tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3713921718473352259.post8320460967248950782..comments2024-03-17T12:14:30.727+04:00Comments on Well Pitched - a cricket blog: The Precedent for Graeme Smithobaidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04686432822347334520noreply@blogger.comBlogger33125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3713921718473352259.post-13583105501493118662009-01-12T16:27:00.000+04:002009-01-12T16:27:00.000+04:00@Karachi Khatmal:I don't know about the rest but t...@Karachi Khatmal:<BR/><BR/>I don't know about the rest but that summer in 1992 I was in Islamabad for the summer holidays and I was following the tour to England LIVE on PTV. The matches were being telecast but on the final day of the Lord's test the light was gone for the entire day. Load shedding! I remember sitting in my lawn all day with my ear stuck to the radio.<BR/><BR/>I listened to the entire chase.<BR/><BR/>During the series there were numerous other instances when the light had gone or PTV had taken a break for news when I had turned to the radio.<BR/><BR/>As for Asif Mujtaba, he had pulled of the impossible twice in his career.<BR/><BR/>Believe it or not but Mujtaba made his debut as a 19 year old back in 1986-87 and in only his 4th ODI in Jan 87 he led Pakistan to a last ball 1 wkt victory over Australia at Perth with an unbeaten 60.<BR/><BR/>(http://content-gulf.cricinfo.com/statsguru/engine/match/65910.html)<BR/><BR/>He did the same again, not in 1996 as u mention, but in 1993 when he hit the finall ball of the innings for a 6 to tie the match.<BR/><BR/>(http://content-gulf.cricinfo.com/statsguru/engine/match/65496.html)<BR/><BR/>Mujtaba could never live up to his potential. He disappeared in 1987 after failing in his 1st season. Besides that 60* he didn't do anything else of note. He resurfaced in 1992 after the World Cup and stuck around for 3 years or so. He displayed spurts of brilliance but was never consistent enough.Qhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13947332468863567271noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3713921718473352259.post-28946862235167160842009-01-12T14:27:00.000+04:002009-01-12T14:27:00.000+04:00ahhhthat lords match on the radio - was it not bei...ahhh<BR/><BR/>that lords match on the radio - was it not being telecast in Pakistan, because a lot of people remember hearing the final outcome on the airwaves.<BR/><BR/>it was crazy exciting though... finally a piece of nostalgia i can relate to...<BR/><BR/>@ Sledgehammer, 02:31 am<BR/><BR/>didn't that asif mujtaba match happen in 96, if i'm not wrong, where he hit the last ball for six to tie the match..? unless he had repeated heroics down under... i remember him being hit on the groin in that match, and then proceeding to strip down to his boxers in the middle of the pitch...karachikhatmalhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10230156724789704199noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3713921718473352259.post-33254972020248337272009-01-11T00:23:00.000+04:002009-01-11T00:23:00.000+04:00Cozier even on TV today is one of the best!Cozier even on TV today is one of the best!Qhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13947332468863567271noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3713921718473352259.post-43915689521123763242009-01-10T20:49:00.000+04:002009-01-10T20:49:00.000+04:00Thank for the Obaid post. Yes, that's some classic...Thank for the Obaid post. Yes, that's some classic stuff. A wonderful read. Great comments as well.<BR/><BR/>In addition to Pakistani commentators, I remember listening to Tony Cozier's radio commentary for the classic (and eventually heartbreaking) 1987 series in WI. My bros and I used to copy him when we played, using words like appealin' and convincin' and leadin'!<BR/><BR/>Cozier is a class act. I'm glad the media stand in Barbados is named after him.SledgeHammerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10118623964622205754noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3713921718473352259.post-61357673598921487182009-01-10T14:39:00.000+04:002009-01-10T14:39:00.000+04:00@Sledge: That can happen only in Pakistan Sledge.....@Sledge: That can happen only in Pakistan Sledge... I remember watching pakistan vs england on PTV during the summers (87,92,96) and they would always break for the 7pm english news and 9pm urdu news.. very frustrating!<BR/><BR/>As for the radio commentary.. I remember following a lot of the 92 Pak vs Eng series on radio - largely because of load shedding and not being able to watch it on TV.. i followed the entire Lord's victory march by Wasim and Waqar - that remains my best radio moment..