I have heard a lot about Dirk Nannes.

Mostly from Jrod over at Cricket with Balls.

Nannes is a Victorian after all.

Jrod has also talked about how he doesn't understand why Nannes hasn't played for Australia yet.

He wasn't even announced in Australia's 30 probables for the World 20-20 despite being considered the best 20-20 bowler in the country!

Hearing about him wasn't enough though.

I had to see him to decide for myself if Nannes was that good.

Thanks to the IPL, I've been following Nannes closely.

The fact that he was in the side ahead of Glen McGrath surprised me initially, but I figured that the Delhi Daredevils were also thinking on the same lines as Jrod.

In the first few matches Nannes failed to pick up a wicket, but he bowled quite well. He was hard to get away and he was fast. He troubled batsmen.

Though I wondered why the wickets weren't coming his way.

Then he finally struck.

That too with the first ball of the match clean bowling Jacques Kallis who had no idea what hit him as he was trying to shoulder arms to a brute of a delivery.

First ball of the match!

Nannes celebrated and it started dawning on me what all that talk was about.

But today, I was completely convinced.

2-16 in 4 overs against a team that boasts of Adam Gilchrist, Herschelle Gibbs, Rohit Sharma, and Dwayne Smith.

Now that is some bowling.

Getting rid of the best opening pair in the IPL in a matter of 2 overs and getting the better of the best team in the IPL this year and here I am now also wondering what the hell are the Aussies thinking keeping him out of the team?

If yesterday was the battle of the titanics, today is the mother of all IPL matches.

Its the Delhi Daredevils against the Deccan Chargers!

The top 2 teams in the IPL this year.

The Chargers are unbeaten so far, while the Daredevils started the tournament as favorites, which they still are despite the 1 loss to the defending champions.

It promises to be a great battle today.

It will be a battle between the opening pairs - Deccan boasting of one of the best, while Delhi having one that is THE best but has failed to fire in the IPL.

The pair that gets going will take the game away I feel. If both of them do, we will be in for a treat!

It will be a battle between the attacking bowlers - RP Singh is one of the leading wicket takers in the IPL, while Edwards has been in firing form. For Delhi, Nannes is one of the best 20-20 bowlers in the world.

Nannes to Gilchrist, RP to Sehwag and Gambhir. It'll be a sight!

It will be a battle between the spinners - Ojha has been the best spinner on display in the IPL this year and is also among the leading wicket takers, while Vettori is the highest wicket taker in 20-20 internationals.

Vettori was taken apart by Yusuf Pathan the other day so he'll be seeking redemption.

It definitely looks like a cracker is on the cards, but as it happens with most matches like these, I hope its not a dampner!

Today was yet another proof of the fact that the Mumbai Indians are like the India of the 90s.

I called it first right here.

Later it was picked up by Cricinfo.

Now it is being displayed by Sachin and the gang.

Good going Mumbai!

This post should have really come up a couple of days ago as the actual quarter of the IPL is at 14 group matches, but Dubai Sports City was keeping me busy.

Here are my quarterly reports from last season: Q1, Q2, Q3, Q4.

This update comes after 18 of the group matches have been played with half the teams appearing in 5 games each and the other half in 4.

Some games have been washed out so all the batsmen, except those from Bangalore Royal Challengers (5) and Mumbai Indians (3) have had 4 innings each.

Leading Batsmen
1. Matthew Hayden (CSK) - 215 runs at 53.75
2. Herschelle Gibbs (DC) - 183 runs at 91.50
3. AB De Villiers (DDD) - 176 runs at 88.00
4. Sachin Tendulkar (MI) - 163 at 81.50
5. Adam Gilchrist (DC) - 163 at 40.75

Hayden has been in smashing form this season stroking 2 fifties in his 4 innings and scoring at a strike rate of almost 163.

In fact, Hayden was in similar form last season as well and at this stage (end of Q1), he was the second highest run scorer behind Brendon McCullum.

Hayden had an impact in only a handful games last year. His availability for the entire tournament this time round could land him the Orange Cap that Shaun Marsh took home in 2008.

Who said 20-20 was a game for the younger ones?
Both members of the Deccan Chargers opening pair are among the top 5 run scorers. No wonder they are the only unbeaten side thus far.

Its taken them more than that though; as initially Symonds and later Rohit Sharma were among the leading run scorers at various stages of the league in 2008, yet they hardly managed to win a game.

Sachin Tendulkar has been awesome. His partnership with Jayasuriya at the top of the order has set the IPL alight. By this time last year, Sachin had not appeared in any game; but this season he has ensured that Mumbai Indians get off to a flying start.

Two 50s, a strike rate of 130+, and flowing strokeplay has resulted in a petition that wants Sachin to be a part of the World 20-20!

AB De Villiers walked into the IPL on the back of a very strong season for South Africa; he has continued the same form for the Delhi Daredevils. He is the only centurion this season and has the 3rd highest strike rate among all batsmen that have scored more than a 100 runs.

Unlike last year, McCullum, Sharma, Raina, Sehwag, and Gambhir have not got going yet.

While much was expected of Kevin Pietersen, who is the most expensive player in the IPL, but all he has managed is a mere 80 runs in 5 innings with a best of 37.

Leading Bowlers
1. Lasith Malinga (MI) - 9 wickets at 5.00
2. RP Singh (DC) - 9 wickets at 10.88
3. Pragyan Ojha (DC) - 8 wickets at 9.12
4. Yusuf Abdullah (KXIP) - 7 wickets at 13.00
5. Munaf Patel (RR) - 7 wickets at 14.14

Malinga has no doubt been the pick of the bowlers, managing those 9 wickets in only 3 matches. He has bowled with pace making early breakthroughs for Mumbai and also striking late blows with brilliant fast bowling.

