Shoaib Malik’s head on the chopping block

By Syed Khalid Mahmood

Somebody’s head had to be put on the chopping block after the 234-run loss to Sri Lanka in the third and final One-day International at the Qaddafi Stadium, Lahore, and now it was the time for skipper Shoaib Malik to face the music. He has been replaced by Younis Khan.

Shoaib Malik, who never looked an inspirational leader, had been given a vote of confidence by the PCB only a few weeks ago but the scenario changed dramatically with the defeat in the recent ODI series against Sri Lanka.

Two wrongs don’t make one right. The PCB management, in the first place, should not have displayed so much faith in Shoaib Malik while granting him an extension very recently. Sacking him just on the basis of one series could spell further disaster for the team.

Shoaib Malik had been appointed the captain by the previous regime and the movers and shakers in the PCB should have reassessed him properly before venturing to repose total faith in him.

How a captain, who was showered with so much praise just a few weeks ago, could become a spent force overnight. The best time for the PCB, having so many outstanding cricketers in its management, to get away with him was at the time when his captaincy tenure had expired.

The same Shoaib Malik was being considered as a successful skipper when he led Pakistan to the most unbelievable of victories in the first ODI at the National Stadium, Karachi. It was really stunning to find the Sri Lankans getting rolled over in the manner they were in the opening game.

Sometimes unexpected and undeserved success also becomes the cause of a turnaround. False expectations were built after the first ODI and there was widespread resentment and anguish when the team was floored in the next two games. 

There might not have been this kind of fierce reaction had Pakistan been whitewashed in the ODI series in a normal fashion. There was a big difference in the level of two teams, in terms of experience as well as class. Sri Lanka didn’t play like Sri Lanka in the first ODI and people started believing that a similar pattern would be followed in the rest of the series. The story changed, however, when the Sri Lankans started to play to their potential. 

Poor Shoaib Malik had to pay the price of getting over-confident after the upset win in the first ODI. He was guilty of getting carried away, poking his nose everywhere. It was none of his business to warn his teammates during the course of the series. He seemed to have taken it for granted that his own future was absolutely secured and he had the power to call the shots.

What he had overlooked was the fact that arrogance is one quality that lets even the most successful conquerors down. He was guilty of overstepping his line and he has been taught a lesson right away.

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Naeem-ul-Haq sets cricket in motion in United States

By Syed Khalid Mahmood

No matter how developed the society may be and how established the institutions are in place more often than not it are the proactive individuals who become the catalyst in bringing about a change.

Cricket has a deep rooted history in the United States of America (USA) but it has remained a minority sport over the years and it continues to be that way despite the presence of a large number of expatriates from the nations that have excelled in the game.

While the International Cricket Council (ICC), the governing body of the game, remains engaged in promoting the sport within its own set of policies, one needs to recognize the contribution of the fellows who are devoting all their energies in helping the game survive and flourish in the USA.

One individual who has stood out in promoting cricket in the USA in recent times is Naeem-ul-Haq, a former first-class cricketer from Karachi, who has now relocated on the outskirts of Miami in Florida.

Naeem, who also played for his employers Pakistan Customs besides representing Karachi before migrating to the USA, has been working hard for the promotion of the game from the moment he landed there.

He has been actively involved with the Michigan Cricket Association (MCA), having worked closely with its livewire President, Shahid Ahmed, who has also moved there from Karachi.

Naeem and Shahid, although living thousands of miles apart in the USA, have done wonders by joined hands in promoting the game. The two Karachiites have taken the time out to work for the promotion of the game on a regular that’s indeed the key.

In the past we have come across some enthusiasts who emerged on the scene with high spirits but disappeared quickly when they found the going tough as cricket is not one sport that’s going to make waves at this stage.

Besides the high level of commitment, a lot of patience is also required to promote cricket in the USA. By the look of things Naeem and Shahid appear to be having the qualities that could signal a turnaround in the fortunes of the game there.

Their single largest contribution so far seems to be the Diversity Cup that they have been able to hold successfully in Michigan for the past few years. It has become an annual event in which teams from different communities take part every summer. They have already announced to hold this year’s Diversity Cup from July 3 to 5.

