The year 2011 was all about Pakistan's resurgence as a cricket team as we witnessed Pakistan go undefeated in all test series, reach the semi finals of the World Cup, and end the year with the best W:L ratio in ODIs and the second best in tests.

The icing on the cake came at the start of 2012 when Pakistan whitewashed the world's number 1 test team, England, 3-0 in the test series held in the UAE.

While 2012 had started with Pakistan clean sweeping the world's test champions 3-0, 2013 has started with Pakistan defeating the world's ODI champions 2-1!

Having lost ODIs to India in 2010 (Asia Cup), 2011 (World Cup), and 2012 (Asia Cup) and no bilateral ties between the teams, an ODI win over India had been a long time coming. Since 2009, Pakistan had not beaten India in an ODI, which makes this 2-1 series victory even sweeter.

I have discussed numerous reasons for Pakistan's success on Well Pitched in the past including Misbah Ul Haq, Shahid Afridi, the influence of Waqar Younis and Mohsin Khan, the non-interference of Zaka Ashraf, and a stable batting line up, among other things.

Here are three more reasons that have added to Pakistan's success in recent times, and more so in the just concluded ODI series against India.

1. PACE ATTACK IS BACK !

India's "world-class batting line up" was completely exposed by Pakistan's newly found new ball pair of Junaid Khan and the 7-foot tall Mohammad Irfan.

Gambhir, Sehwag, Kohli, Yuvraj had no answer to the pace, bounce, and swing generated by Junaid and Irfan throughout the 3-match series and were found wanting every time they were at the crease.

29-5, 95-5, and 111-6 are not the sort of scores one expects from an Indian batting line up playing on Indian pitches. In England or Australia, one might even think that its possible, but in India? Never have the Indian batsmen looked so helpless in front of any bowling attack on their own turf.

Virat Kohli, who amassed century after century for India over the past year and a half, and mauled Pakistan in the Asia Cup and the World T20, was left looking like a school cricketer by Junaid Khan.

Kohli managed scores of 0, 6, and 7 in the 3 ODIs and each time lost his wicket to Junaid Khan. Yuvraj Singh managed 2, 9, and 23; while Gautam Gambhir managed 8, 11, and 15. Virender Sehwag, who was dropped for the 3rd ODI, scored 4 and 31.

Pakistan's new ball pair has not looked as potent as Junaid & Irfan since the days of Aamer & Asif, which was over two and a half years ago.

From Wasim-Waqar to Shoaib Akhtar to Aamer-Asif, Pakistan have finally found two genuine fast bowlers that will trouble batsmen world over. Their combination has hurt India badly and from what we have witnessed, there is a lot more to come.

The wickets column might not look that bright for Irfan, but it has been his control and the pressure that he has applied from one end, which enabled Junaid to pick up all those wickets. They both worked extremely well in tandem and didn't provide any breathing space to the batsmen.


Junaid ended the 3-match series as the joint leading wicket taker with 8 wickets at an average of 12.4 and an economy rate of 3.67. Those are absolutely magnificent figures for a pacer on Indian pitches. The fact that he took as many wickets as Saeed Ajmal goes to show how effective Junaid was during the series.

Except for one, all of Junaid's wickets were of top order batsmen: Kohli (3 times), Sehwag, Gambhir, Yuvraj, Rohit Sharma, and Ishant Sharma.

At 23, Pakistan have found a potent new ball weapon; and he has a great partner in Mohammad Irfan.

Here's hoping that neither falls prey to injuries, dope, or spot fixing!

2. OUR SPINNERS ARE THE BEST IN THE WORLD

Saeed Ajmal is the top ranked bowler in the world in ODIs, while Mohammad Hafeez is ranked number two. With the world's two best ODI bowlers controlling the middle overs for Pakistan, any batting side will find it difficult to maintain any sort of momentum.



Ajmal and Hafeez are the ideal bowlers to come on after Junaid and Irfan have softened up the batsmen. Pakistan's bowling attack has once again found that magical combination of 5 attacking components where each one of them is a genuine wicket taker.

If Junaid or Irfan don't get you, Gul will. And if Gul doesn't, Ajmal or Hafeez will.

Pakistan is at its most dangerous when it plays attacking cricket, and its current crop of bowlers know no other way.

The quality of Pakistan's bowlers can be judged from the fact that Wahab Riaz, Anwar Ali, Raza Hasan, Abdur Rehman, and Shahid Afridi are not even a part of Pakistan's first choice bowling attack!

3. BEST OPENING PAIR IN THE MAKING

In Mohammad Hafeez and Nasir Jamshed, Pakistan have found arguably their best opening pair ever.

No batsman has dominated Pakistan's opening slot in all three versions of the game the way Mohammad Hafeez has in the past 3 years. At the same time, no Pakistan opening batsmen has looked as dominating at the crease as Nasir Jamshed since days of Saeed Anwar.