He has been a sight.

RP Singh was amongst the highest wicket takers in IPL 2008, as was Pragyan Ojha, and both of them have scripted the Chargers' success this season along with their opening pair and Fidel Edwards.

Yusuf Abdullah is enjoying his home conditions and looks extremely lively. Much more than what his run up and action suggest. He's much quicker and surely makes Priety smile.

Munaf Patel, similar to last year, is looking lethal under Warne. He has bowled some unplayable deliveries and has picked up wickets regularly. If only Warne could captain India; they would have a three-pronged quality pace attack!

Deccan Chargers, undoubtedly, have been the dominant team in the IPL winning all their games, which is already double the number of matches they won in 2008!

I'm not sure if sports betting is legal in South Africa, but if I was a gambler, my money would be on the Chargers.

It would have been last year as well given the team they had, but this season they are truly displaying their worth and potential.

Speaking of betting, any idea why Lalit Modi may have said no to the services of the ICC's Anti Corruption Unit? Does the IPL have its own unit? Is the IPL immune to corruption? Is there no betting taking place on IPL matches? Is Modi indulging in some IPL cricket betting? Which one is it Lalit?

Other Stats
Highest Team Score: 189-5, DDD vs CSK.
Highest Individual Score: 105*, AB De Villiers (DDD) vs CSK.
Best Strike Rate (min 100 runs): 171.57, Adam Gilchrist (DC).
Most Sixes: 11, Adam Gilchrist (DC).
Best Bowling Performance: 5-5, Anil Kumble (BRC) vs RR.
Best Economy Rate (min 8 overs): 4.35, Lasith Malinga (MI).

This year the scores have been generally lower than they were in IPL 2008. That might have something to do with the pitches in South Africa, but despite the relatively lower scores, the matches have been one sides besides just a few.

Last season, there were many more closer matches, or is that just my imagination.

Malinga is not only the highest wicket taker, but also has the best economy rate - that is saying something for a fast bowler.

Who says 20-20 is not a game for the pacers?

Anil Kumble's 5-5 was pure magic and it was a great sight to witness him with the purple cap along with Dravid with the Orange. Sadly that was short lived; as was Bangalore's winning start.

I'll have the next update after the next 10 games so that I have the results of the first half, i.e. after 28 group matches.

It will be interesting to see where these players stand then and how the first half of IPL 2009 compares with that of IPL 2008.

Doing the 12th man duties all day!

Before the game started, I asked him why he wasn't playing and whether he had an injury or not.

His reponse was "nah just resting".

The way he ran around the field serving drinks definitely showed that he was not due to injury.

I have never witnessed Shoaib Akhtar do 12th man duties.

Never!

Today was a first and surely a pleasant first.

But I still feel that with a 3 day rest between today and the next ODI on Friday, maybe he should have played today.

Nevertheless. Witness here Shoaib Akhtar running across the field with a cool box.

Related Posts:

Was That Really Shoaib?

Was That Really Shoaib Again?

In the first edition of the IPL, last year, Deccan Chargers were the favorites and were tipped to take home the trophy.

With Gilchrist, Symonds, Gibbs, Afridi, R Sharma, they definitely had the biggest power hitters in their ranks, and hence the high expectations.

Their campaign, however fell flat and all they managed was 2 wins out of 14 matches!

Yes only 2!

But this season, when no one gave them a chance, the Chargers have managed to win 4 out of 4 and are sitting happy at the top of the table.

So what is different this year?

1. For starters they've got a new uniform, which is a whole lot cooler than what they wore last year.

2. They've got a captain whose playing and leading from the front and not sitting injured in the dressing room.

3. Herschelle Gibbs is actually firing on all cylinders unlike last season.

4. They've got a genuine attack bowler in Fidel Edwards.

5. Afridi and Symonds are busy in the desert.

6. Rohit Sharma is not the only one doing the scoring.

7. Som, I just put the 7th down for you - you can fill the blanks.

They were the team I was supporting last season.

They were the favorites last season.

Their team had the best name in the IPL last season.

Well, they still have the same name, but they have come to the party a year too late.

Doesn't matter. I can still put my weight behind them. So what if Afridi is not there!

A semi final spot at the moment looks a sure shot, while the trophy very likely.

Go Chargers!

Today is the last day to predict the highest wicket taker and highest run scorer of the Chapal Cup Series that is being played in the UAE between Pakistan and Australia.

Make sure you make your way here and put down your answers.

And please don't leave anonymous comments - how will I know who you are if you win?

With the series tied at 1-1, the stage is set for the Abu Dhabi leg of the Chapal Cup series between Pakistan and Australia.

Both the teams left Dubai on Friday night after their 2nd ODI and got to Abu Dhabi late at night.

They have been practicing at the Abu Dhabi Cricket Academy for the last 2 days and are set to clash in the 3rd ODI tomorrow at the Sheikh Zayed Cricket stadium.

After my 2 week stint at Dubai Sports City, I am also back in Abu Dhabi and will be witnessing the next 3 ODIs from the crowd as just a fan rather than as a part of the event management team.

The Dubai Sports City experience was awesome.

The media centre was buzzing with Pakistani and Australian journalists and a few Indian ones as well that worked for local dailies in the UAE.