The legendary cricketers like Javed Miandad, Greg Chappell, Asif Iqbal and Mushtaq Mohammad have already been to Detroit and they have lauded the efforts aimed at popularizing the game that has so much potential.

Naeem, a qualified coach now, is lately in the process of launching the Florida Cricket Academy for which he has already obtained a piece of land in Fort Lauderdale. He is in Karachi these days and the main purpose of his visit is to sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the famed Customs Cricket Academy, founded by Jalaluddin, the first bowler to have recorded a hat-trick in One-day Internationals.

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Sri Lanka finally play to their potential to pocket series

By Syed Khalid Mahmood

Sri Lanka got into their elements in the last couple of One-day Internationals after horrible performance in the opening match. The moment visitors played to their potential there was no escape route for Pakistan.

The two massive wins recorded by Sri Lanka in the second as well as the third ODI confirmed that they were far superior outfit and their defeat in the first ODI was one of those things that one may not be able to justify purely in cricketing terms.

The Sri Lankans simply bulldozed Pakistan when they did look serious after the debacle in the first one-dayer at the National Stadium, Karachi, on January 20. They registered a comprehensive win at the same venue just 24 hours later and they annexed the three-match series with an even more emphatic victory in the third and final game at the Qaddafi Stadium, Lahore, on January 24.

Sri Lanka, after having failed to capitalize on the terrific start in the first two matches, opted to start off sedately and the acceleration was carried out at a later stage. The tactics reflected a lack of confidence in their middle-order batting that couldn’t fire in the previous two games.

Openers Tillakaratne Dilshan and Sanath Jayasuriya were given the license to play themselves in and play out as many overs as they desired. Jayasuriya, who is known and feared for his attacking instincts, was content in playing out the early overs and he exploded far too late from his own high standards.

Jayasuriya, having played some destructive knocks in his long and illustrious career, threatened to stamp his authority once more when he got into Rao Iftikhar Anjum in the 15th over the innings. But very fortunately from Pakistan’s point of view he miscued a shot just when he looked in complete command of the situation

Dilshan did not repeat his mistake of giving it away after having done all the hard work. He took his time in reaching his half-century but he played much more freely afterwards to keep the score ticking over. He batted until the very end and his second ODI century covered the failures of the middle-order once more. It was mainly due to his unbeaten 137 off 139 balls that Sri Lanka managed to get to a score of 309 in 50 overs.
Sri Lanka looked to their opening bowlers, Nuwan Kulasekara and Thilan Thushara, once more and they rose to the occasion magnificently. Both of them swung the ball appreciably to capture three early wickets each to send Pakistan crashing to 22 for six in the ninth over. 

The result of the match and the series was never in doubt once the Pakistan top-order batting was blown away by the fast bowlers with the new ball. Umar Gul played some agricultural shots to delay the inevitable. His breezy knock saved Pakistan from the embarrassment of getting bowled out for the lowest-ever ODI score. It turned out to be a no contest as Sri Lanka completed a 234-run win.
The hosts were eventually all out for 75, the lowest ODI total at the ground that has been the scene of many high moments of the Pakistan cricket. 
The great off-spinner Muttiah Muralitharan claimed his 500th ODI wicket when he castled Sohail Khan, playing his first match of the series.

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PCB chief optimistic about Asif’s clearance

By Syed Khalid Mahmood

The Chairman of Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), Ijaz Butt, has expressed the confidence that the mercurial fast bowler Mohammad Asif will be cleared by the doping authorities and he will be playing for Pakistan soon.

“Asif will be selected for the Pakistan team as soon as he is available to us. I have gone through the latest emails sent to the PCB by WADA and ICC and personally I feel that he will not be banned for a long time,” Ijaz Butt remarked while chatting with this scribe in Karachi on January 22.

“Other cricketers have been charged and found guilty of similar offence in the past. Even Shane Warne was involved in such a case on the eve of the World Cup in 2003 and if I remember correctly he was banned for a year,” he recalled.

“I don’t think Asif will be penalized with a life ban or anything that harsh. He could be barred for playing for only a while and then he will have the opportunity to resume his career,” the PCB Chairman reckoned.

