I am back after a long absence - and it is good to be back. My life has just been extremely busy with work and nursing a back injury and then over the past month or so have just been more involved with other happenings in the world. I will stick to cricket on this blog as this is a cricket blog and besides it is good to be back and writing on cricket because cricket is important.
I am also an avid Basketball and NFL fan. I have been following the NFL playoffs over the last few weeks and that got me thinking on how in American sports the commentators, experts and analysts know and understand the game so much better than their cricket counterparts.
I am really tired of the cricket commentators stating the obvious; making comments that any of my casual female family cricket fans can make. I am tired of phrases like "the last thing they wanted at this stage was to lose a wicket" Can somebody please tell me when it is a good stage to lose a wicket? When will we stop hearing the experts say that the batting team should aim to get maximum runs without losing wickets and the bowling team should try and get wickets giving away a minimum amount of runs. Oh really? How many years of international cricket does one have to play to come to that realization?
We need experts, analysts and commentators who can point out how Inzimam used to keep maximum strike against Muralitharan, point out Steve Waugh's grit and determination in adverse situations where his 30/40 proved to be the difference in making his team win, etc. Some times it could just be something as subtle as a bowler setting up a wicket for his mate on the other by bowling a tight line. I would like to see a commentator praise the bowler bowling the line and length rather than giving all the credit always to the bowler taking the wicket. Similarly, sometimes it is a couple of shots that a batsman plays (not necessarily boundaries) that completely upsets an on form's bowler line and length. Now it would be something if we got the commentators and experts talking about that rather than how well a batsman scoring a century played, which honestly even my grandmother could tell all of us.

The Pakistan - S.Africa series has come to an end in a rather disappointing fashion for the home side. I believe most people were expecting a better outing and a result in Pakistan's favor in the ODI series and it appeared that way till 30 minutes or so before the match ended. Oh well, I believe the banging my head against the wall and pounding my fists on the floor has been my source of lamenting and allowing myself the much needed outburst and reading Q's post has definitely covered it so thoroughly that I am not going to dwell on it more and move on.....

Despite the poor performance and the loss in both forms of the game, this series will be remembered in positive light in years to come because it included the farewell test of Pakistan's greatest batsman and one of modern cricket's greatest batsman, Inzamam-ul-Haq.

Inzi burst into the spotlight and was an instant hero after the '92 WC semifinal cameo! And really never looked back or disappointed since then. He has played numerous match winning innnings for Pakistan, probably has one of the best ratios of innings to win a match ever, his batting average in both forms of the game is outstanding and his captaincy record is one of the best for any of Pakistan's captains.

However, Inzi brought more to the game. So much more! He brought intangibles. He would always face the opposition's best bowler, in recent years I remember it was always Inzi who would face up to Murali and protect his teammates. Or who could forget the test match in India when Pakistan had lost early wickets and Inzi came in and hit Balaji for emphatic boundaries.

The cricketing world will also miss Inzi, the person. In numerous countries and by numerous people he was called an excellent ambassador of his country, a title not given to too many Pakistanis. His dry wit humor was just too classic and outright funny!

Words cannot describe the impact and the service Inzi has provided Pakistan cricket and cricket in general. Inzi will be missed and really it was so great to see this batsman get a farewell test match and bow out of the game with the tribute that he merits (albeit that he still has so much cricket left in him and should still be playing!), especially when other greats like Akram, Waqar, Anwar did not get a farewell test.