<BR/><BR/>Here's a post that obaid did over a year ago about radio commentary - u will enjoy it:<BR/><BR/>http://www.wellpitched.com/2007/11/romanticism-of-radio-commentary.htmlQhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13947332468863567271noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3713921718473352259.post-50708405741170737652009-01-10T14:36:00.000+04:002009-01-10T14:36:00.000+04:00thats true Khi Khatmal.. there were quite a few of...thats true Khi Khatmal.. there were quite a few of the cricketers in those days who were involved. Only Malik, Azhar, and Cronje paid the price.Qhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13947332468863567271noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3713921718473352259.post-43326977154586334312009-01-10T14:31:00.000+04:002009-01-10T14:31:00.000+04:00@Q: I really only lived in Pakistan from 85-89. Bu...@Q: I really only lived in Pakistan from 85-89. But it was those years when cricket became a part of me. Some very good years - various Sharjah tournaments, Pak tours of India, WI, and England in 1987, WC 87, Nehru Cup, etc. <BR/><BR/>One tidbit if radio commentary. Not sure if anyone recalls the B&H Challenge in 1987, specifically the match between Pak and Australia, when Asif Mujtaba played the innings of a lifetime. Anyhow, just as the last over started, I think it was 6 PM Pak Standard Time. Millions of nervous Pakistani fans were tuned into the radio to see if this young boy could pull off a miraculous victory.<BR/><BR/>And guess what??? Radio Pakistan cut to the news!!! Effing unbelievable! And in their sport brief, they uneventfully announced that Pakistan had won.<BR/><BR/>It is rumored that Zia-ul-Haq, a massive cricket fan, was very displeased as he was also listening to the commentary. I shudder to think what would have happened to anyone who pissed off Zia!SledgeHammerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10118623964622205754noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3713921718473352259.post-78251735836288239192009-01-10T06:47:00.000+04:002009-01-10T06:47:00.000+04:00hahaha... i meant the comment about you guys being...hahaha... i meant the comment about you guys being old as a joke, but then the reminiscing about radio commentary has me in awe, as well as respect for my elders :P<BR/><BR/>also, as Q mentioned, saleem satta's fixing skills were really world class as well. lets not get carried away with the evil and devil remarks though - cuz a lot more people were involved in match fixing, and if we called them all evil we would have to describe what some call the left arm of god as evil, and that would be sacreligious.<BR/><BR/>but the best thing i ever read about match fixing was on a banner on an australian ground which made clear that messers waugh and warne weren't free of blame either, it was just the color of their skin and the strength of their board that kept their name clean. anyways, here's what the banner said<BR/><BR/>"weather is fine, pitch is flat<BR/>5ooo dollars, just for that"karachikhatmalhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10230156724789704199noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3713921718473352259.post-59756276153193416652009-01-10T03:41:00.000+04:002009-01-10T03:41:00.000+04:00Thats quite a memory sledge.. the ifti one about t...Thats quite a memory sledge.. the ifti one about the 6 is pretty much spot on!<BR/><BR/>I grew up outside Pakistan so don't have that many radio commentary memories.. only when i would visit in the summers would i get the chance to listen to some..Qhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13947332468863567271noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3713921718473352259.post-17801247499240515232009-01-09T19:32:00.000+04:002009-01-09T19:32:00.000+04:00I liked Omer Qureshi, Iftikhar and Hassan Jalil.I liked Omer Qureshi, Iftikhar and Hassan Jalil.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3713921718473352259.post-12309719146861285012009-01-09T18:56:00.000+04:002009-01-09T18:56:00.000+04:00Man, I loved radio commentary. During class in Pak...Man, I loved radio commentary. During class in Pakistan I used to keep a transistor radio in my pocket, slip the earbud under my shirt, and put my collars up to keep my ear hidden from the teacher's eyes!<BR/><BR/>In those days the radio commentators weren't fully isolated from crowd noise. So you'll hear something like this:<BR/><BR/>"Pakistan aur West Indies kay darmiyan sansani khaiz ka muzahira ho raha hai yahan Qazzafi stadium mein. Marshall bowling kay liyay tayyar. Miandad samna kar rahay hain. Teen slip, gully, third man....Tezi say Marshall wicket ki teraf jaa rahay hain. Wicket par ponchay. Gaind kee."