And together, they have formed an explosive pair who have notched up 4 century partnerships in the past year - more than any other set of Pakistan openers. Saeed Anwar and Aamir Sohail, thought of as Pakistan's best opening pair ever, managed 3 century stands in 10 years.

In only a year of opening together, Hafeez and Jamshed have put on 760 runs for the opening stand at a phenomenal average of 84.4 in 9 innings. That is the 11th highest runs tally for a Pakistan opening pair, the highest ever average, and they also boast of the second highest ever opening partnership for Pakistan - 224 against India in the Asia Cup last year.

Not only are Hafeez and Jamshed one of the best opening combinations for Pakistan, they are the leading opening pair in world cricket in ODIs over the past year.


Most runs together, highest average, highest opening partnership, most century stands - Hafeez and Jamshed stand above all other opening pairs in ODIs. Better than Watson & Warner, better than Amla & Smith, better than Cook & Pietersen, better than Dilshan & Jayawardene!

It has been a great start to the year for Pakistan, however a bigger test, the greatest test in recent times, awaits them in South Africa. I believe that we stand a good chance to compete strongly against South Africa given the potency of our bowling and the increasing stability of our batting.

Pakistan's cricketing rise over the past two years is a story for the movie makers. This story was considered complete with victory over England last year, but this victory over India has made it all the more sweeter!

In bad news for those who bet on cricket, Daniel Vettori looks increasingly unlikely to play any part in New Zealand’s Test series against South Africa in the new year after his Big Bash League franchise confirmed he had suffered another injury setback.

BBL side Brisbane Heat revealed on Wednesday their spinner aggravated an injury and will be out of action for another six weeks, putting his place in the NZ Test side in serious doubt.

“Dan had a setback over the weekend and despite his best efforts, he is highly unlikely to be ready in time for our ... matches,” Heat general manager Andrew Blucher revealed.

The news is likely to disappoint fans in the betting world. For Vettori has made numerous withdraws this autumn after failing to recover from Achilles and hernia problems. He also suffered a groin injury in July, over which time New Zealand have fallen to India and drawn with Sri Lanka in the bet365 cricket online.

So with Vettori as good as out of New Zealand’s Test squad, decisions must now be taken on who will spin the ball for the Black Caps in January.

Thirty-two-year-old Jeetan Patel is expected to continue his run in the side as replacement, yet many NZ fans in the betting world are concerned Patel cannot meet the required standard. Patel bowled in New Zealand’s series with Sri Lanka and took just four wickets from four innings; he is a year younger than Vettori yet has just 17 Tests to his name. Vettori has 112 international caps.

Maybe New Zealand selectors should think afresh and go with reserve spinner Todd Astle. At 26 years old Astle is hardly an up-and-coming youngster and his only Test appearance, against Sri Lanka in Colombo, yielded just one wicket for 77 runs.

Yet Astle is something new and New Zealand should be looking at fresh blood for the South Africa Test in effort to instil some spark into this flickering side. The legbreaker still has time on his side to develop into a seasoned Test spinner and, if Vettori’s injuries continue, New Zealand may come to rely on Astle over the next five years.

Today, on December 3rd 2012, Ricky Ponting played his final international innings. As his innings ended, so did the career of a true legend and arguably the best batsman this generation has seen.

If not the best ever, I personally think he was the best batsman to play the game during the past 15 years.

Ponting retires as the second highest run scorer ever in the history of both test matches and ODIs.

He retires as a 3 time World Cup winner; twice as captain.

He retires with 30 ODI centuries and 41 test centuries, the second and third highest number of tons ever respectively.

He retires with an ODI average of 42, the third highest ever for all batsmen to have played over 300 innings.

He retires having captained Australia in 77 test matches, winning 48 of them - a win % of 62, the second highest win % for players that have captained in at least 25 tests.

He retires with the most number of ODI caps as a captain having led Australia in 230 ODIs, winning 165 of them - a win % of 76, the second highest win % ever for anyone with more than 30 ODI caps as captain.

The only reason why his batting records are second or third on a list is because of the presence of two other legends with whom Ponting's career coincided - Sachin Tendulkar & Jacques Kallis.

His captaincy records are second only to the man he succeeded - Steve Waugh (tests), and the man who led the best cricketing team ever (ODIs) - Clive Lloyd.

The overall statistics will show that he was the second best batsman of all time in tests and ODIs, but as I mentioned above, I think he was the best.

Largely because the game has not seen a bigger match winner than Ricky Ponting.

In test matches, 30 out of his 41 centuries resulted in a win, as compared to 20 (51) for Tendulkar and 21 (44) for Kallis. In ODIs, 25 out of his 30 centuries resulted in a win, as compared to 33 (49) for Tendulkar.

He was involved in 108 test match victories and 262 ODI victories as a player. No other cricketer has been involved in 100 test victories, with the closest being Shane Warne with 92. Kallis and Tendulkar have been involved in 76 and 66 respectively and are the only two cricketers with more than 60 test victories who are not retired yet.

In ODIs, his closest rivals that are still playing are Tendulkar (234 ODI victories), Kallis (206), and Shahid Afridi (195).