The photographers area was crowded and right next to the Australian dressing room, so witnessing Tim Nielsen on the laptop, and the players mingling was intriguing.

The press conferences showed me how journalists put words in cricketers' mouths and how they keep pestering on the same thing again and again.

The post-match presentations were the best.

Standing right next to the players and hearing random stuff, like Shahid Afridi wondering why so many people were a part of the presentation party, was amazing.

Though being in the thick of things was a lot of fun, it was also hectic.

And since I was only hired by Dubai Sports City and not the Abu Dhabi Cricket Council, I am looking forward to being just a fan within the crowd at the cricket ground tomorrow.

I am supposed to report back to Dubai Sports City in time for the 20-20 on 7th May, however I have a big urge to witness the first ever 20-20 international in the UAE from the stands rather than from among the officials.

But we'll see about that when the time comes.

Coming back to Abu Dhabi, the news is that the pitch here is way more batsmen friendly than the one in Dubai.

If that is true, we may expect some high scoring games as that is what the fans are looking forward to.

With the series tied, the next 3 games are crucial for both sides, with tomorrow's being even moreso.

Shahid Afridi has had a great start to the series, while Andrew Symonds struck form in the previous ODI.

I feel tomorrow's result would depend a lot on which of these two plays the more instrumental role.

I'd be surprised if Shoaib Akhtar plays his 3rd consecutive ODI, but word is that he is raring to go and eager to pick a wicket up.

Pakistan is expected to go in with the same side, while Australia may bring in Stuart Clark or Ben Hilfenhaus instead of Ben Laughlin.

By the way, I heard an Australian journalist pronounce his name as "Lock-Lin". I always thought it was "Laugh-Lin". You know - laugh?

Also watch out for Ahmed Shehzad, the 17 year old Pakistan opener. He was unfortunate to be run out by Salman Butt in his debut game, but if he gets going tomorrow I can assure you that it will be a treat.

The Pakistan middle order comprising Younis Khan, Shoaib Malik, and Misbah is due some runs and there's no better place than Abu Dhabi to get them as all 3 have very good records at the Sheikh Zayed Cricket Stadium.

Pictures from the 2nd ODI between Pakistan and Australia are up as well.

They are on facebook this time - right here.

Check them out - there are a couple of Nathan Hauritz caught in embarassing situations.

Pics from the 1st ODI are also on facebook.

1) IPL's Season 1 also kicked off on 18th April.

2) Rajasthan Royals were thrashed in their first game of IPL's Season 1. They were also thrashed in their first game of IPL's Season 2.

3) Within 8 days of IPL's Season 2, Deccan Chargers have managed to win more matches than they did in 41 days of IPL's Season 1 !!!

4) The Man of Tournament, Best Batsman, and Best Bowler of IPL's Season 1 are all in Dubai. Well one just flew back to Australia, but they were all there.

Remember this?

It was a post I did exactly a week ago about which team will win the IPL.

When talking about the Mumbai Indians, I wrote:
___________________________________________________________________

Mumbai Indians will be neither here nor there.

They'll be more here though with Sachin doing bulk of the scoring.

I think this team will be a lot like India of the 1990s - Sachin scores, we score. Sachin falls, we fall.

Sachin may take them far, but not all the way. Some things never change.
___________________________________________________________________

And today, I see this by Karna S on Cricinfo.

What chances that he read Well Pitched?

Or is it just something that dawned on me before Mumbai even played a match in the IPL, but Karna picked it up after the few games that Mumbai has played?

The latter I think.

While waiting for the post-match press conference, I bumped into a couple of journalists having a word with Javed Miandad.

The topic of discussion revolved around the lack of international cricket in Pakistan and the stripping of the rights to host the World Cup in 2011.

We all know what Miandad's thoughts are on that so I don't need to repeat them here.

He also spoke about the ICL and IPL and the state of the Pakistani players associated with the leagues.

Regarding the leagues, he said that they did not comprise of real cricket, which according to him is tests.

He said that 20-20 cricket was all about fun and that it should not be taken seriously.

That ofcourse is his opinion.

In the pic, you see him pointing at me. While doing that he said, "ICL, IPL, this 20-20 is just for fun. Anyone can play, even he can."

I'm not sure whether that was a compliment regarding my cricket skills or a bashing of 20-20 cricket.

Whatever it was, all you IPL franchises - I have been recommended by Javed Miandad!

So if you're looking for a hard hitting batsman who can bowl a bit of leg spin, please get in touch with me.

I'd be honoured to represent you.

Prior to today, I had attended 4 press conferences during my stint at Dubai Sports City - 2 each with the captains, Younis Khan and Micheal Clarke.

All 4 times the captains were accompanied by the coaches, Intikhab Alam and Tim Nielsen.

However today, at the post-match press conference, Micheal Clarke was accompanied by Andrew Symonds.

I'm not sure whether it was because of a request from some of the Aussie journalists that were there; or whether it was an initiative taken by the Australian team management.

Either way, what that did was turn the entire attention of the press conference room away from the Australian captain and on to Andrew Symonds.

He was asked all sorts of questions regarding his comeback and his time out of the team.

"How did it feel like missing all those games for Australia?"

"Do you feel vindicated by the innings you played today?"

"Do you think you have silenced your critics by today's knock?"

"Were you upset at missing all the cricket during your time out of the team?"

"How important was today's knock for you?"

"Do you think this series was a trial for the Ashes for you?"