”It’s all speculation and gossip that he would be banned for life. He seems to have committed an offence but it’s not all that serious and he could get away with token punishment,” Ijaz Butt said.

Asif, hailed as one of the deadliest fast bowlers on the scene, has been in the news mostly for the wrong reasons in the recent past. He has been involved in various controversies having prevented him from playing regularly for the country.

Having made his Test debut in January 2005 during the tour of Australia, he tested positive for a banned steroid in 2006 but the ban was eventually overturned and he returned to spearhead Pakistan’s bowling attack.

He showed improvement in leaps and bounds, becoming a most valuable player for the side in a very short span of time. The recognition of his growing stature came in the shape of his appointment as Pakistan’s vice-captain.

He was laid low by an elbow injury but just when he had regained fitness he was detained at the Dubai airport last June, allegedly for possessing a recreational drug. He was released after 19 days. There was further setback for him when he tested positive for a banned drug during the IPL.

The 26-year old Asif has been able to play only 11 Test matches and 31 One-day Internationals during a career spanning four years now. It’s a pity that a man of his talent has not been able to play more.

He made such a great impact in the limited opportunities having come his way. His nagging line and length reminded many of the great Australian Glenn McGrath. He was often compared to McGrath for his accuracy and consistency.

Pakistan has desperately missed Asif’s services at a time when speedster Shoaib Akhtar has also not been able to play for the country for one reason or the other. Asif can still prove an asset for Pakistan and he has many years of cricket left in him.

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Sri Lanka level series despite uncertain batting display

By Syed Khalid Mahmood

Sri Lanka have managed to square the series by winning the second One-day International against Pakistan at the National Stadium, Karachi, on January 21. It was a comprehensive win on paper but it still reflected their inability to make use of the flying start.

For a moment it had looked that Sri Lanka would lose their way in exactly the same manner as they had done on the previous afternoon. They fared better than what they had done in the opening but their batting could not take the advantage in the final phase of the innings.

Sri Lanka were expected to post a total well past 300 when they were cruising at 165 for two in the 29th over. Generally the 30-over score is doubled during the last 20 overs in a 50-over game and with so many wickets in hand the visitors were ideally placed to do that in the friendliest of batting conditions.

To have finished at 290 in 50 overs meant their batting was still not firing on all cylinders. The nature of wickets in Bangladesh might have restrained their free-flowing batsmen but there was hardly any excuse for not having pushed for runs on the National Stadium strip full of runs.

The stroke played by Tillakaratne Dilshan in the 29th over didn’t make sense. He threw away his wicket when in complete command of the situation. It was a soft dismissal against the run of play and it cost his team quite a few runs in the end. 

Dilshan, basically a middle-order batsman, probably looked unaware of the fact that the task of an opening batsman is to play to for as long as possible instead of considering his job done after playing out 30 overs.

That Sri Lanka pulled off a comfortable 129-run victory despite having been restricted to 290 was owed much to their opening bowlers, Nuwan Kulasekara and Thilan Thushara, who broke the back of the hosts top-order batting.

The celebrate spin duo of Ajantha Mendis and Muttiah Muralitharan came into the picture much later. The platform was set for the two spinners to force the issue after the fast bowlers had shaken the top-order.

The match was still wide open when Salman Butt and Shoaib Malik negotiated the deadliest of spin bowlers with the minimum of hassle. The century partnership, in fact, had provided Pakistan an opportunity to seal the series.

The complexion of the game changed when the big stand was broken and it allowed the spinners to get on top and settle the issue. The deficiencies in the Pakistan batting were exposed and the contest became a one-sided affair in the end.

The Sri Lankan certainly comparatively played better cricket but Mahela Jayawardene must be aware of the fact that his guys need to raise the bar and be more consistent in future games. He has such a gifted side at his disposal but somehow they have not been coming as well as they should be. One reason could be playing far too many games but that has very much become a norm in international cricket these days.

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Pakistan overcome Sri Lanka’s friendly fire with remarkable ease

By Syed Khalid Mahmood

Was there any element of surprise in the proceedings or the result of the first One-day International between Pakistan and Sri Lanka at the National Stadium, Karachi, on January 20? My answer is no.