These are records that will probably never be broken and Ricky Ponting will remain as the biggest match winner that cricket has ever seen.


Earlier this year, when Ponting's ODI career ended, I wrote about my top 5 Ponting ODI innings and hoped that I wouldn't have to write about my top 5 Ponting Test innings any time soon. But here I am, nine and half months later, doing just that.

The Big Comeback in Adelaide, January 2012
Ponting had not scored a test century for two years when the series against India began on Boxing day last year. In the second test of that series, Ponting broke that drought with a 134 in Sydney. Many wondered whether the form was back or if it was just a glimpse of Ponting of the past. In the 4th and final test of the series in Adelaide, Ponting cracked the 6th double century of his career, scoring 221.

It was one of the finest test innings ever because of the circumstances and the way it was played. No one knew how much longer Ponting would play, and everyone knew he was no longer the batsman that bowlers all around the world feared. He was a much more sedate Ponting who played a classical test innings of 221. His runs came at a strike rate of 54.7 and included only 21 boundaries.

That was not the Ponting we all knew, but it was a determined Ponting who was fighting to play on for far longer than the 11 months since then.

A Stunner in Sydney, January 2006
South Africa declared their second innings on 194-6 to set Australia a target of 287 in 76 overs. It was a sporting declaration and one done in order to try and square a series. That was the only way for Graeme Smith and company. Most of us thought that the match will end in a draw unless South Africa were able to pick up a few quick wickets.

No one really expected Australia to chase down the target even though they were known to score at 3.5-4.0 runs an over in test cricket during those days. But it was a day 5 pitch.

Ponting had other ideas. He walked into bat at 30-1 in the 12th over of the innings and unleashed a belligerent attack on South Africa. He smashed 16 boundaries on his way to an unbeaten 143 of only 159 deliveries and Australia raced to the target in only 60 overs scoring at 4.76 on a day 5 test match wicket.

Only Ponting was capable of something like that.

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Master Class in Manchester, August 2005
The 2005 Ashes is definitely a sour memory for Ponting the captain. But Ponting the batsman will be remembered for playing one of the best test innings ever to save a test match during that series. The series was level at 1-1 going into the 3rd test at Old Trafford and England were brimming with confidence hoping to take a lead.

England were on top throughout this test and had set Australia an improbable target of 423 with the Michael Vaughan giving his bowlers a full day and 10 overs to dismiss the Australians.

It was yet another game that many thought would go England's way. Victory for Australia was highly unlikely and no one really expected the Aussies to fight it out for 100+ overs considering their attacking nature of play.

But where there is Ponting, there is a way. Ponting threw down the anchor in that innings like never before. He curbed his natural instinct and put together his best rearguard effort ever. He batted for 9 minutes short of 7 hours, faced 275 deliveries, and scored 156.

He came to the crease at 25-1 in the 11th over of the innings and the 8th delivery of the final day of the test. He did not leave the crease till the 104th over of the innings, just 4 overs before the close of play. He was the 9th batsman out for Australia and the last pair ensured that Ponting's effort did not go to waste and hung on for a draw.

If even one more recognized batsman had stayed on with Ponting, he might have even gone for the target as Australia ended 52 runs short. But no other batsmen for Australia crossed 40 in that innings, which shows the true master class of Ponting's 156.

The Fightback in Perth, November 1999
Ponting was having a torrid time against Pakistan with his 3 innings in the first 2 tests of the series reading 0,0,0. Wasim, Waqar, and Shoaib had got him once each and he was horribly out of form. In the third test, Pakistan's pacers were on top and had Australia reeling on 54-4 when Ponting walked out to bat.

From there on, Wasim, Shoaib, Mahmood, and Saqlian had no answer as Ponting produced a magnificent innings of 197. He was involved in a 300+ run partnership with Justin Langer that not only rebuilt Australia's innings, but also took the game away from Pakistan.

For a man who was woefully out of form, he should have been a sitting duck for the in form Pakistani pacers; yet Ponting rose to the occasion and batted like he had never to notch up his then highest test score.

Putting it Right in Bangalore, October 2008
In 14 previous test innings in India, Ponting had managed only one fifty - a highest score of 60 in Kolkata in 1998. He had never crossed 18 in the other 13 innings. He had always struggled on the spinning tracks of India, with the most famous rut coming during the 2001 series where he managed 17 runs in 5 innings including 3 ducks.

So when he captained Australia to India in 2008, no one gave him a chance.

Throughout his career, Ponting has been at his most dangerous when people have not given him a chance. He has always stood up and proved them all wrong, and the first test of the 2008 series against India in Bangalore was another such occasion.

Ponting walked out to bat on the 4th delivery of the first morning of the series and grinded it out for five and half hours for a well made 123. His nemesis, Harbhajan Singh, and Anil Kumble could not do much to unsettle Ponting who was determined to prove his detractors wrong.

