To Tour or Not To Tour

For all that has been going on in Pakistan recently, the right things are getting the least attention. I am referring to the elections which are due to be held on Monday. Pakistan has been in the news for bombings, assassinations, dictatorial brouhaha and a variety of other despicable and deplorable reasons - it really is a pity. But when I talk to people back home (and will soon experience myself during my up coming vacation) the biggest concern is the lack of natural gas for heating, the frequent power shortages and the hiked up prices for basic food items such as flour, eggs and vegetables. Sure, the security situation is not good, but in Maslow's hierarchy or basic needs food, shelter and personal comfort ranks up there with security.

Which of these issues are the Australians likely to be thinking about right now? Are they thinking about the elections to be held soon? Or are they worried about getting blown up? are they going to wait and see and pull out at the last moment?

I know that there are no guarantees for anything - and that security is an impossible thing to guarantee. For all you know a piano could fall from above (as it does in cartoons) while you have 'VIP level' security around you. I agree that the security situation in Pakistan is not great at the moment, but cricket should not be made to suffer. The people of Pakistan are desperate for some entertainment and what better entertainment than some high quality cricketing action? I know this isnt an easy decision, but I would encourage the Aussies to think long and hard about any decision they make. Despite what the media portrays the situation to be and the reality on the ground, we must not let the terrorists dictate terms - life must go on and so must cricket

Make a tough decision, leave the security to the experts and play some cricket. My vote lies with Kamran Abbasi, though I dont agree with his whole elaborate rich vs poor philosophy.

What do you think?

Sangakkara's Dismissal and The Need For a Review System in Cricket

Yesterday, Sangakkara played an innings of sheer brilliance... I wasnt able to watch it, (here is a frank description of the day's happenings by our friend Uncle J Rod) but any man who plays with the belief that his side can reach 500+ in the 4th innings of a test match and that he can lead them to it deserves accolades. Most teams would have started out trying to draw the game, because that is also an honorable outcome against the mighty Australians. To all Sri Lankan's, there is glory in defeat - you should hold your head high because of the way you lost the game.



An now on to the main talking point of the game - the fact that Sangakkara's brilliant innings was curtailed by a very poor decision. Umpires will make mistakes, so will players (who initiate horrendous appeals in the first place). I respect Koertzen for apologizing to Sangakkara after the game. But the fact is that such decisions can be reduced if not eliminated. My proposal is that each team should get 2 chances to ask for a review per session. I foresee the batting team initiating most of these requests, but I can also see the bowling team request for the review (for example if a player gets out on a no ball or an appeal is not referred to the third umpire). here is how it would work...

If the ref makes a decision which one team doesn't like:

1. The coach of the team can ask for a review only until the next ball is bowled. A review can only be requested for the last ball bowled.
2. If the team requesting the review is proven correct, then they maintain their review, otherwise they lose a review for that session
3. Each team gets 2 reviews per session
4. Reviews can not be requested for lbw decisions
5. If there is insufficient data (for example bad camera angle, inconclusive frame sequence etc) then the ruling on the field stands.
6. There should be standard camera angles and positions so the same evidence/footage is available on all test match venues

This review system works pretty well in NFL and has also been introduced in ATP Tennis games. Surprise, surprise, it works! Its not perfect, because technology has its limitations, but it does work.

As for Mr Ponting and his demand for system for fairness and that people on the field judge whether they caught the ball cleanly or not. I believe that's a load of crap. Lets use technology when it is available so there are no "what ifs" at the end of the day... so that Sangakkara's leave with their head high with the belief that they did everything they could without unnecessary intervention.

A Video That Speaks of a Thousand Possibilities

I was just randomly sampling some cricket videos and I searched for some "doosras", especially by Saqlain since he was the first legitimate bowler of the delivery. I realized that I missed seeing him bowl. Harbhajan, Murali and other top spinners bowl this delivery quite commonly now, but its fair to say that Saqlain invented it and Moin Khan coined the phrase "doosra".

Here is an interesting video I'd like to share from that amazing 2nd Test match between Pakistan and Australia in 1999.



Some interesting points:

1 - Saqlain clearly at his best. I think during this time period (1999), Saqlain was up there with Warne and Murali as one of the best spinners and may even have been the best finger spinner.

2 - First dismissal of Gilchrist shows the difference a great keeper makes. Akmal is no where as nifty as Moin Khan.

3 - 2nd dismissal, you can hear Wasim utter an expletive after the dismissal. Atleast the team has a positive and vibrant vibe about it. When you saw the team like that, you could see they had self belief, something the current team lacks.

3 - Third dismissal... showcases the wonderful variety possessed by Saqlain. Flighted delivery for the first dismissal, doosra for the second one and finally a faster one that spun for the third one.

4 - Australians had quite a few problems with Saqlains doosra during this time period. The novelty has worn out since then and they have studied the delivery very carefully and I don't think they have the same problems with it anymore.