The unusually casual approach of the Sri Lankan cricketers might have caught some of the spectators or the viewers by surprise but to those having an insight into the game or well versed with the history of the game there was hardly anything unpredictable.

Historically the Sri Lankans have seldom taken the field in an aggressive frame of mind while encountering Pakistan. They have looked tigers and panthers against other opponents but that has hardly been the case when they are up against Pakistan.

Sri Lanka have indeed won matches against Pakistan but their intensity on the field has generally not been the same as the one they have had while combating fancied teams like Australia, South Africa and India.

Their performance or the lack of it in the first ODI also left one wondering if they would be using the ongoing three-match series as practice for the upcoming home series against India in which they would be expected to fire on all cylinders.

Sri Lanka have been taught some lessons in the first ODI. Their famed spin duo of Muttiah Muralitharan and Ajantha Mendis had a forgettable day against a not too formidable Pakistan batting line-up.

Muralitharan and Mendis had wreaked havoc among the most celebrated batting line-up of the world but they were treated like novices even by Pakistan’s new opener Khurram Manzoor.

Salman Butt, the more experienced of the home openers, made most of the friendly conditions to complete his unbeaten century that guided Pakistan to the most comfortable of victories. It was a cakewalk win for the hosts. They could not have asked for a better start to the series.

The Sri Lankans were outplayed in every department of the game in the opening one-dayer after a promising start. There was nothing wrong in the pitch and the conditions were ideal for batting. Mahela Jayawardene did his team a big favour by winning the toss.

Sanath Jayasuriya and Tillakaratne Dilshan got the visitors off to a flyer. They punished Pakistan’s new ball operators, Shoaib Akhtar and Sohail Tanvir. But they collapsed when the ball lost its shine and lesser mortals were pressed into service. Umar Gul and Rao Iftikhar Anjum turned the tide decisively and Sri Lanka, for who looked capable of getting well over 300, had to struggle in reaching 200. None of the Sri Lankan middle-order batsmen dared taking the fight to the opposition and even the home spinners were allowed to return decent figures.  

But it was a different ball game for the champion spinners Muralitharan and Mendis, who are otherwise the most lethal weapons in international cricket. With Sri Lanka not possessing threatening fast bowlers it seems unlikely that their slow bowlers are going to create pressures on the Pakistan batsmen.

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Sri Lanka payback Pakistan

By Syed Khalid Mahmood

It’s not common to find the head of the national cricket board sparing time to go down to the airport to receive any of the visiting teams. Ijaz Butt, Chairman, Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), personally greeted the Sri Lankan cricket squad at Karachi’s Quaid-e-Azam International Airport when the tourists landed on January 18.

It was probably an unprecedented gesture but not entirely unexpected in the given scenario. With the foreign teams expressing their reluctance to play in Pakistan, the PCB has acknowledged the support of their Sri Lankan counterparts who have honoured their commitment of touring Pakistan.

It has been in the practice in the past in Pakistan that the visiting teams were received at the airport only by the officials of the local cricket associations. So it was quite an unfamiliar sight to find the head of the board in the reception party.
The top functionaries of the Karachi City Cricket Association (KCCA) were also present on the occasion to welcome the Sri Lankan cricketers. The KCCA President, Dr Mohammad Ali Shah, who is the also the Sindh Minister of Sports, was very much there with the long-serving Secretary of the Association, Prof Siraj-ul-Islam Bokhari.
This is a special tour not because it has been arranged hastily but primarily because it’s being undertaken by the Sri Lankans at a very critical time. They have proved bad time friends.
The PCB has had special relationship with their Sri Lankan counterparts over the years. They have had a history of helping each others in need.
How can one forget 1996. The Sri Lankans had taken the world by storm with their brilliant performance in the field. Their experiment of going hard at the bowlers from the first ball of the innings had worked wonders and they were being talked of as world-beaters.
At a time when their team had peaked and was being considered as one of the strongest contenders for the trophy for the first time in history there was a shock in store for their cricket board when Australia and the West Indies refused to play their World Cup games in Sri Lanka.