With his first century in India, he ensured that he had scored a test century in every country where he had played at least two tests (Ponting has played only 1 test each in Pakistan and Zimbabwe; the only two countries where he doesn't have a test century).

For all that Ponting has achieved he deserves trophies from the board, the players, and the fans.

Ricky Ponting is a legend of the game and in my view the best batsman to have played the game. There was none like him, and highly unlikely that there ever will be. There was a time when it seemed like he will overtake Tendulkar as the leading run scorer in tests, but a Tendulkar purple patch coincided with a Ponting run rut and that record remained elusive.

Nevertheless, Ponting leaves the game as its biggest ever match winner, and that tag will remain with him forever.

The President's Trophy continued this week with national stars getting good outings and emerging players sending reminders to selector.

Sui Gas Remain on Top

Sui Gas remained at the top of the table at the end of this week's matches with a thumping innings and 216 runs win over UBL.

Mohammad Hafeez picked up 4-13 in only 7 overs to help dismiss UBL for 165, and then walked out to bat and single handedly scored more than what UBL's entire team managed. Hafeez stayed at the crease for 7.5 hours and faced 301 deliveries while scoring 193 with the help of 32 boundaries.

Hafeez also shared a 218 run 4th wicket partnership with Pakistan skipper Misbah Ul Haq, who scored his second successive century in the tournament.

Sui Gas' total of 455 was more than enough to ensure an innings win, which was hastened by Faisalabad's medium fast bowler Ali Asad whose 7 wickets bowled UBL out for only 74.

Habib Bank Continue Winning Ways

Habib Bank also continued their winning ways and remained 6 points behind Sui Gas in the points table. This week they beat KRL by 65 runs after they had collapsed to 161 in their first innings.

19 year old Ehsan Adil who has been in impressive form during the President's Trophy gave another superb performance picking up 6 wickets that ensured that Habib Bank didn't concede too big a first innings lead.

A much improved batting display in the second innings with Imran Farhat (102), Asad Shafiq (80*), Ahmed Shehzad (75), and Younis Khan (58) all getting runs allowed Habib Bank to post 399 and give KRL a target of 308, which proved to be enough at the end.

Easy win for NBP

National Bank of Pakistan made light weight of their match against SBP winning by an innings after posting an average 304 in their first innings. SBP were bowled out for 136 and 137 with the returning Wahab Riaz picking up a 10 wicket haul.

PIA win Despite Haris' 3rd 100

Haris Sohail continued his great form this season with a third successive ton, yet he could not help avoid a defeat at the hands of PIA.

PIA were staring at their first loss this season after conceding a first innings 60 run lead, but Aizaz Cheema (4-55) and Anwar Ali (3-19) ensured that PIA only required 192 to win.

With not many overs available, PIA had to chase down the runs quickly, which they managed thanks to Faisal Iqbal (44 off 21) and Shoaib Malik (27 off 25).

Port Qasim's First Win

Port Qasim registered their first win of the season with an unlikely win over WAPDA who were set a 118 run target in the second innings. Junaid Khan picked up 8 wickets in the match including a 5 wicket haul in the first innings that restricted Port Qasim to 215.

Requiring 118 to win, WAPDA folded for 100 in their 2nd innings as Tanvir Ahmed (4-12) and Azam Hussain (4-41) proved too hot to handle for the WAPDA batsmen giving Port Wasim their first win in the President's Trophy.

The President's Trophy continues next week with the likely inclusion of Shahid Afridi for Habib Bank and Mohammad Yousuf for Port Qasim.

Two years ago Pakistan's selectors put their faith in two young batsmen who had been scoring heavily in domestic cricket.

The President's Trophy continued this week with some exciting games and good work outs for Pakistan's national team cricketers. With no international cricket being played, this season's President's Trophy has been set alight with the presence of all the national stars.

Habib Bank's First Loss

Habib Bank fell from the number 1 spot for the first time this season as PIA ended their winning streak this week. PIA's victory came on the back of a big performance from Shoaib Malik who followed up his first innings 56 with an unbeaten 94 in the second innings to help PIA chase 176 and win the game by 6 wickets.

Aizaz Cheema continued his good form with the ball picking up 7 wickets in the match including the wicket of Younis Khan in both innings. A rare twin failure by Younis Khan meant that Habib Bank could manage only 200 and 147 in their two innings.

Habib Bank's rare failure allowed Sui Gas to take the lead in the table and they now sit at number 1 with a 3 point lead over HBL.

Sui Gas at the Top of the Table

Sui Gas crushed ZTBL by 186 runs as Pakistan skipper Misbah Ul Haq, Azhar Ali, Taufeeq Umar all returned to form at the same time. The three had had an atrocious run this season so far, but in this week's game against ZTBL, which included Sohail Tanvir, Mohammad Khalil, and Abdul Razzaq, the Pakistan trio put on their best show.

Misbah's 110 in the first innings allowed Sui Gas to put up a fighting total of 250 after they were reeling at 63-3. And then Azhar Ali's second innings unbeaten 129, during which he was involved in a 153 run partnership with Taufeeq Umar who scored 80, enabled Sui Gas to set ZTBL a daunting target of 408.

