair share of them. As have India and Sri Lanka. Even Bangladesh recently.

But England?

Who would have thought.

Pietersen wants coach Moores out and till now the picture that was painted was of Moores as the villain but apparently it might just be KP who is that if this report is to be believed.

And I thought "Heroes" was confusing - Is Peter a Hero? Is he a villian?

Who knows!

Same goes for KP.

Gooch has conveniently laid all the blame on Shane Warne!

Yes Shane Warne. Not only is he responsible for tarnishing the image of Australian cricket and his own reputation but now the man is also responsible for the drama going on within the England cricket team!

Thats just amazing.

Gooch says that its Warne's influence on KP that has resulted in him not getting along with the coach.

We know the whole Warne-doesn't-like-coaches story.

Gooch also goes on to talk about KP's fall out in the Nottinghamshire dressing room and uses that to say that KP has a history of such problems.

Whats funny though is that then I wonder how Warne is to blame since KP had not even met him till he left Notts to join Hampshire.

Funnier is that Mick Newell, KP's coach at Notts at the time of the fall out Gooch talks about, has come out in support for KP!

Strange these happenings are.

I never thought that the England were capable of such subcontinental drama!

But Newell says that this is normal stuff at the county level.

Are you serious!?

Tell me more!

I hopped over to some blogs from England to figure out what their views on the whole situation were.

Suave has been busy worshipping Sehwag, hence he hasn't even had the time to think about KP but King Cricket enlightens us about an arguement emenating from differences over Liberty X.

Spigot has been relishing the prospects of a Vaughan-free England and doesn't seem bothered over what KP and Moores are upto, but Len of the the last summer whine on the other hand takes a dig at both KP and Moores in what is a hilarious take on the situation.

An even funnier take is a series done by the Night Watch Girl where she dons KP and Moores with characters from Star Trek and gives the whole drama a name as well: Star Moores!

Wonderful that is - here are the first 3 episodes (1,2,3) of the new series.

Patrick Kidd throws a spanner where he mentions that KP still calls Duncan Fletcher for advice. No way! That would kill Moores. That probably makes him feel like the wife who has just found out that her husband still calls up his ex for stress talks.

I went to the Corridor to look for Will Luke's opinion but instead I found Mark Tilley who compares the KP-Moores relationship or rather the lack of to the Vaughan-Fletcher one. He says this is just the start of the fireworks in this whole drama.

Might as well be that.

Tim gives his decision from the third umpire's room and says that if one has to go it will have to be Moores as he hasn't done enough as coach, while KP is one of the only two "stars" that England can boast of.

Mark over at the Reverse Swing Manifest not only calls for the removal of Moores but also calls to offer the job to Micheal Vaughan. Not a bad one at all.

Last but not the least, over at the Reverse Sweep the writer takes us through the history of the KP-Moores drama and mentions their hour long meeting in a hotel when KP first took over as captain, highlights Mark Butcher's statement that if Moores went he would take KP with him, and ends of with a prediction that by the time he gets up KP and Moores might have gone following the ECB teleconference and that Strauss was the new England captain.

Well as I read that and wrote this, that is exactly what happened.

KP has resigned.

Moores has as well.

Strauss is the hot favorite.

As is Andy Flower in the interim period.

The drama has finally ended.

Or has it just begun?

Rewind back a year and the Nasim Ashraf led PCB had announced the fresh list of contracted Pakistan cricketers.

Mohammad Asif had been upgraded to a Category A contract putting him among the top notch of cricketers in Pakistan, while Shoaib Akhtar had been relegated to mere retainership, a new category that was formed purely for players who did not appear in enough international games de to lack of fitness or discipline or selectorial blunders.

That had resulted in an outburst from Shoaib Akhtar, who criticized the PCB, refused to sign the retainer contract, and went on to bad mouth Nasim Ashraf & Co.

Shoaib was eventually banned, fined, and dumped, while Asif, the new blue eyed boy of the administration went on to smuggle some drugs and test positive for a banned substance for the second time in as many years.

A year and an administration change later Shoaib Akhtar has landed a Category A central contract from the PCB, while Asif is no where to be heard of.

Life comes a full circle they say.

For Shoaib and Asif it has not only come a full circle but they have exchanged the circles in the meantime as well.

