Salim Malik.

The man was an artist.

I think he was one of the shrewdest minds to have played the game. One of the smartest batsmen ever. A man who made batting look like an art.

Besides Sachin Tendulkar, no one mastered Shane Warne the way Salim Malik did. His 237 against Australia in Rawal Pindi in 1994 still remains as one of the finest knocks by a captain. The score is the 2nd highest score (behind Wally Hammond's 240) by a captain against Australia. Malik's average of 92 in tests that he captained against Australia is still the highest average among captains in tests against Australia.

Moreover, Malik's record as Pakistan's captain is exceptional with a test win % of 58.33, which is only bettered by Waqar Younis and Rashid Latif. While his ODI win % of 64.7 is also one of the highest among Pakistan captains bettered by only Intikhab Alam (in 3 matches) and Shoaib Malik (majority against minnows).

But all these reasons is not why I believe that Salim Malik was an artist or the shrewdest batsman to play the game.

It is because of his single handed ability to dictate terms on the pitch, direct an entire innings, and orchestrate the outcome of a match.

Salim Malik was impeccable.

Typically batting at number 4 or 5, Malik would more often than not score healthy 40s, 50s, and scores in excess of that.

He was even more efficient in chases.

While Malik was at the crease, Pakistan always remained at par with the required run rate. At time above it, but never really too far below it.

Malik would ensure that he batted for a good part of Pakistan's innings, scored at a reasonable rate, and hogged the strike while stealing singles of the last ball of every over.

It was as if he was toying with the opposition's bowlers and fielders.

Little did anyone know that he was toying with his own team.

During the course of his well grafted innings, Malik always ensured that he got at least one batsman run out. He also skilfully ensured that the batsman at the other end took over the responsibility to get quick runs, while he remained at the crease saving his wicket for the end.

Since he was captain and also the senior most members of the side, he easily demanded that.

While Malik would continue with his knock, batsmen at the other end would perish while trying to up the tempo, or would get run out due to calculated calls made by Malik.

Malik would continue to bat till most of the batsmen were back in the pavilion, and with 50 odd runs still to get, he would also throw his wicket away leaving the task of finishing the game on the tailenders.

He did this repeatedly over a period of 3-4 years in the mid 90s.

Salim Malik was the best orchestrator of a loss the game of cricket has ever seen.

He was a true artist who had perfected the art of batting and controlling an innings.

The game has never seen anyone like Salim Malik.

And now he wants to become the coach of the Pakistan national team.

I can't help but think what that would do to the extremely talented batsmen that are Pakistan's future. Azhar Ali, Asad Shafiq, Umar Akmal, and Nasir Jamshed surely require grooming, but do we really want them to be coached by Salim Malik?

Do we want more artists?

Do we want batsmen who master the art of losing games for Pakistan?

We definitely do not.

There is absolutely no reason why the PCB should even give a little bit of notice to the application put forward by Salim Malik.

Keep him away please!

It has been 3 weeks since Pakistan's domestic season got underway with the President's Trophy First Class competition that involves 10 department teams.

HBL, UBL, PIA, SBP, NBP, KRL, SNGPL, WAPDA, Port Qasim, and ZTBL have been engaged in this departmental tournament and all of Pakistan's test cricketers have been involved thus far.

Habib Bank, who are being captained by Younis Khan, are sitting at the top of the table currently with 3 wins out of 3 thus far; while PIA, Sui Gas, and State Bank follow with 2 wins each in their 3 matches.



Fawad Alam, who is captaining Natonal Bank of Pakistan, is the leading run scorer thus far, with 361 runs in 6 innings. He has already knocked two centuries and one fifty, and is looking in sublime form, just like he does in every domestic season.

It is quite unbelievable that a player like him who averages 58 in first class cricket, which is more than most Pakistan cricketers of the past and present, and who scored a debut test century, has had only 3 test caps.

Younis Khan is also looking in good touch with the only two innings that he has played producing a 48 and an unbeaten 101. He was on 101 overnight in HBL's match against SBP that started yesterday.

The SNGPL top 5 could very well be Pakistan's test line up with Hafeez, Taufeeq Umar, Azhar Ali, Umar Akmal, and Misbah

Mohammad Hafeez has had a decent run as well with 227 runs in 5 innings at an average of 45.4, while Umar Akmal has had two knocks of 48 and 40.