<BR/><BR/>And then you'll hear some crazy crowd noise - you can't make out a thing the commentator is saying, but in between you hear something like "choka" or "chakka" or "boundary kay paar"!<BR/><BR/>Amazing stuff. Good memories. Hasan Jalil was one of the great Urdu commentators. Muneer Hussain was good too. As for English, Omar Kureshi was the king of radio (though his best days were even before my time, according to my dad, who also admired Jamshed Marker's commentary). Chishti Mujahid was good too, but a bit too serious. Took pride in saying the full names of cricketers and pronouncing them with extreme emphasis on some of the consonants ("Krrrrrissssshhhhnamachhhhrrrriii Srrrrikkkantttthhh!). <BR/><BR/>Iftikhar was a better TV commentator because he lacked the detail necessary for radio. His most famous narration on TV, of course, is: "Last ball coming up, four runs required...and he hits a SIX! And Pakistan have won! Unbelievable victory by Pakistan. And Javed Miandad the hero of the moment. This is unbelievable. Just look at the crowd there. Miandad the great they shout. Miandad the great. And the crowd here is simply erupting."<BR/><BR/>(I typed that straight out of memory in just a few seconds, and I could go on a bit! I think it's a fairly accurate regurgitation. Apologies for my obsession with that Sharjah match.)SledgeHammerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10118623964622205754noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3713921718473352259.post-39041618144090026452009-01-09T14:28:00.000+04:002009-01-09T14:28:00.000+04:00Obaid, I remember that match with Qadir and i actu...Obaid, I remember that match with Qadir and i actually remember that comment as well - it was Chishty Mujahid i think...<BR/><BR/>As for sensationalist commentary - it was Sledge who wrote abt it, not me :-) ... he's definitely listened to more radio commentary than i have...Qhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13947332468863567271noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3713921718473352259.post-22921337605617116302009-01-09T14:27:00.000+04:002009-01-09T14:27:00.000+04:00I was agreeing with you Wasim :-)I was agreeing with you Wasim :-)Qhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13947332468863567271noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3713921718473352259.post-64508759405684018082009-01-09T10:23:00.000+04:002009-01-09T10:23:00.000+04:00I dont remember seeing this innings of Malik's but...I dont remember seeing this innings of Malik's but I do remember hearing about it. I think in the same series or one soon after with the Windies, Qadir got hit on the head by a bouncer... after a prolonged injury timeout he took guard again and then decided to charge the bowler.<BR/><BR/>I remember what the commentator said (to Q's point about sensationalist commentary in Urdu): "Aur qadir dimaghi tawazun kho bethay hain!!!"<BR/><BR/>That translates to "And Qadir has lost his mental balance!"<BR/><BR/>I wonder if we can find above commentary somewhere? Its definitely more entertaining than Pakistan cricket at the momentobaidhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04686432822347334520noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3713921718473352259.post-78668503135629202222009-01-09T06:49:00.000+04:002009-01-09T06:49:00.000+04:00Q I already stated that he was one of my favorites...Q <BR/><BR/>I already stated that he was one of my favorites until he disgraced himself.<BR/><BR/>Karachi Khatmal:<BR/><BR/>There is nothing wrong to cherish the memories of his good innings, he was a good player until we lost him to the devil.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3713921718473352259.post-40210185757247806702009-01-09T01:48:00.000+04:002009-01-09T01:48:00.000+04:00Wasim - Malik was the man till he disgraced himsel...Wasim - Malik was the man till he disgraced himself as Karachi Khatmal points out.<BR/><BR/>Sadly he was too good and too smart for his own good. And again its unfortunate that some people just saw him during the fixing days and not before that which defined what Saleem Malik was.<BR/><BR/>He was pure genius.<BR/><BR/>Even when fixing a game - batting through the innings, running partners out, getting pak close to the target, and when all batsmen were gone to throw his wicket away. It definitely required skill.<BR/><BR/>He had it.