The Ijaz Butt led PCB announced this years list of contracted players this afternoon and as always they dished out quite a few surprises.

Besides Shoaib, Danish Kaneria, who had also been relegated to retainer status last year, has also landed a Category A contract.

How absurd is that.

Kaneria did not play a single international match during 2008.

If Pakistan doesn't play any tests this year, like 2008, Kaneria will not play any internationals in 2009 either.

And he would have ended the year pocketing Rs 3 million (US $150,000) without playing a single game.

Same for Shoaib who as history tells us may play only a handful of matches.

I'd like to smoke what Intikhab Alam, Yawar Saeed, and Abdul Qadir have been smoking.

The men who decided on the contracts.

As expected Mohammad Yousuf is no where in the list either.

I believe this was the ideal time for the PCB to take steps in bringing the ICL players back into the fold given the situation with India at this point in time.

With none of the players expected to appear in the ICL or the IPL, this was PCB's chance to make sure that its players stayed loyal to them.

Yousuf along with the likes of Razzak and Imran Nazir could have been roped in.

Obviously the PCB thinks otherwise.

There are yet more surprises in the list of contracted players.

Faisal Iqbal, Yasir Hameed, and Mohammad Hafeez have been handed Category B contracts.

Niether of them is even close to playing an international match for Pakistan yet they are placed in a category above the likes of Nasir Jamshed, Fawad Alam, Saeed Ajmal, and Rao Iftikhar, who have not only are regular members of the side but have also put in some match winning performances during last year.

Whats more, Sohail Tanvir is placed in Category B. The country's best 20-20 bowler and arguable the best ODI one as well and he is among another 3 cricketers who don't stand a chance to play for Pakistan.

Get me those smokes. Seriously.

PCB has definitely pleased some players for reasons best known to them. But at the same time they have also snubbed quite a few by placing them in the wrong categories.

The men behind it claim that the criteria was different than last year and seniority was given more importance than performance amongst other things.

Whatever it was, some common sense should have prevailed.

There is no reason why a Faisal Iqbal should make Rs 2.1 million a year when there are the likes of Azhar Ali, Nasir Jamshed, Khurram Manzoor, Khalid Latif, and Naumanullah making much less than that.

Azhar Ali has atleast managed to land a Category C contract, as has the talented Umar Amin.

This is the first time that uncapped players have been considered.

They both deserved it.

Azhar Ali, a 23 year old batsman from Lahore had a tremendous last year and first caught the eye when he led the scoring charts during the ABN Amro One Day tournament in early 2008.

He is also among the leading scorers of this season in both the first class and List A competitions.

Azhar averages over 50 in both forms of the game and is a great find for Pakistan. He should make his debut this year and is in my opinion the ideal replacement for Mohammad Yousuf in the test side.

Umar Amin is only 19 and created waves at the under-19 level last season with a couple of centuries in youth tests against England and Bangladesh.

This Rawal Pindi boy is only in his second domestic season and has already given smashing performances with the bat in both first class matches as well as List A games.

He is averaging over 50 in 13 List A games and is only behind Shoaib Malik in terms of runs this season.

Umar has a tremendous future ahead of him and this contract should give him the much needed confidence from the powers that be.

Well sometimes the PCB can make some sense after all.

They also showed some sense in retaining Shoaib Malik as the captain of the team for an indefinite period.

Malik's term had expired at the end of 2008 and there was no reason to replace him and rightly so, the PCB didn't.

Its a new year and the PCB has taken a fresh start. It has made some mistakes but then it has put some things right as well.

Malik's in charge and the men have been identified. Hopefully the international series will take place as well Pakistan will play some cricket.

One can only hope for a good international season for Pakistan.

I have a feeling, it will be just that.

For the first time in history, cricketers are going to be up for grabs on the trading floor next month when the IPL trading window opens up.

And Shoaib Akhtar is the first cricketer to be put up for trade by his franchise.

According to John Buchanan that is.

That wouldn't go down too well with Shoaib, especially with him trying his best to prove a point to his critics.

His reaction is yet to come and I don't think it will be a good one.

After all he was playing for "bade bhaiyyas" Shahrukh Khan and Saurav Ganguly.