In response, Symonds basically said that it was frustrating sitting out of the team, he felt helpless watching the team lose without being able to help out, its great to be back, he's pleased with the knock he played today and with the fact that it came early in the series than later, and that it was an important knock considering that he was coming back into the team.

To the critics question, he smiled and said that he was too old to worry about his critics cause there were so many of them.

That comment was met with laughter around the press conference room.

One journalist from Dawn asked Symonds whether today's knock compared with his century against Pakistan in the 2003 World Cup, which brought him into the limelight.

While that question was being asked, Symonds and Clarke had a smile on their faces and as the journalist finished the question Symonds responded with a "No."

That was met with even more laughter. You had to be there to see the funny side of that answer. It was the timing.

He then went on to answer the question by saying that he understood what was being asked, but both the knocks were quite different given the phase he was in, in his career.

Micheal Clarke was asked only 2 questions during the entire press conference.

The first one was about how he felt regarding the victory.

The second one was by an Aussie journalist, Andrew Stevenson, who mentioned to Clarke that Younis Khan thought (during his press conference) that Australia was still the number 1 side in the world and asked what Clarke thought about that.

While asking that question, Stevenson pointed out that Australia had lost 10 of it 16 ODIs during 2009.

Clarke's response was, "We would like to believe that we are the number 1 side, especially after a win. Its a huge compliment when the opposition says this about you and moreso when its the opposition's captain. We still need to improve in a lot of areas such as our fielding."

During that time I kept thinking - 10 losses out of 16? Damn!

I guess with Symonds back and in form, that stat will definitely improve.

5-1-24-0

Another 5 overs on the trot.

That included a starting maiden. A few beauties those were.

That too after a quickfire 20 odd.

What smashing hitting.

His was an Afridi like innings, while the real Afridi played a sedate 41 odd 40.

All those claims about Shoaib Akhtar being fit and passing a fitness test have been proven.

He has failed to pick up a wicket in the series so far but he's managed to play 2 ODIs in 3 days, in which he's managed opening spells of 5 over each.

Thats an achievement for Shoaib Akhtar.

He's 40% through his target of playing all 5 games.

Lets see if that holds up or not.

If it does, it'll good to see him take a few wickets as well.

I wonder what Dean Jones and him were discussing before the start of play of the 1st ODI.

The teams have not been announced yet but I have just witnessed Doug Bollinger of Australia and Ahmed Shahzad of Pakistan receive their caps from the respective teams.

So two debuts today in the 2nd ODI of the Chapal Cup series between Pakistan and Australia.

A left arm quick and a 17 year old opener.

Ahmed Shehzad had the largest smile on his face as he was congratulated by the Pakistanis.

I'm at the media centre so could not get good pics of the cap-giving jig, but I'm excited to witness yet another young opener play for Pakistan.

I think I am OK with the Super Over from a mechanics perspective. It's basically like overtime in other sports. No problems there, it's a good idea.

My issue is with the match logistics and result. If the Super Over is a tie-breaker, then it should do exactly that - break the tie!

Yet, The result of the RR and KKR match stands as a tie, but Royals are awarded two points since they won the Super Over.

Two comments:

1) Why do we need a tie-breaker in this situation? Why not share the points - one point to each team? Unless you have a situation where a result is needed (e.g. a semi-final, final, knockout game, etc), there should be no Super Over. In ODIs, a tie is a tie. So, as Marc Anthony would say, let it be with T20.

2) If you have the Super Over, then Why can't the match be marked as a win for the team that wins it? This is not just IPL who has this problem, it's ICC as well. It happened in the T20 WC tied match between Pak and India. Match is still officially a tie, with India getting 2 points for winning the bowlout. Same with the recent NZ and WI match which went to a Super Over. Though it was made clear that the Super Over was for entertainment only, since there's no official ICC rule on tie-breakers.

In summary, Super Over makes sense if you need a result. But otherwise it seems to be pointless entertainment.

I realised I couldn't post all the pictures from yesterday's game between Pakistan and Australia here on Well Pitched, so I created an album for you people.

The players, the commentators, the action, the post match presentation, and the press conference - they're all there.

You will not see these pics anywhere else, so if you use them for any purpose, please give Well Pitched credit.

Enjoy.

Oh, here's the album.

Here he shares the secret of his bowling with Ahmed Shahzad and waits to be called up, not once, not twice, but thrice to receive a prize.

And ofcourse the man of the match award.

Speaking to Tony Greig, he talked about how Intikhab Alam and Abdul Qadir have helped his bowling and how he's looked to improve as a bowler.

It was surely an extraordinary bowling performance from Afridi yesterday. I have never seen him turn the ball so progiously, and never have I seen him bowl the googly so well.

Not bad to be a leg spinner when you have one as a coach and a chief selector!

As for what I was doing at the post-match presentation?

Being a part of the media management team, I was responsible for leading the photographers on and off the ground and making sure they remained in their positions.

I had a couple of security guards to help me, which allowed me a few clicks.

When the Australians arrived at the Dubai Sports City Cricket Stadium, I was in the photographers area making sure the clickers were settling down alright.

The area dedicated for the photographers was right next to the Australian players' lounge.

While I was going through my motions, out walked Tim Nielsen to set up his laptop in the position that would be his for the rest of the day.

I clicked him and then walked up to say hello.

After exchanging a few pleasantries I enquired, "So Marsh and Watson opening today?"

Nielsen's response was, "Yeah, they are", to which I replied, "Thats great! Its good to see them back playing for Australia."

He said that it definitely was. We shook hands and I went back upstairs to the media room.

