Reputation, Form, Priety's Likes, or Helping the Aussies?
Honestly, I was a bit surprised to see Brett Lee playing today for the Kings XI Punjab.
Not because he was in Dubai 36 hours ago, but because he replaced Yusuf Abdullah.
At the half way stage of the IPL, Abdullah was the leading wicket taker. He's still right up there, only placed 2nd.
Then here comes a pacer - who has just returned from injury, who 2 days ago played his first cricket match after half a year, who had lost the art of taking wickets before his lay-off, who is no longer the premier fast bowler of the country he represents - and he replaces one of the best bowlers on show at the IPL?
Fair?
With Kings XI suffering this season, surely they should have gone in with their best team.
Maybe playing Lee and Abdullah both would have made sense.
Sure Katich scored a 50 last game, but he's not exactly cut out to be a 20-20 cricketer.
Was it Lee's reputation that got him the game?
Maybe it was Priety Zinta who calls the shots and gets her favorite players in - Lee, after all did call her his favorite bollywood star.
Or is it that the Kings XI (read Tom Moody) who are doing Australia a favor by providing Brett Lee much needed match practice before the ICC World Twenty20?
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Addendum after the match:
In hindsight, I guess they played Brett Lee so that he could bat, hit that 6, and those winning runs!
Not because he was in Dubai 36 hours ago, but because he replaced Yusuf Abdullah.
At the half way stage of the IPL, Abdullah was the leading wicket taker. He's still right up there, only placed 2nd.
Then here comes a pacer - who has just returned from injury, who 2 days ago played his first cricket match after half a year, who had lost the art of taking wickets before his lay-off, who is no longer the premier fast bowler of the country he represents - and he replaces one of the best bowlers on show at the IPL?
Fair?
With Kings XI suffering this season, surely they should have gone in with their best team.
Maybe playing Lee and Abdullah both would have made sense.
Sure Katich scored a 50 last game, but he's not exactly cut out to be a 20-20 cricketer.
Was it Lee's reputation that got him the game?
Maybe it was Priety Zinta who calls the shots and gets her favorite players in - Lee, after all did call her his favorite bollywood star.
Or is it that the Kings XI (read Tom Moody) who are doing Australia a favor by providing Brett Lee much needed match practice before the ICC World Twenty20?
____________________________________________________________________
Addendum after the match:
In hindsight, I guess they played Brett Lee so that he could bat, hit that 6, and those winning runs!
May be you would want to modify the post or delete it altogether, now that he won the game for KXIP with his batting (13 off 9 balls in crucial time) and bowling decently well (1/24 in 4). He bowled a super 19th over without giving much away. Put that in match context and you see that made DC score 10-15 runs less. Symmo was in full flow till 18th end. Pathan and Lee checked in flow and ensured that the target was reachable and they did in the end.
Guys, some credit please when it deserves to the Aussies. They after all arent vampires.
Sam: I added the addendum to the post as soon as the match was over. Much before your comment son.
I ain't like you who lives in his own warped world and doesn't give credit where credit is due.
Ah mate, barbs again :)
my mistake to drop here. if i m unwanted, let me know father, i wud back off :)
Sam, you and your views are always welcome here :-).. Im serious, even if they are a bit twisted its always good to hear from the other side.
And it wasn't a bard, i just responded to you saying give credit when its due - id already done that.. but will u acknowledge that? I doubt :-)
i acknowledge :)
no hard feelings.
Hahahahahahaha! I love this post! It displays ignorance, stupidity and most of all, foot in mouth or is that arse in mouth? LMAO
Anon: where's the ignorance and stupidity may i ask? In suggesting that the highest wicket taker shud have been playing?
And there ain't anything in the mouth - looks like u missed the addendum.
None whatsoever Sam.
Addendum AFTER you had already suffered the arse in mouth? lmao
I think with the benefit of hindsight Lee is a better choice just because Abdullah and Irfan both have similiar style. On the sametime they should drop,shoot, or pack Sreeshant to Mexico. Lee was also pretty quick against Pakistani's if only Marcus North had hold on to that catch
Indophile: Lee was not pretty quick against Pakistan, he was EXTREMELY quick. That 1st delivery was clocked at 149ks and at the press conference Haddin said that he nor North did not anticipate that the ball will come as fast as it did. Both Haddin and North moved a yard back after that 1st ball.
Lee's back and surely bowling as fast as ever like he promised. He's put on some muscle as well.
The point of the post was not to demean Lee, something Sam and Anonymous did not understand, but to rather question whether dropping Abdullah was the right thing?
It takes a lot to leave out ur top bowler.
Well hindsight is a great thing. If we all had the benefit of it, all of us would be genuises.
Lee did well today but I must admit before the match I really felt it for Abdullah. Not often that the highest wicket taker of a tournament gets dropped.
Also honestly given Priety and Lee's rapport, I think Lee will always have a place in Kings Punjab.
Rayden: I agree and I also think that if australia were not playing for Pakistan, Lee might have turned up for Kings XI much before..