Saurav and SRK probably deliberately stayed away from announcing this and let Buchanan do the dirty work.

And it probably is Buchanan's decision as well given the "closeness" between SRK, Saurav, and Shoaib.

I was recently contacted by Razib Ahmed of Sports37 for an email based interview to be published on his website.

Naturally the questions were regarding my opinion on cricket matters.

He asked me a bunch of stuff regarding the downfall of Australia, India's rise and whether they can sustain it, Pakistan's problems, whether Bangladesh deserve to be among the big boys or not, what the future holds for ICL, IPL, and Stanford, and other things.

The interview is up and you can view my thoughts right here.

Remember when I talked about the World Cricket Leagues and explained the process that led to qualification for the ICC World Cup.

And remember when Sledge talked about the progress that Afghanistan had made in the World Cricket Leagues.

I don't hold it against you if you don't.

Well the Qualification process has reached Division 3 now where the winners of Division 4 join Argentina, Cayman Islands, Papua New Guinea, and Uganda.

The only thing I knew about the Cayman Islands was that it was a popular place to register companies and funds due to some tax exempt or something.

They play cricket as well. Thats amazing.

The team from Division 4 that is joining them is none other than Afghanistan.

Damn lucky those Afghanis are for travelling to Buenos Aires.

Thats where Division 3 of the World Cricket League will kick off later this month.

I want to go to Buenos Aires. Its beautiful I hear.

And its hosting a cricket tournament. Wow!

In Argentina. That used to be my favorite soccer team.

Loved Maradona before he became soccer's own Mohammad Asif.

I wonder if Maradona has ordered some special stuff through the Afghans. You don't get better than that.

Ask Asif!

And you don't get a better associate nation than Afghanistan.

Ask any Division 5 and Division 4 associate nation!

Afghanistan have marched into Division 3 of the World Cricket League by winning both the previous divisions.

Afghanistan have lost only 1 World Cricket League match on their way to Division 3 where they are up against Argentina, Papua New Guinea, Uganda, and the Cayman Islands.

From what I hear about the Afghani cricketers, I would be surprised if they don't win Division 3 as well.

The top 2 teams from Division 3 will join Division 1 and 2 for the ICC World Cup Qualifiers that will be held this year.

I believe, we can count the Afghanis to be there for the qualifiers.

Thats where they will be up against the best: UAE, Namibia, Kenya, Scotland, Netherlands, Canada, Ireland, Bermuda, Oman, and Denmark.

Currently the Afghanistan cricket team is in Lahore practicing at the National Cricket Academy.

They are receiving valuable tips from Aqib Javed, Ijaz Ahmed, and Rashid Latif.

Besides the practice facilities, they are also playing some practice matches against Pakisani domestic sides.

Valuable experience this for the Afghan cricketers.

If you want an idea of what kind of team Afghanistan might be - i'd say imagine a team with 11 Shahid Afridis.

On there day, they can demolish anyone. Here are scorecards of the Division 4 and Division 5 finals.

Due to the New Year holidays I missed the progress of Umar Gul and Sohail Tanvir down under in the ongoing Twenty20 Big Bash.

But now, I am back, and am pleased to find that Gul has been in fiery form for Western Australia.

Last week he managed a 4 wicket haul in his first game for WA, and last night he managed 3-21 against Tasmania.

What's more, Gul even hit the winning runs of the only ball he faced in the game - a 4 of the penultimate delivery of the match leading WA to 2nd place in the points table.

Gul even held 3 catches in the match - wonder where he was fielding.

He didn't have that good a game in his 2nd match against New South Wales, where he went for 41 runs in his 4 overs.

On the other hand, Sohail Tanvir hasn't tasted the same success with South Australia losing to defending champions Victoria.

Victoria haven't lost many 20-20 games in Australia over the last 3-4 years. They have also won the competition 3 times on the trot prior to this one.

When South Australia managed 183, they may have smelled a chance with the best 20-20 bowler in the world in their ranks.

But Victoria showed why they are the best 20-20 side in Australia, if not the world.

Hodge, the leading 20-20 run scorer in the world and White, the captain with the most 20-20 wins creamed the SA bowling.

And they have an opener named Blizzard!

AC Blizzard !!!