But the other three - Misbah, Taufeeq Umar, and Azhar Ali have had a torrid time at the crease. Pakistan test captain Misbah has managed only 53 runs in 5 innings, while Taufeeq and Azhar Ali have managed 129 and 158 in 8 innings respectively.

Among the bowlers, Habib Bank's Ehsan Adil is the leading wicket taker currently with 25 wickets in 4* matches. Ehsan is only 19 years old and is in his debut first class season. He was also a part of Pakistan's U19 World Cup campaign a couple of months ago.

Aizaz Cheema has also been in fine form with the ball picking up 21 wickets in 4* games, while two slow left arm spinners - veterans Kashif Bhatti of UBL and Zulfiqar Babar of WAPDA have picked up 23 wickets apiece.

With no international tours over the next 2 months for Pakistan, all the test players are involved in this President's Cup, which will make the upcoming weeks even more exciting.

My bets are on Habib Bank to continue their winning ways and remain at the top of the table. If you are looking to be in sports, click here for the best betting sites.

Stay tuned for more updates as another week of the President's Cup unfolds.

Its all over and the Calypso Kings, the lords of the 70s and 80s, the Gangnam Gang, the West Indies reign supreme once again!

Everyone loves an underdog story, but remarkably there were many people this time who had called a West Indies win before the World T20 started. I was witness to two such calls by friends.

The argument was that any team with the likes of Gayle, Pollard, Bravo, Russell, Smith, and Samuels, all of whom are brilliant in T20s and have demonstrated their prowess in T20 leagues around the world, stands a very good chance of winning the tournament.

The argument prevailed. And how!

Despite these few people who called it right, the story of the West Indies winning this World T20 will remain one of the underdogs, the dark horses upsetting the major powers and lifting a world championship trophy.

Almost everyone, barring the Sri Lankans ofcourse, were rooting for the West Indies only to see them break into the Gangnam style dance moves that have become even more popular thanks to Chris Gayle & Co.

I'm sure that even the Sri Lankans could not help bring on a smile when the entire Caribbean unit broke into those celebrations.

They were simply awesome!


So the West Indies sit on top of the world once again, winning a world cup trophy after 33 years (not counting the Champions Trophy triumph in 2004).

What is the most interesting aspect of this victory is that there have been three occasions when a host nation has reached a final of a World Tournament and lost it - England in the ODI World Cup in 1979, England in the Champins Trophy in 2004, and Sri Lanka in the World T20 in 2012 - on each of these occasions the party poopers were the West Indies!

But I can't help feel sorry for the Sri Lankans who lost their 4th final in the last 5 years. Making it to the final of two ODI World Cups and two World T20 tournaments in 5 years is a phenomenal achievement, but not winning a single one of them must hurt badly.

Here are some more highlights and interesting facts from the 2012 edition of the World T20:

1. West Indies became the third team after India and Pakistan to win both the ODI World Cup and the World T20. They now have 3 world cup trophies (2 ODI, 1 T20), equal to India's, and one less than Australia's 4 (all ODI).
2. In 2007 India qualified for the Super 8s without winning a single match. In 2010 England qualified for the Super 8s without winning a single match. In 2012 West Indies qualified for the Super 8s without winning a single match. All three went on to win the World T20.
3. The hosts of the 2009 World T20 won it in 2010. The hosts of the 2010 World T20 won it in 2012. Will it finally be Sri Lanka's chance in 2014?
4. None of the WT20 winning squad of the West Indies were born when the West Indies last won the World Cup in 1979.
5. West Indies was the only team to score 200 during this World T20, and they were also the team that scored the lowest number of runs in the first 10 overs - 32 in the final. Their 32-2 in 10 overs was also the 4th lowest total ever at the end of 10 overs in all T20 Internationals.
6. India had the best win:loss ratio among all teams in the World T20. They lost only 1 game in the entire tournament, 1 less than the eventual champions and runners up.
7. Chris Gayle topped the sixes chart in the tournament hitting a total of 16. Shane Watson and Marlon Samuels hit 15 each, while Luke Wright hit 13. Each one of them hit more sixes than the entire Indian team that managed 12 between them in 5 matches.
8. Besides Afridi, the two Pakistan cricketers that have been criticized the most are Mohammad Hafeez and Imran Nazir. People don't realize that both Hafeez and Nazir were among the leading run scorers of the tournament and the top two run scorers for Pakistan.
9. Imran Nazir also has the 3rd highest strike rate among batsmen who scored at least 150 runs in the tournament. Nazir's SR of 150 equaled that of Shane Watson and Chris Gayle.
10. The highest run scorer for South Africa was JP Duminy with 106 runs in 5 matches. Brendon McCullum scored more than that in just 1 of his innings.
11. Marlon Samuels 78 is the highest score in a World T20 final, surpassing the 75 scored by Gambhir in 2007.
12. Ajantha Mendis' 15 wickets in this World T20 is the highest number of wickets ever taken in a WT20 tournament, surpassing Dirk Nannes effort of 14 in 2010.
13. Only two bowlers (with at least 5 wickets) averaged less than 10 with the ball - Ajantha Mendis and Balaji! Yes Laxmipathy Balaji from India!
14. Jacques Kallis picked up more wickets than Steyn and Morkel in this tournament.
15. Shahid Afridi and Umar Gul, who are the joint 2nd highest wicket takers in T20 Internationals, managed only 7 wickets between them in the World T20.
16. Ajantha Mendis' 4-12 is the best figures in a World T20 final, surpassing the 3-16 by Irfan Pathan, also in 2007. Mendis' figures of 4-12 are also the best figures by a bowler in a losing cause in all T20 internationals.
17. Dale Steyn and Raza Hasan were the only two bowlers (min: 5 overs) with an economy rate of less than 5.
18. In a total of 11 overs in the World T20, Xavier Doherty did not concede a single four. However, he conceded the most number of sixes - 9.

It is going to be a cracking World Twenty20 final between the West Indies and Sri Lanka tomorrow and I am having a tough time deciding on who to support.

Both teams are the eternal dark horses and both teams are typically those that are named by fans when asked "who are you supporting besides your home team?".

And both teams deserve to win this final!

For Sri Lanka, it is going to be their 4th World Cup Final since 2007. A 4th final in 5 years is a huge achievement, but the fact that they have not been able to win any of these finals is a fact that has been haunting the Sri Lankans for a long time. About time they win one!

For the West Indies, it is going to be their 1st World Cup Final since 1983, making it 29 long years since they made it to one. And it has been 33 years since they won one! About time they win one!

So who the hell do you support?

Its a tough one.

Even calling it is a tough one.

The Windies batsmen have been in devastating form. Led by Chris Gayle, all of them - Charles, Samuels, Bravo, Pollard - have come to the party. Gangnam Style!

Gayle has failed only once in this World T20 and it was against Sri Lanka in their Super 8 game. Sri Lanka easily won that game, but it doesn't look like the Windies will surrender that easily come tomorrow.

The Sri Lankans have been the most consistent side in this tournament and it will definitely be difficult to topple them.

With Sri Lanka's dangerous bowling attack and the West Indies' menacing batsmen it is going to be an intense battle between bat and ball.

Fine, all that is cricket, and both the teams may or may not be evenly balanced, but who the hell do you support?

I want to see the Windies win so Gayle & Co. can break into a Gangnam style celebration.

But I don't want to see a million Sri Lankan heartbreaks.

I want to see the Windies rejoice at winning a World Cup title after over three decades.

But I don't want to see Sri Lanka to lose a 4th successive final.

I want to see the Windies paint Colombo red tomorrow night.

But I don't want to see Sri Lanka lose in front of their home crowd.

I don't think I have ever been so divided in support.

I hope both teams give us a cracking final! May the best team win.

PAKISTAN'S UNIQUE FEAT

On Tuesday Pakistan became the only team to feature in the semi finals of all four World Twenty20 tournaments that have taken place thus far.

Pakistan were also the only team to have featured in the semi final line up of the three previous World T20 tournaments.

And they remain the only team to have played two World T20 Finals; however they could be joined by Australia or Sri Lanka if either of them qualify for the finals.

That record is impeccable.

On Thursday, when Pakistan take on Sri Lanka in the 1st Semi Final of the World T20 2012, it will be the 4th consecutive World T20 semi final that Shahid Afridi and Kamran Akmal will play. While it will be the 3rd World T20 semi final for Mohammad Hafeez, Shoaib Malik, Abdul Razzaq, Saeed Ajmal, and Umar Gul.

That is one experienced line up.