The Sri Lankan Board, being co-hosts, had found itself in a very embarrassing situation and it was the Pakistan Board that came to the rescue by agreeing to play a hastily arranged match in Colombo to offset the losses the home board suffered due to the cancellation of matches against Australia and the West Indies.
The then Sri Lankan captain Arjuna Ranatunga was sporting enough to acknowledge Pakistan’s timely support by playing at Colombo when he held aloft the trophy at the Qaddafi Stadium, Lahore.
The present Sri Lankan skipper Mehela Jayawardene has also referred to the point upon arrival in Karachi that the current visit was a kind of returning friendly favour to Pakistan who had toured the island nation when some teams had refused to travel there for security reasons some years ago.
“It was an obligation for the Sri Lankans to come to Pakistan when invited and even players who discussed the tour were of the opinion that it was time for Sri Lanka to return a gesture that Pakistan had shown almost under similar circumstances,” he said.

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Sri Lanka could be jolted in ODI series

By Syed Khalid Mahmood

Although the present bunch of talented and experienced Sri Lankan cricketers has the mental toughness to overcome the nightmarish situations it found itself in during the just concluded three-nation tournament in Bangladesh but its recent inconsistency does provide Pakistan a window of opportunity in the three-match ODI series starting at the National Stadium, Karachi, on January 20.

It’s the same venue where the Sri Lankans had annexed the Asia Cup last year with hints of conviction. They had proved too good for all their Asian rivals to become the deserved continental champions.

On paper the Sri Lankans are still the stronger side and they should be the considered the favourites to dominate the series of three ODIs against the home side far too short of international exposure during the recent times.

Pakistan, however, have had the reputation of taking the strongest of opponents to ride on their day. It’s the team that can never be written off even while fielding the most ordinary of outfits.
The Sri Lankan skipper Mahela Jayawardene, upon his arrival in Karachi, has played down the defeat at the hands of Bangladesh in their league meeting and then the great escape in the final against the same opponents by reaffirming that his side knew how to perform in adversity.

Jayawardene, being a shrewd leader besides being an outstanding batsman, must be aware of the fact, however, that it’s not a healthy sign to collapse against the minnows more than once.

Jayawardene would also be mindful of the fact that their magician spin duo of Muttiah Muralitharan and Ajantha Mendis may be blunted by the Pakistan batsmen, who play the spinners better than the best.

In the past it have been the genuine fast bowlers who have threatened Pakistan even on the docile wickets rather than any spin great. No matter how skilled and penetrative the Sri Lankan spinners have been elsewhere there’s no guarantee that they would drive home the advantage in Pakistan.

Muralitharan and Mendis have had phenomenal success. The 36-year-old Muralitharan, already the highest wicket-taker in Test cricket with a tally of 769, is on the threshold of achieving the similar record in ODIs. He looks set to go past the great Pakistan all-rounder Wasim Akram who was the first to reach the milestone of 500 wickets in ODIs.

It would be a great honour for Muralitharan to become the highest wicket-taker in both forms of the game. He is nine wickets away from the landmark it seems a matter of time for him to have it in his bag.

Besides the wily off-spinner Muralitharan, the unorthodox spin of Mendis has also taken the world by storm. He may not a big turner of the ball but he has enormous variety to fox the batsmen and the 23-year-old has also already entered record books by claiming 50 wickets in the least number of ODIs.

The Sri Lankans have a powerful batting line-up with the likes of Mahela Jayawardene, Kumar Sangakkara, Sanath Jayasuriya and Tillakaratne Dilshan in their ranks. The youngsters like Upul Tharanga, Chamara Kapugedera and Jehan Mubarak have to rise to the occasion to complement the experienced campaigners. They have a decent pace bowling attack and the presence of utility men like Farveez Maharoof adds balance to their team.

The home team is a blend of youth and experience with Shoaib Malik leading the side for the first time after being granted the extension to his tenure. Misbah-ul-Haq, Salman Butt, and Younis Khan will hold the key in batting while all-rounders Shahid Afridi, Yasir Arafat and Sohail Tanvir are expected to make their presence felt in a big way.

Hopefully the fit-again Shoaib Akhtar will not break down again to spearhead the attack during the entire length of the series with the tried trusted medium-pacers in Umar Gul and Rao Iftikhar in the support cast.

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