A couple of minutes before the start of the Australian innings, I walked back down to the photographers area to witness the first over from close-by.

As I looked left, I couldn't believe what I saw.

It was Marsh and Haddin walking out to open the innings!

With Watson padded up, sitting, and not going anywhere.

I was slightly disappointed not to see Marsh & Watson open, but I was very disappointed with Tim Nielsen.

Mr. Nielsen, if you're reading this I want to assure you that I am not a bookie, I do not gamble, and I am definitely not a spy for the Pakistan team.

I swear!

To prove that you can ask my readers and they'll tell you what a big fan I am of Marsh & Watson at the top of the order.

[cross-posted from www.buthyaar.com]

Lara is the pride of Trinidad. So it's no surprise that he would be part of the Americas Summit this past week in Trinidad.

However, it's interesting that Obama personally asked to meet Lara, who he called the "Michael Jordan of Cricket". Seems like Mr. Prez knows a thing or two about that good ol' British colonial sport!

And another interesting fact is that the Hilton hotel renamed its terrace to "Obama Terrace". Though I don't think Lara is too jealous about that, considering the main road in Port-of-Spain is called Brian Lara Promenade! And there's a cricket stadium in Trindad named after him too.

Picture is below, and article is here.

No one really paid much attention to Intikhab Alam when he said that he was planning a spin trap for the Australians.

2 and a half hours into the 1st ODI, we know exactly what he was talking about!

Australia down at 131-9 with 8 wickets going to spinners.

6 out of those to one Shahid Afridi!

Who would have imagined?

Afridi with a 6 for and a best ever bowling effort in ODIs.

He has truly and surely been on fire.

While Saeed Ajmal has been completely unplayable.

He has spun the ball both ways and the Aussies have had no answer to him.

Afridi's leggies, googlies, offies, faster ones and Saeed Ajmal's offies and doosras have totally rocked the Aussie boat.

I couldn't have asked for a better start to my temporary career as a reporter from within the stadium.

And Intikhab Alam, you sir, were absolutely right!

5-0-24-0

That was his first spell.

5 uninterrupted overs.

True Story!

I was downstairs at the entrance of the stadium that is dedicated for the media men, journalists, photographers, and commentators, when Geofrrey Boycott walked in led by a Ten Sports staff member.

He was supposed to lead Boycott to the commentary box, which he had no idea about and got lost - that led him back to the entrance I was at.

There I got my first experience of hearing Geoffrey Boycott speak in person.

Those of you who know him or have met him need no explanation about what he said to the man who had lost his way.

That's when I interrupted and offered to lead him to the commentary box.

It wasn't the poor guy's fault.

If its your first time at the stadium, you can easily get lost, and the only reason I knew the way is because the commentary boxes are right next to the media centre, which I have been to an umpteen times during the last week.


So there I was leading Boycott to his position.

In the elevator, he introduced himself to me as Geoffrey.

I humbly replied, "Yes Mr. Boycott, I know you. Who doesn't."

You don't want to know what his reply was.

Above, you see him being breifed on his schedule for the day by the Ten Sports team.

He was kind enough to allow me a picture with himself, and as the photographer clicked us, Boycott said, "This is my cousin from Dubai. Good man."

What a pleasant man! And it was a pleasure to meet him.

As I walked back down to the entrance to guide more media men, there was Tony Greig sitting down with his son.

I had been in touch with Tony Greig over email regarding an article he was writing for the Dubai Sports City magazine, so he knew who I was when I introduced myself.

He seems much more excited in the commentary box.

In person he came across as very soft spoken and was also kind enough to stand up for a picture.

I led him up to the commentary box as well.

As the elevator arrived for my next trip down, put of the sliding door walked Rameez Raja, Waqar Younis, and Dean Jones.

Later I managed to click Dean Jones while he walked through the media centre, where I am right now.

The commentators are in the room right next to mine.

And I really wasn't making all those trips down to guide the media men up - I had to go down for my smoke breaks.

That's where I am going right now!

The Dubai Sports City Cricket Stadium that is!

The public will witness the Ring of Fire for the first time tonight as Pakistan clashes against Australia in the 1st ODI of the Chapal Cup Series.

Both the teams have been practicing hard and held their final net sessions yesterday with the Aussies getting a hit in the morning and the Pakistanis in the afternoon.

The stadium is gearing up to host its first international matc, which will be underway in less than 3 hours.

I still haven't walked down to the stadium and am sitting at the Dubai Sports City head office handing out media passes.

I hear that the teams are on their way to the ground.

The Australians are staying really close by so they'll be there in a bit. The Pakistanis are bit further into the city and I guess will take their sweet time.

The news coming through though is that Shoaib Akhtar is fit and ready to go.

A few days ago he vouched that he will play all the matches of the series and that he will prove his critics wrong.

Well we will only know if he lives up to his word over the next few days.

Jrod posted this pic of Shoaib Akhtar practicing with a big bandage around his shin.

I've seen the Pakistan team practice all week and that bandage is truly there.

What that is for though, I have no idea.

A number of the Pakistanis are looking forward to going up against the Aussies today.

None more than the openers - Salman Butt, Nasir Jamshed, and the 18 year old Ahmed Shahzad.

Only 2 of them will play and it looks it will be Salman and Nasir, but all 3 of them have been training hard and together.

They have had their own dedicated net and have continued to practice outside the nets lobbing balls to each other.

The spinner oriented attack that Intikhab Alam spoke about is also going ahead. Saeed Ajmal is set to play and will get his support from Shoaib Malik and Shahid Afridi.