5 - The match itself: I rate this match as a turning point and as a starting point of Australia's ascendancy. If I'm not wrong, this video is from the Australia's first innings of the second Test match in 1999. After Saqlian's brilliant spell Australia only managed a 24 run lead, Pakistan set Australia a target of 396. With Australia at 126-5 chasing this target Langer and Gilchrist combined to chase this record target. Langer's position at that time in the side was not secure and Pakistan had lost the first game. If Pakistan had won this match it would have opened up lots of possibilities. They didn't and I feel this was a turning point from where Australia have never looked back (other than that Ashes defeat).

6 - There is some talk of Saqlain playing for England. His wife is English and he will also get English nationality. Do you think he can or will do something like this?

What do you think?

The Sporting Aussie

Australians play sport as though their lives depended on it
-DH Lawrence

The constitution of the United States of America protects the right of its citizens to pursue “Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness”. I tried to find something similar in the Australian Constitution to the tune of “Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Sporting Excellence”. I was unsuccessful and extremely disappointed. I had to make do with the assumption that the quest for sporting excellence must be an innate quality, ingrained in the deepest folds of the Aussie national psyche.

England gave us cricket, warm beer, cricketing whites and the relaxing (read boring) Sunday afternoon village game. The subcontinent gave us the teeming cricketing masses (not true for Pakistani test audiences), raw talent, gali cricket, unpredictability and a previously unseen commercialization of the game. The West Indies gave us reggae style flamboyant cricket - lazy elegance and sheer pace in an unprecedented package. And the Australians – they gave us Bradman, pajama cricket and invincibility as an art form. You can also add sledging on the field and heckling opposing fans. But that’s not all; they also gave us sporting excellence. I’d like to make the case that these are mere symptoms of something larger, something more glorious and not the disease itself.

As a Pakistani, I have been brought up to believe that there is no rivalry greater than India vs Pakistan. There is no form of cricket truer that gali cricket. The gali (when not jammed with traffic) is the breeding ground of world beaters because we all possess natural talent like no other nation or race. An egotistical part of me still believes that all of this is true (!) but another more rational part of me wonders whether the water is special Down Under. What is it about Australians that makes them so passionate about excelling in sport?

So what is it about Australians that makes them so good? If they cant be good then they still want to be the best. I am not just talking about cricket alone. Look at Hewitt or Rafter in tennis – they also do not want to settle for anything less than the best. Like them, Im sure the Australian cricket fan probably feels like he/she whitewashed the English fans in the department of jibes, limericks etc. I have never been to Australia but all the Australians I have encountered exude this calm and quiet confidence that they are the best (in the context of cricket). This is in direct contrast to the in-your-face style brash confidence exhibited by the subcontinental cricketing supporter. The latter knows deep inside that their side is prone to bouts of unpredictability and mediocrity. The confidence is falsely placed and masks the uneasy feeling of impending implosion. The same can not be said for the Aussie – his or her confidence is well placed. It is not arrogance; simply a calm belief that their sporting heroes will play the game as if “their lives depended on it”. But the important thing is that when the Aussie sporting hero falters, his life is not put in danger – instead he is given the space to plot his revenge. And when the Australian team is outplayed the opposing team is respected for being better on the day. This is the way the game should be played.

Finally, the Aussie is the most sporting fan I have known. While a few fans may have spoilt the image by “no-balling” Murali, the Australian fan is one of the most educated in the world. I remember the commentators in Australia openly expressing respect and admiration for Saqlain’s wizardry, Waqar’s pace and Wasim’s talent. The fans too turn out in their thousands to watch the best in the world in action. In the subcontinent, moments of brilliance from the opposing side are often met with pin drop silence. In Australia, such moments never go un-appreciated.

… that is the Sporting Aussie.

If you are a sporting Aussie or have come across some, please share your experiences in the comments section

Aussies Move on From Mcgrath, Warne, and Langer

Australia are set to play their 1st test match after the retirement of Glen Mcgrath, Shane Warne, and Justin Langer, against the touring Sri Lankans in about a week from now.

The Aussies announced a 13 man squad earlier today, ending months of speculation on who would partner Hayden at the top. Phil Jacques has tipped Chris Rogers, Brad Hodge, and Shane Watson to the position, and I think its well deserved. Jacques got a couple of 100s against Pakistan A over the summer and also a big 100 in one of the recent state games.

The question of who would be Australia's 1st choice spinner still remains though with McGill and Hogg both in the squad. Both are quality spinners and I think it will be really harsh on McGill if he doesn't play. He's waited all his life for Warne to retire and now when he has, Hogg ends up in good bowling form. By now McGill could have played over a 100 tests, and gotten over 500 wickets if he wasn't Australian.

The replacement of Glen McGrath is also not confirmed with either of Johnson or Tait to play the role with Lee and Clarke up front. I think the Aussie bowling looks a lot weaker without McGrath and Warne.

I'm tipping the Lankans to win their first ever test match on Aussie soil this time round. Any bets?