<BR/><BR/>Sadly he used it the wrong way.Qhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13947332468863567271noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3713921718473352259.post-89835598379938924372009-01-09T01:45:00.000+04:002009-01-09T01:45:00.000+04:00SP - I second Sledge there... those were some grea...SP - I second Sledge there... those were some great times for Pakistan cricket and we were lucky to witness them. Sadly the kids growing up in these times are completely put off cricket... we need to pick up quick.. for that we need to start playing quick.Qhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13947332468863567271noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3713921718473352259.post-43370361774225442392009-01-09T01:44:00.000+04:002009-01-09T01:44:00.000+04:00Scorps - I heard abt the Marshall one.. Amidst all...Scorps - I heard abt the Marshall one.. <BR/><BR/>Amidst all this, I wonder why no one has mentioned Kumble and his effort with a broken jaw...Qhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13947332468863567271noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3713921718473352259.post-1985024357928745152009-01-09T01:43:00.000+04:002009-01-09T01:43:00.000+04:00Sam - braveheart is an understatement.. And that E...Sam - braveheart is an understatement.. <BR/><BR/>And that Eden test u mention was quite a match. Wasim bhai was completely in his element!<BR/><BR/>Moin's innings though was the highlight.Qhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13947332468863567271noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3713921718473352259.post-162842713294973722009-01-09T01:41:00.000+04:002009-01-09T01:41:00.000+04:00DB that is very true.. we grow up listening to sto...DB that is very true.. we grow up listening to stories about the cricketing heroes from the country you belong to.. just like you listen to / read about the historical personalities pertaining to your country of birth..<BR/><BR/>I had never heard of McKosker or Mynn but those links u gave are some neat stories!Qhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13947332468863567271noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3713921718473352259.post-74599632002660247772009-01-09T01:37:00.000+04:002009-01-09T01:37:00.000+04:00@Sledge: Im not all that much older than you as Ka...@Sledge: Im not all that much older than you as Karachi Khatmal has reminded us ;-)<BR/><BR/>Thanks for the links. That 87 series was the first cricket series I ever saw as an aware fan..Qhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13947332468863567271noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3713921718473352259.post-92190053614937694642009-01-08T19:03:00.000+04:002009-01-08T19:03:00.000+04:00@karachi khatmal: Folklore and batting prowess asi...@karachi khatmal: Folklore and batting prowess aside, he remains Saleem Satta for his off-field contributions.SledgeHammerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10118623964622205754noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3713921718473352259.post-88105289315231409902009-01-08T18:27:00.000+04:002009-01-08T18:27:00.000+04:00@Straight Point: Hey man, Pakistan fans have not h...@Straight Point: Hey man, Pakistan fans have not had much to cheer about over the last few years. So at least let us search the archives for memorable moments!!! ;)SledgeHammerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10118623964622205754noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3713921718473352259.post-76749252631541801892009-01-08T17:31:00.000+04:002009-01-08T17:31:00.000+04:00@KK, whatever he did, he did turn the game away fr...@KK, whatever he did, he did turn the game away from Indians :)Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3713921718473352259.post-77535878330376800722009-01-08T14:48:00.000+04:002009-01-08T14:48:00.000+04:00unlike you guys, some of us were still infants in ...unlike you guys, some of us were still infants in the 80s and so only know about saleem malik's heroics through folk lore. perhaps if i had seen that innings i would have refrained from christening him saleem satta...<BR/><BR/>however, with regards to sam's comments about the calcutta (kolkata?) match in 1999, i suggest you see the match again. for about twenty minutes since he came to the crease, saleem satta seemed to be trying to get out. twice his edges went through the slips, and catchable chances were missed. the best part was the look of bewilderment on saleem malik's face, and the rising temper on dawood ibrahim's ( the last part my or may not be true)karachikhatmalhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10230156724789704199noreply@blogger.com