On the Aussie front, all the comback players - Shane Watson, Shaun Marsh, Stuart Clark - are fit and raring to go.

Watson and Marsh are set to open the innings today, while Clark will be sharing the new ball with Bracken.

Its a batting paradise out there and I'm looking forward to a high scoring match, unless the Pakistanis have one of their kind of days.

Nevertheless, its the first international in this Emirate and its surely something to look forward to!

My next update will be from inside the Ring of Fire!

At the Dubai Sports City offices, its been a crazy busy morning.

We have been busy getting people's accreditations in order and making sure that the journalists, the broadcasters, the commentators, the caterers, the security people, the event managers, the media managers and all those that go behind organizing an event are stamped and authorized to be at the stadium by the Dubai Police.

I never thought so many people go behind organizing a simple cricket match.

The Security is tight!

It has been very tight since the Aussies got here.

The police have ensured that they check the validity and legality of all personnel that are going to be deployed at the stadium today for the match.

Without a Dubai Police stamp on our badges, we're not entering the Ring of Fire.

They have been quite strict about this.

Checking the background of us locals is easy for them as they've got our files in their systems and know everything about us and what we have been upto in the UAE.

But these guys have been so efficient that they have managed to conduct the security checks on all the officials and journalists who are here from Pakistan and Australia as well!

I have never in my life seen such stringent security checks for any sort of event in the UAE.

But its happening here in front of me for a cricket series.

I posted something related to this before, but just have to give an update since the proof is now here.

ICC World Cup Qualifiers: 54 matches, not a single one affected by rain! Not to mention each match was a scheduled 50-over affair.

IPL: Just 6 matches so far, and 3 have been affected by rain! (delays, reductions, whatever). And these are just 20-over matches!

And we're talking about playing in the same country, around the same time of the year (there's even some time overlap)!

So it's obvious that the players and fans of Associate Nations pray to different Rain Gods than the top teams, and those Rain Gods are more powerful. ICC needs to investigate this and come up with an official ICC religion based on the combined beliefs of the Associate Nations.

Then let us learn how to appease these Rain Gods. Not sure what it would entail, but I would bet that getting rid of the ludicrous "strategic timeout" would be the first step!

The Chapal Cup being contested between Pakistan and Australia in the UAE kicks off tomorrow at the newly built Dubai Sports City Cricket Stadium.





The Academy is run by Muhammad Afzal and Sohail Javed, both of whom are professional cricketers.

The press takes a walk in the corridors - from the media centre to the TV & Radio commentary boxes to the 3rd umpire room and onwards to the corporate boxes.

Billy Bowden enters the 3rd umpire's room.

I requested Billy for a pic and he was out with his best pose in a second! He's umpiring the 1st ODI on Wednesday.

The square being worked on by the groundsmen. They're calling it a batting paradise.

The Security waits, outside the players' room, for the Australians to arrive.

Micheal Clarke smiles as Tim Nielsen mentions that Symonds makes a few dollars playing for Australia as well.

The ICC's Anti Corruption & Security Unit's head, Retd. Col. Nur Khan, gets a brief from the security men on the arrangements.

The Australians arrive at the stadium.

Clarke had already finished his press meet and was waiting in the players' lounge. Shane Watson (in flip-flops), was in front of the line along with this man whom I did not recognize.

I managed a word with Watson, Symonds, and Marsh and basically said the same thing to all of them - Welcome back to the Australian team. I was met with smiles and thank yous with Symonds having the biggest smile of all.

Arrogant Aussies? What arrogance? Not even a hint of it.

Stuart Clark is HUGE!

And Bracken is taller than I imagined.

There were a few guys I did not recognize - probably Callum Ferguson and Doug Bollinger.

As Symonds walked into the ground, someone threw a ball at him. I'm not sure who it was.

Micheal Clarke looked like a lonely figure sitting on the steps outside the players' lounge. That's Shaun Marsh standing right behind him. You can also see Symonds going back into the lounge.

The players waited for the lights to come on, did a few light excercises and some fielding drills. They have a full fledged practice session tonight.

After the journalists were done obsessing over "why don't you tour Pakistan", there were a few other questions as well.

One reminded Clarke of the fact that Australia had not won an ODI series this season, to which Clarke said that he was aware of it and that he wants his team to work harder.

Particularly the top 4.

He said that the batting needed to improve and wants his team to capitalize on the moments during which his team is ahead of the opposition.

When questioned about Symonds coming back into the team, Clarke talked about how important it was to have him in the absence of Ponting and Hussey.

Who would have done the drinking otherwise I wondered.

Someone asked Tim Nielsen how he motivated people like Symonds who is missing the IPL, where he makes a lot of money.

Nielsen's response was brilliant - "you make a few dollars playing for Australia as well".

The Aussies landed in Dubai early this morning, many of them for the first time ever.


Micheal Clarke, captaining Australia in a full series for the very first time addressed the media this evening.


Unlike Younis Khan's press conference, this one was held at the press conference room of the Dubai Sports City Cricket Stadium.


Like Younis, Clarke also praised Dubai Sports City and talked about how amazing the facilities were.


This is Clarke's first visit to the UAE and he said that he looked forward to playing in Dubai and Abu Dhabi for the first time.


He seemed relaxed and said that he was very proud to be leading this group of players in a full series for the first time.


There are a lot of firsts in there - first time in the UAE, first time in Dubai, first time in this stadium, first time captain, first time ...