If it were not for a Michael Hussey juggernaut in 2010, Pakistan would have played a 3rd straight World T20 final, but it was an unbelievable and an unfortunate day in St. Lucia for the Pakistanis as Hussey produced a whirlwind and shattered Pakistan's hopes.

HISTORICAL ADVANTAGE WITH PAKISTAN

This time, the Greens are up against Sri Lanka, who started this World T20 as one of the favorites. Playing the Sri Lankans on their home ground is never easy, but I believe Pakistan has it in them to go all the way.

Historically, Pakistan has done well against the Sri Lankans, winning 6 out of the 9 T20 internationals that the teams have played against each other.

Out of the three matches they have played in World T20 tournaments, Pakistan have won 2 (including the final of the World T20 2009) and Sri Lanka 1.

BOTH TEAMS PRETTY EVEN IN THIS WORLD T20

Both, Pakistan and Sri Lanka have looked very strong during this World T20, however I feel that Pakistan has been the more dominant team out of the two.

Pakistan completely outplayed New Zealand and Bangladesh during the Group stages, and dominated Australia in their last Super 8 game. They stuttered against South Africa, but came back strongly to win that game narrowly. They have had only 1 bad game in the entire tournament and that was against India where they looked meek and out of sorts.

Sri Lanka, on the other hand, remained unbeaten in the Super 8 stage beating England, West Indies, and New Zealand on their way to the semi finals. While they dominated the West Indies and England, they tied against New Zealand and won in the super over. They annihilated Zimbabwe in the opening match of the World T20 and only lost a shortened 7-over sprint to South Africa in the group stages.

Besides the historical advantage that Pakistan holds, there is very little to choose between the two teams as far as this tournament is concerned.

TOP 3 THE KEY TO BOTH TEAMS' BATTING

As far as the batting is concerned, Pakistan's top 3 of Mohammad Hafeez, Imran Nazir, and Nasir Jamshed are their leading run scorers in this tournament. The top order has traditionally been a worry for Pakistan, but in this tournament it is their top 3 who have done the bulk of the scoring.

Even the middle order comprising of the Akmal brothers, Shoaib Malik, and now Abdul Razzaq looks solid. Razzaq showed some touch during Pakistan's last Super 8 game against Australia, and if he can fire with the bat in the closing overs, it will provide Pakistan with the much needed fire power lower down, which has been missing due to Afridi's bad form with the bat.

For Sri Lanka as well, it is their top 3 of Jayawardene, Dilshan, & Sangakkara who are their leading run scorers in this World T20. Even though their middle order remains largely untested, the likes of Matthews, Thirimanne, Mendis, and the hard hitting Perera can be very dangerous on their day.

BOTH TEAMS HAVE A FORMIDABLE ATTACK

Sri Lanka has two match winning bowlers in their ranks in Lasith Malinga and Ajantha Mendis, both of whom are among the leading wicket takers in this World T20. Mendis had a rare off day in the last Super 8 game against England and Pakistan has traditionally played him well, but he still poses a threat, while Malinga is the sort of bowler who can turn a  match on its head within an over.

For Pakistan, Saeed Ajmal is the key, who is also among the leading wicket takers in this tournament. Even though they possess another two top quality match winning bowlers in Afridi and Umar Gul, both of them have been off color in this World T20. While Afridi has still managed to remain relatively economical, Gul has gone for over 10 runs an over.

Gul did seem to come back to some sort of rhythm in Pakistan's last game against Australia, but he is still far away from being the dangerous death bowler he once was in T20s.

The rise of Raza Hasan though is a positive sign for Pakistan. The 20 year old did what no other bowler has managed to do in this entire tournament - he tamed the man beast Shane Watson and finally ended his run scoring spree.


What has been remarkable about Raza is that he has opened the bowling for Pakistan in all their three Super 8 games against the batting power houses of Australia, South Africa, and India, and has managed an economy rate of only 4.36 in 11 overs, which is the best economy in this World T20 for any one who has bowled more than 5 overs.

TOO CLOSE TO CALL

Even though Sri Lanka have the home advantage, Pakistan were based in Colombo for their Super 8 games and are well accustomed to the conditions. There is no doubt that both teams are going to attack with spin, and it will possibly come down to which team plays the other's spin better.

It is going to be a cracker of a match. Even though I am stopping short of calling out a sure shot winner, I do believe that the winner of this semi final will lift the trophy on Sunday.