Abdul Razzaq's good form with the ball also continued as he picked up 6 wickets in the first innings that helped restrict Sui Gas to 250; but the effort was not enough to avoid a crushing defeat. Nor was Haaris Sohail's well made century in the second innings. Haaris, who should be in the national selectors' thoughts for future tours, remained unbeaten 117 as ZTBL were bowled out for 221.

Samiullah Khan Niazi, who had been on the fringes of Pakistan's national team for some time picked up 10 wickets for Sui Gas, with his first innings 6 resulting in ZTBL collapsing for a first innings 99.

National Bank Finally Win

National Bank of Pakistan, who have a star studded batting line up with Nasir Jamshed, Sami Aslam, Fawad Alam, Kamran Akmal, and Hammad Azam finally won their first game of the President's Trophy as they won a closely fought encounter against Port Qasim by 2 wickets.

NBP were able to fight off a super performance from Tanvir Ahmed whose 12 wickets for Port Qasim were not enough to avoid a close defeat after they had set NBP a target of 211. Fawad Alam had a rare failure in both innings in a game that was dominated by the bowlers.

Imran Khan, the 25 year old medium fast bowler from Peshawar picked up 6 wickets to restrict Port Qasim to 150 in the first innings. His effort was bettered by Tanvir Ahmed who picked up 7 wickets and restricted NBP to only 117. Then it was the turn of Silakot's Umaid Asif who picked up 5 wickets and bowled Port Wasim out for 177 in their 2nd innings. Tanvir's 5 wicket haul was not enough to restrict NBP who scraped home by 2 wickets to finally notch up a win.

In other games this week KRL and State Bank played out a draw, while Wapda crushed UBL by an innings.

The President's Trophy continues next week.

The Ashes series in cricket is one of the most famous sporting tournaments in the world, attracting fans of both cricket and of sports betting, who like to wager on results and performances at sports betting and online casino sites. The competition only houses the two teams, England and Australia, but the competition is always so unpredictable that the bookies still see a large return. The popularity of the competition still spans the whole globe and whereas it may not have quite the same level of following as football events like the World Cup, there is little question that the Ashes has an iconic status within the sporting world, and as one of the most prevalent competitions in cricket the bookies always expect a high turnover. The format consists of a series of test matches between England and Australia, which are held every two years, alternately in the UK and Australia – and throughout its history it has produced many memorable encounters.

There is much debate about where the name of the tournament originates, but in fact it has its origins in a Sporting Times article, which took the form of an ‘obituary’ for English cricket, following an Australian win on English soil. This led a group of Australian women to present the England captain with the ashes of a bail in an urn, leading to the series being coined the ‘ashes’. The Australian win in England that led to all this – in 1882 – is unsurprisingly considered one of the most memorable to this day.

For England fans, perhaps the most memorable Ashes series of recent memory would be the 2005 one, on home soil. The victory claimed here would represent their first Ashes win in 18 long years, and was inspired by players like Freddie Flintoff, who would go on to gain celebrity status as a result. Unfortunately, two years later, Australia gained revenge with a 5-0 whitewash!

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.

There is an interesting question on Cricinfo, which asks:

"Is the World T20 on par with the World Cup?".

Cricinfo presents two arguments, for and against, and asks the fans to comment. You can give your view right here, but honestly the only argument for ODI cricket that is making sense is that it has some history associated with it.

And history means old. In the past. Done and dusted with.

The last time I truly enjoyed the World Cup was in 1999. There have been 3 World Cups since then and they have barely been exciting.

On the other hand, this is the 4th World T20 in the last 5 years and each edition has been the most entertaining show put on by the ICC ever.

Solely my opinion ofcourse. But here are 10 reasons why I think that the World T20 is not at par with the World Cup, it is beyond par and a far better tournament.

Number 10: The Cheerleaders.
No seriously!. We all love the cheerleaders.

For years and year we wondered why was it that girls danced only for men playing basketball, football, or baseball. What about cricket?


Apparently it wasn't exciting enough and no woman wanted to sit around for 8 hours (or 5 days) waiting for a boundary or a wicket to step up and shake a leg.

But T20 Cricket provides that opportunity almost every over. And on good days, multiple times during an over!

There are no cheerleaders in the World Cup. In the World T20, there are plenty.

Number 9: The Minnows.
The World T20 provides a platform for the associate nations to shine. There is no question that the associate nations like Ireland, Afghanistan, Netherlands, Kenya and others are way more competitive in T20 cricket than they are in ODIs.


Such is the nature of the game that plenty of fans fancied Afghanistan and Ireland to upset India and Australia respectively during yesterday's matches. Moreover, many believe that Bangladesh can topple New Zealand and Pakistan!

No such thought would even be entertained at the World Cup, where the minnows go through bashing after bashing in a series of meaningless matches.