The journalists however believe in first times and they sure as hell believe in second times and third times as well.


Younis Khan, the other day, was repeatedly asked about Shoaib Akhtar. Similarly Clarke was repeatedly asked, "Why Australia don't tour Pakistan".


Clarke dodged the question several times but the journalists kept coming back at him by phrasing it differently.


"What are your thoughts about touring Pakistan?"


"Don't you wish you were playing Pakistan IN Pakistan?"


"Do you think Australia will ever tour Pakistan?"


"How does it feel to be playing Pakistan in their home series in a foreign country?"


Hell, they even asked him what he thought about the World Cup being taken away from Pakistan!


Clarke handled it very well I thought, wihtout responding directly to any of those questions.


He said that he looked forward to playing against Pakistan. He praised the Pakistan cricket team and said that he thought they were a very strong side. He also mentioned that it was unfortunate that they had not played against them very often in the recent past. He talked about how the weather and the crowd here would make Pakistan feel at home. And he said that 2 years was a long way away and he hadn't even thought about the World Cup.


But the journalists still didn't back off.


They started directing the same questions to Tim Nielsen, the Aussie's coach, mentioning that he was in Pakistan with the A team in 2007 and what he thought about the situation.


Tim was a bit more direct than Clarke though.


He said that it was unfortunate that the series was not happening in Pakistan but this was the only way that Australia were going to play Pakistan and he's happy that Dubai offered to host the series.


He added that neutral venues like Dubai ensure that Pakistan continue to play international cricket as nobody would like to see Pakistan not play, hence it was the best option.


And he ended by saying that he loved it there in 2007.

Aptly pleasing the press!

Definitely not Rajasthan Royals.

We all said that last season as well, but surely a fairytale cannot repeat itself.

I'm not one to discount Shane Warne, but to repeat what he did last year is going to be one hell of a task.

They'll have a good season but the IPL will have new Champions this year.

It won't be Delhi Daredevils either.

They're the favorites just like the Deccan Chargers were last year.

Favorites hardly ever win a cricket tournament like this, unless they're Australia.

We all know that by now.

Chennai Superkings will not win it.

Last year's finalists may just be that this year as well.

The "best captain in the world" and a "fitter than ever" Hayden will not be enough to take them all the way.

Not unless they change their team's second name.

Mumbai Indians will be neither here nor there.

They'll be more here though with Sachin doing bulk of the scoring.

I think this team will be a lot like India of the 1990s - Sachin scores, we score. Sachin falls, we fall.

Sachin may take them far, but not all the way. Some things never change.

Bangalore Royal Challengers, are you kidding me?

They're not the same Bangalore that we saw last year.

The test cricketers are gone, the hard hitters are in.

There's a new captain as well, but that won't be enough to change their fortunes.

Which captain will lift the trophy if Kolkata Knight Riders win it?

They won't though!

Not with an Icon player, a captain, a coach, and an owner, all on different pages.

Their season may even be worse than last years. They will be the Deccan Chargers of IPL 2009.

Speaking of the Deccan Chargers, no I don't think they will win at all.

Their season won't be any better than last year.

Maybe better than the Knight Riders, but not more.

That just leaves the Kings XI Punjab then.

But guess what, I don't think they'll win the IPL either.

As long as the beautious Priety Zinta is around to distract Yuvraj, this team ain't going to be championship material.

And anyway any team that has Sreesanth as a mascot cannot win a tournament.

That doesn't leave anyone then, but does it really matter who wins the IPL?

I reckon, Lalit Modi has already won it!

He's raked in so much moolah that even he's getting extortion calls.

And he's raking in even more by allowing teams 7.5 minutes to discuss strategy mid innings.

Whether its Rajasthan or Bangalore, or whether its Chennai or Delhi, it doesn't make a difference at all, for Lalit Modi is the true IPL Champion!

When it began last year, it was surely the Indian Premier League.

The "domestic competition", as the ICC likes to call it, was held in India.

There were 8 Indian regional teams.

7 of them were captained by Indians, with 5 of them with the status of Icon players.

Shane Warne was the only international captain last year.

This year however, it has all changed.

Its still the 8 Indian regional teams, but it is no longer being held in India.

Its taking place in South Africa.

While 3 of the captains - VVS Laxman, Rahul Dravid, and Saurav Ganguly - have been replaced by Adam Gilchrist, Kevin Pietersen, and Brendon McCullum.

Did you ever think that you would see KP captain a team from Bangalore?

We all saw Gilchrist captain Hyderabad last season, but this year he's going to do it in all the matches.

Can you imagine McCullum captaining a Kolkata side with Ganguly in it as a player?

I'd love to see that at the Eden Gardens!

Or even KP or Kallis leading Dravid on the the field in Bangalore.

4 Indian "domestic teams" are now captained by foreigners.

How long before all of them are?

Or is it just the start?

To get this far after starting in Division 5 of the World Cricket League is still quite an achievement for people who started playing cricket while living as refugees in Pakistan.

Afghanistan has not qualified for the 2011 World Cup, but by ending in the top 6 in the qualifiers, it has managed to get itself ODI status for the next 4 years.

Had someone told Afganistan 2 years ago that by 2009 they would be playing ODIs, no one would have believed it.

But now they are there.

And they are there as the strongest Asian associate nation.

UAE, Hong Kong, Nepal have all been left behind.

Now its upto the ICC to help Afghanistan progress from here.

They need to provide adequate funds for the development of the game in the country.

They also need to ensure that Afghanistan play enough ODIs during a season.