What an amazing name you have there Aiden.

And apt for 20-20 cricket too.

Its only appropriate that a man with the name 'Blizzard' has a 20-20 strike rate of 177.95!

I forgot I was writing about Gul. Yep he's been fiery with the ball.

But AC Blizzard. Watch out for the future - the papers can have a field day with headlines.

Australia pile on almost 450 in the 1st innings.

Bowl the opposition out for under 350.

Come out all guns blazing in the 2nd innings.

A few boundaries from Hayden, a few from the other opener, a few glove punches, a bounce in the step, and a run rate of 5.50.

Doesn't seem too unfamiliar now does it.

Australia have dished this out since the mid-90s.

So nothing new.

Only that they seem to be dominating a side that has thus far dominated them.

Are Australia back or is this just a blip?

Are South Africa missing a certain Mr. Smith?

Is Siddle the McGrath Australia have been looking for?

A closer look and it seems South Africa were in a familiar situation as well - a top order collapse and a save from Boucher.

The start to 2009 is like a trip down history.

Will the end be historical too?

Will Hayden play a career saving innings?

Will South Africa become the Australia of the 90s and lose a dead rubber?

About 5-10 years back, I remember reading an email that listed the initial members of Cricket's Hall of Fame. Pakistan's inductees were Hanif, Imran, and Miandad.

But no one ever talked about that list since then. Perhaps it was some wishful fanboy's effort. Or a fake email. Who knows?

Yesterday, I finally saw that list again. The ICC is formally creating a Hall of Fame, and will use that list (which was compiled by FICA - Federation of International Cricketers' Associations) as its initial list of inductees. As with any HOF, the ICC will develop formal procedures to nominate and induct new members.

This is a good step, and one that is long overdue. I like the concept of a Hall of Fame in sport. Given the variety of formats, it makes things even more interesting (e.g. surely Michael Bevan should be a HOFer. But would Shahid Afridi be one?) I hope there's also consideration given to players who have contributed entirely or mostly outside of playing. The first name that comes to mind is Tony Cozier.

The initial 55 inductees are listed here. Miandad is the most recent retiree to be inducted. As you can imagine, a long backlog exists (Warne, Wasim, Waqar, Kumble, Ganguly, McGrath, Walsh, Lara, Inzi, Aravinda, etc. to name just a few)

Interesting thought: Will ICL players be banned from consideration? That would definitely invalidate Lara for sure, so good luck justifying that ICC!

Initial 55 inductees: Sydney Barnes, Bishan Bedi, Alec Bedser, Richie Benaud, Allan Border, Ian Botham, Geoffrey Boycott, Donald Bradman, Greg Chappell, Ian Chappell, Denis Compton, Colin Cowdrey, Kapil Dev, Sunil Gavaskar, Lance Gibbs, Graham Gooch, David Gower, WG Grace, Tom Graveney, Gordon Greenidge, Richard Hadlee, Walter Hammond, Neil Harvey, George Headley, Jack Hobbs, Michael Holding, Leonard Hutton, Rohan Kanhai, Imran Khan, Alan Knott, Jim Laker, Harold Larwood, Dennis Lillee, Ray Lindwall, Clive Lloyd, Hanif Mohammad, Rodney Marsh, Malcolm Marshall, Peter May, Javed Miandad, Keith Miller, Bill O'Reilly, Graeme Pollock, Wilfred Rhodes, Barry Richards, Viv Richards, Andy Roberts, Garfield Sobers, Brian Statham, Fred Trueman, Derek Underwood, Clyde Walcott, Everton Weekes, Frank Woolley, Frank Worrell.

What a way to start a new year.

After a heavy night that ended in the early hours of the first morning of 2009, I woke up in the afternoon and as always on weekends picked my berry up to browse through gmail.

There was a comment left by Som from the Doosra mentioning that I had been quoted in the Mail Today - India Today's and Daily Mail's Indian collaboration.

Quite a way to enter 2009 for us at Well Pitched.

The quote can be viewed on the bottom right corner of page 40 here.

Whats mentioned are extracts from this post of mine.

You can also view the image of the quote in the Mail Today over here at BCC! Thank you NC!

Wish all of you the best for 2009 and thank you all for visiting, reading, and commenting here.