There's a case for including more associates in future World T20 tournaments, and a very strong case. Teams like Kenya, Netherlands, Scotland, UAE, USA, Hong Kong can surely be playing this tournament.

Number 8: Meaningless ODI Cricket.
The ICC restricts the number of T20 internationals that teams can play during a bilateral series and during a year, keeping the total number of T20Is played at a low level as compared to ODIs, which are played in abundance.

Meaningless bilateral ODIs have pretty much taken the charm of ODI cricket away. There are so many ODIs played during a year, which have no meaning or purpose, that by the time the World Cup comes around the first thing we wonder is when the first month and a half will end so we can get to the business end of the tournament.

T20 cricket is largely played at the league/club/domestic level so the appetite for international T20 remains large.

Number 7: The Duration.
The World T20 lasts for a total of 20 days. 25 if you count the warm ups, which are just as exciting as the actual game.

Watch Pakistan vs India from 2009 or from two days ago and there would be nothing about the games that would say "warm up".

Plus in those 20-25 days, there is not a single day of meaningless games of cricket. There is no single day on which any one can confidently say that this team is going to win. There is no single day on which we can miss the action because it all counts for something.

The World Cup lasts for over 50 days, and 75% of the days are completely meaningless, which hardly have any bearing on the composition of the Super 8s or 6s or quarterfinals. Boring!

Number 6: Australia doesn't win the World T20.
It is a big reason honestly. The Australians will not like this, but one reason why the 2003 and 2007 World Cups were pointless was because it was quite clear that Australia will win them even before a single ball was delivered!

The ICC might as well have given the trophy to Australia without holding the World Cup.

What's worse is that the Aussies didn't even try to make it exciting by losing a match or two. They just marched along winning match after match and lifted the trophy in the most robotic manner possible. They need to learn a thing or two from Pakistan!

When it comes to the World T20 though, Australia lose in the semis, they exit in the first round, and they make the final in the most exciting manner ever but lose.


Now that makes it exciting!

Number 5:  The Competition.
Not only are the minnows more competitive, the relatively stronger teams also compete more fiercely in T20 cricket.

Its a fire cracker of a game with very little margin of error due to the shortened time. Majority if T20 games provide a clearer indication of the side that will win during the last 4-5 overs. While in ODIs, majority of the game are predictable. With half of them you know the winner before the match even starts, and with the rest you know after the first innings.

The intensity among cricketers is at all time highs during T20 games. Even more so during the World T20 games.

Not that the intensity is not there during the World Cup, but there are so many games during which the players can switch off. During the World T20, you can't switch off for even a minute!

Number 4: It is always Wide Open
Not many people predicted India to win the World T20 in 2007. Or Pakistan in 2009. Or England in 2010.

Nor can many people pick one team that they think will win it this year.

That is how open the World T20 typically is. It is really any body's cup. And this year it is being touted as more open than previously. Probably so.

How often do you see that happening in the World Cup?

Australia. Australia. Australia. India. Well not the 1999 one, but every World Cup since then was pretty much called out and predicted by the majority well before the opening ceremony.


Number 3: It is a World Cup Damn it!
I'm not too sure why the ICC shies away from calling it the T20 World Cup, because it is a damn World Cup. Its not the ODI one, sure. But it is a T20 World Cup where all the cricket nations are competing for T20 supremacy.

Are England not the T20 defending champions? Are India and Pakistan not the former T20 champions?

You only become a champion if you win a World Cup.

So sure the World T20 sounds good as a brand and has a good ring to it, but it really is the World Cup.

That really nullifies the question!


Number 2: History will be made...
So the biggest argument that the World Cup has going in its favor is that it has history associated with it. Almost 40 years of it.

That's a long time compared to the 5 years of history that the World T20 has, but so what really?

History will be made. And a lot of it has already been made.

India will always be remembered as the first ever T20 champions. Misbah will always be remembered for playing that ill-fated scoop in the epic India vs Pakistan final in the first World T20. Shahid Afridi will be remembered for championing a successful 2009 campaign for Pakistan. And the World T20 2010 will go down in history as the first ever major tournament won by England, the inventors of the game.


All this is history.

So what history is the World Cup boasting about? Sure there's a lot, but doesn't mean that the World T20 doesn't have one.

Number 1: The Global Footprint.
If cricket is to expand into new global markets, then T20 cricket is the way to do it, and the World T20 is the platform to showcase the new countries on.

The largest World Cricket event that has taken place thus far is a 16 team World Cup and it was full off meaningless one-sided ODIs that hardly anyone paid interest.


A World T20 with 16 teams, or even 20 for that matter, can be an exciting event. I reckon that 10-15 year down the line the World T20 can even be a 32 team event ala FIFA World Cup.

That is when one will be able to say that cricket has finally established its global footprint.

With a 120+ years history, it is about time it does!

T20 Cricket is the way to go and the World T20 is the platform to promote it to the world.

At par with the World Cup? Way beyond!

4-2-8-6.

Those are some insane figures!