They need to arrange bilateral tours with other associates.

I'm not sure how many countries will tour Afghanistan, but there's no stopping them from touring and the ICC needs to make it happen.

With teams not touring Pakistan in the near future, and maybe for even longer, an ODI series against Afghanistan cannot be counted out.

Maybe Sledgehammer's dream of witnessing Pakistan take on Afghanistan in Peshawar will finally come true!

The Dream hasn't come to a stop, it has just started for the Afghans!

About two weeks ago Achettup did the mathematics around how much money the television channels need to make to break even on their IPL bid.

Now, even more calculations are in store after this was announced.

What this talks about is a 7.5 minute break after 10 overs in each innings during the Indian Premier League.

Out of which 5 minutes will be allocated to commercials!!

Wasn't the whole idea behind 20-20 that it is fast paced, aggressive action?

The only purpose this 7.5 minute break will serve is slowing down the tempo of a match.

The batsmen will have to get there eye in again.

The bowlers will have to get back into rythm.

It will ruin the entire match in my opinion.

It wouldn't make any difference to the crowd at the ground as they will have the sexy cheerleaders to keep them company, but what about us - the TV audience?

We will have to do with 2.5 minutes of ads and another 2.5 minutes of a documentary on the importance of education aimed at African children.

The latter is a good cause no doubt, but during a highly energetic cricket match with skimpily clad cheerleaders? Really?

And we thought, cricket couldn't get more commercial and that maybe the recession will keep the ads down!

Oh and the social cause is not purely social as Queen Rania of Jordan is paying a million dollars for each time the 2.5 minute film is shown!

I have spent this last week at the Dubai Sports City head office working with the media management team in preparation for the upcoming Chapal Cup Series between Pakistan and Australia.

I must say that its quite an experience working with the administrators.

I never realised how much work goes into ensuring the success of a cricket series.

Considering that this is the first series that the Dubai Sports City is going to host, one can just imagine the extra pressure the organizers are under.

It is completely different being at the other end of the spectrum.

All my life, I have enjoyed cricket as a viewer. Wake up, turn up at the ground, write some banners, blow some whistles, cheer at the top of your lungs, watch the match in between, bitch about the traffic on the way out, discuss the match, and get back to bed.

Sounds pretty simple.

For the organizers its a totally different ball game altogether.

Its tough and its demanding, but at the end of the day, its a lot of fun!

They not only have to make sure that the viewers are happy, but also have to meet the expectations of the players, officials, media, et all.

Thus far, everyone has been satisfied.

The Pakistanis have already been in Dubai for a few days and the men who matter - Intikhab Alam and Younis Khan - have praised the ground as well as Dubai Sports City for being great hosts.

Pakistan also got a first taste of the pitch and the ground under match conditions, when they took on Pakistan A in a practice match yesterday.

The buzz around Dubai for the series is peaking and tickets are selling fast.

People are not only excited about watching Pakistan in action, but they are also looking forward to watch Australia, who will play in this part of the world after 7 years.

The Aussies arrive in Dubai from South Africa in a couple of days and all of us here are waiting for them with bated breath.

22nd April 2009 is going to be a major milestone for Dubai, as the Emirate hosts its first ever international cricket match.

I say make sure you are a part of it!

46 matches so far. And not a drop of rain to affect a single match! Oh Rain Gods of the ICC Qualifiers, where were you in the 2007 World Cup? Or 2003? Or even the T20 World Cup 2007?

What can the official ODI teams and their fans do to seek your favor? What are your demands? Please let us know. We are ready to listen and act.

And, just for my sake, please don't rain on the remaining few matches. Two reasons. First, it's been an amazing and spirited tournament, and I'd hate to see rain play spoilsport. Second, I'll never be forgiven for jinxing a great tournament!

It was Pakistan vs Pakistan A but it could have easily been mistaken for Pakistan vs Australia.









For Pakistan the Chapal Cup is a home series and they have arrived in Dubai 10 days prior to the first match in order to get accustomed to the conditions.

Yes, it's very unlikely, and will take nothing short of a miracle. But it's possible, and that's what counts.

Here's how:

- Afghanistan beats Namibia...(likely)

- Scotland beats UAE...(very unlikely)

- Canada beats Netherlands convincingly...(somewhat unlikely)

- Ireland beats Kenya...(possible)

(Note: the "convincingly" can apply to either of the last two matches, but it needs to be more convincing for the Ireland vs Kenya match.)

Given that Kenya, UAE, and Netherlands have so much to play for, it is unlikely that all three of them will lose, especially since Ireland are already through, and Canada are virtually through). In addition, one of Netherlands and Kenya has to lose convincingly.

In any case, Afghanistan will probably beat Namibia and end up as an official ODI team. Which means they can tour Pakistan! :) They have much to be proud about - well done Afghanistan!

But I still have some hope of seeing them in the 2011 World Cup! It ain't over till Levero...I mean that fat lady sings!

The Pakistan cricket team landed in Dubai at 6am on Monday morning.

Dressed in all green, Younis Khan looked as confident as ever, which I believe is a good attitude to have and display.






How different these conditions are from what Pakistan has to offer, only time will tell.





Younis was then asked what he thought about Australia resting some of its key players, to which he said that even then the world champions cannot be taken lightly as the replacements like Symonds, Watson, and Marsh are top players.







Younis then urged everyone to support Shoaib Akhtar and said that he deserves a full opportunity to prove himself and that all of us can witness how he bowls once the series gets underway and judge him after that.