Ajantha Mendis gave a world record breaking performance in the opening game of the World T20 against Zimbabwe, which home team and hot favourites Sri Lanka won comfortably.

The best figures in T20 internationals before this game were 4-1-16-6, which also belonged to Ajantha Mendis.

Not only did he overhaul his own feat, Mendis also became the only bowler to pick up a five wicket haul twice in T20 internationals.

Sorry, make that a 6 wicket haul twice in T20 internationals.

Mendis also bettered Umar Gul's 5-6 against New Zealand during the World T20 in 2009 to notch up the best ever figures in a World T20 game.

Before today's opening game, Mendis was 6th on the list of highest wicket takers in T20Is. With today's efforts he moved up to number 4 and sits behind the 3 Pakistanis at the top.

He also moved up to number 5, from number 9, in the list of highest wicket takers in World T20 games.

With South Africa also in their group, tougher tests await Sri Lanka, however they gave a very strong account of themselves today and showed why they are being considered as hot favourites for the title.

It was a good start for them at the World T20 and a tremendous start for Ajantha Mendis, who will continue to play a key role for Sri Lanka in this competition.

We are less than a week away from the 4th edition of the ICC World Twenty20. Teams have started landing in Sri Lanka, and the hype is building up for the warm up games that start tomorrow.

A colourful and catchy illustration that shows what the ultimate player for the T20 cricket world cup should be made up of. A feature of each of these world class players has been chosen to create a single unbeatable cricket player that would be an unstoppable force at this year’s T20 world cup. Each body part chosen represents the best features of the player in question and underneath the image there is a brief description of why each player has been assigned a certain body part and what they have done to earn their inclusion in the T20 world cup ultimate player. Make sure you tune in to see all the drama and action as all these players take part in this fast paced competition.

Australia regained their position at number 9 in the ICC Rankings for T20 cricket, however it was fun for a bit when they were ranked below Ireland for 3 days!

I don't really know how I can capture in words what I experienced on Friday night at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium, but I'm still going to try. I probably will not do justice to it, but there are moments from that night that need to be captured.

I have no doubt in my mind that I witnessed the best T20 International ever. The Pakistan vs India final of the first World T20 in 2007 was also an unbelievable game, but this Pakistan vs Australia T20 trumps it.

Friday, 7th September 2012 will be remembered for a long long time, and decades later people will talk about that tied T20 game between Pakistan and Australia that was decided of the final delivery of a Super Over.

What made it all the more exciting was the crowd.

20,000 people under one roof cheering the greens on. For the last 30 minutes or so of the match, I could not hear the person next to me. It was that loud!

Phenomenal. Magical. Madness. No words can really describe what it felt like to first witness Abdul Razzaq get the wicket of Patrick Cummins of the final delivery of the match to tie the game and then to witness Umar Akmal scamper to the non striker's end to win the match for Pakistan off the final delivery of the Super Over.


Actually Pakistan had won the game as soon as Cummins bowled a wide. According to the rules, if the Super Over is tied then the team that has hit the most boundaries in the match (including the super over) wins. Pakistan had hit 20, Australia 19.

So that delivery after the wide was not really needed.

But I'm glad it was bowled because winning that game of a wide would not have done justice to the crowd that erupted in the loudest cheer I have ever heard when Dan Christian missed the ball at the non-striker's end and Umar Akmal completed the run that brought Pakistan victory!

There were some truly phenomenal moments in the game, and some that will always be remembered just because I was in the crowd. Here are some (or many) of them:

1. Initial Buzz Kill
Many of us were looking forward to watching Imran Nazir bat. His second ball duck quietened the entire crowd.

2. Cheer of the Day
As soon as Nazir got out, Shahid Afridi ran on to the field with water for Hafeez. The cheer he got from the crowd remained the loudest for the initial stages of the match.

3. Its a Bird, Its a Plane, no its Dan Christian
Hafeez and Jamshed were motoring along when Dan Christian produced one of the most outstanding catches you will ever see. It was the best catch I have ever seen at a stadium. It had all the 20,000 Pakistanis on their feet and applauding.


Even Nasir Jamshed smiled.

Dan Christian is Superman really. He even pulled off another similar stunt and saved a sure shot boundary that had the entire crowd stunned once again.


The catch was shown repeatedly on the big screen at the stadium and every time it was met with an applause.

4. Brotherly Love
The Akmal brothers put on 46 runs for the 4th wicket partnership, and though Umar's contribution was only 13, the way he ran with his elder brother was unlike any other Pakistani pair. They stole singles, converted ones into twos, and upped the tempo at just the right time for Pakistan.


Their understanding in the middle was apparent. Probably for them it felt like just another family game in their back yard.

5. Who says the Crowd only Cheers for Afridi
When Abdul Razzaq walked out to bat in the final over of Pakistan's innings, the Dubai crowd erupted in a cheer that I have only witnessed for Shahid Afridi. I was pleasantly surprised to be honest, but its good to know that people have not forgotten him.

6. Discussion of the Night - Part I
During the17th over of Australia's innings, our section of the crowd broke into a discussion on who would bowl the next three overs. It went something like this...

"Yaar agla Ajmal ko dena chahye"
"Nai nai Hafeez kare khud, phir Ajmal aur Gul ke aakhri dono"
"Buss aakhri Ajmal ko na de, 2010 semi final wala scene na ho jaye"
"Hafeez bahut pita hai aaj, Malik ya Razzaq ko ek over dede"
"Pehle dena chahye tha yaar"
"Malik aur Razzaq bhi pitenge. Captain hai, khud responsibility le aur karaye"

In the meantime, Sohail Tanvir had castled David Hussey, completed his over, and Ajmal had started the 18th over.

7. Who Said Only Footballers Can Fake?
In the 19th over, Saeed Ajmal made a very poor attempt to stop a ball at short fine leg, which resulted in a boundary. His lame half-assed dive was not one that would have resulted in a "dislocated" shoulder. Yes that's what he said at the post match presentation.

But Ajmal walking of the field holding his arm was the best act put on by a Pakistani fielder ever.

His substitute was Yasir Arafat, who misfielded of the very next delivery in the same position as Ajmal, which resulted in another boundary.

However, after that Yasir Arafat turned into a Super Sub! He ran out Matthew Wade with a direct throw from the boundary, he timed his run and judged the ball coming off George Bailey's blade to perfection giving Pakistan a much needed wicket off the first ball of the final over, and he ran like a hare during that last over keeping the Aussies down to a single at least twice.

Thank you Saeed Ajmal!

8. Discussion of the Night - Part II
We had all expected that Umar Gul will bowl the final over, so when he was handed the ball in the 19th we broke into another discussion.

"Yaar ghalti kardi Hafeez ne. Aakhri over phir spinner"
"Khud nai karega, Shoaib Malik ko dega"
"Ab to khud hi karana hoga. Captain hai, responsibility le"

We all went into shock when Shoaib Malik walked up to the bowling end after a lengthy discussion among 6 of Pakistan's cricketers.

"Nai yaar. Malik! Isse hero banna hai kya Sania ke saamne"
"Bh#$%&d Marwayega"

And suddenly Hafeez changes his mind and calls up Razzaq.

"Naheeeeeeennn.. Razzaq ne last kab bowling ki this International cricket me?"
"Ghalti hai yaar. Rookie mistake, Hafeez should have used a 6th bowler earlier"
"Warr gaye Bh#$%&d"

9. Run of the Night
It wasn't by either of the Akmals, nor by Yasir Arafat, nor by either of the Aussies. The run of the night was shared by 3 spectators who somehow dodged the stadium security and ran on to the pitch during the course of play. Well 2 of them, the third one was hauled down by 5 men!

The first man sprinted across the field with a Pakistani flag, circled a player or two and ran back into the stands before the security could even move from their places.

The second person was a little kid who ran in when Razzaq came in to bat. The umpire stood in his way, the kid dodged him, shook Razzaq's hand and ran back into the stands.

By now the security at the boundary lines had doubled.

But it didn't stop yet another spectator to run on to the pitch. This time the security was ready though. Took 5 men to corner and haul down this one.


10. Mass Hysteria
The first delivery of Razzaq's over took forever to reach George Bailey. It was that slow. But it was a rank long hop and we all felt that it was going over the ropes. But Yasir Arafat sprinted around and held on to a wonderful catch. The entire stadium, 20,000 people, erupted in the loudest cheer of the night.


11. Stunned Silence
The 5th delivery of Razzaq's over was sent sailing over mid wicket for a six by Pat Cummins. It tied the game. The crowd went quiet.

Game over we all felt.

Hafeez hustled the troops. Men were called in to the inner circle.

We all stood there, hands on our heads. For some on their hips. A few started to leave. It was over for the crowd. Cummins had sealed the deal for Australia.

12. Mass Hysteria Encore
It was really quiet as Razzaq ran in for the final delivery, but once again the entire crowd broke into an even louder cheer than before as soon as Cummins hit the ball in the air and Pakistani fielders got under it.

"Dont drop it please!" someone shouted, and the cheer reached its peak as Imran Nazir held on to it safely.

Razzaq, who had almost given the match away, saved it at the end.

The big screen said "Super Over" and we all waited in anticipation.

As I said at the start, no words can really capture the emotions that the crowd went through during the Super Over. It was out of this world, and something that I had never witnessed before.

I have seen a large number of cricket matches all around the world at various different grounds. But the intensity and excitement that I was a part of on Friday has never been matched before.

It was truly unbelievable.




Cheering, high fiving, hugging started inside the stadium and continued on to the roads outside the Dubai Cricket Stadium as fans danced to the beats of a dhol and celebrated a magnificent victory.

The heat, the traffic jams, the sweat - all was forgotten once Pakistan won the game in a nail biting finish.

It was the best T20 international I have ever seen, and by far the best international cricket match I have seen at a cricket ground.