Australia brighten South African summer

By Syed Khalid Mahmood

Australia did what the South Africans had done earlier in the season. The inspired South African line-up had provided the Australian crowds cricket of the highest quality when they pocketed the Test as well as the ODI series against the reigning world champions.

The Australians couldn’t clinch the ODI series in South Africa, after having snatched the Test series, but their youthful side gave a wonderful exhibition of all-round cricket to entertain the spectators.

With back-to-back series wins over Australia, the South Africans are worthy to be rated as the strongest team in One-day Internationals and they indeed are the top ranked ODI side at the moment.

The contests between Australia and South Africa have often produced exhilarating cricket and the rivalry between the two evenly-matched outfits has remained fierce all along.

With proactive captains like Ricky Ponting and Graeme Smith leading from the front, the intensity of the game has to be on the higher side. Both of them are tough cricketers and they take pride in playing the game the hard way. Neither of the two has ever been prepared to take things for granted.

South Africa had done a fabulous job by closing the ODI series in the fourth game but the Australians came hard at their opponents in the fifth and final encounter even though the rubber was dead.

The consolation victory in the last match in Johannesburg allowed Australia to move to the second position in the ODI rankings. They showed great resilience in the field and thoroughly deserved to win the day.

South Africa appeared poised to take home the ODI series 4-1 against Australia for the second time running when Herschelle Gibbs and Jacques Kallis were milking runs at will in the middle of the innings.

The target of 304 in 50 overs under floodlights was never going to be easy against the spirited Australian bowling attack being backed by their fleet-footed fielders. But the hosts became the firm favourites when they raised the 150 of their innings with the loss of just one wicket and Gibbs and Kallis on top of the bowling.

Gibbs, having smashed a brilliant century earlier in the series, was trifle lucky to have been declared leg-before when in sight of another ton. His dismissal brought to the crease A B de Villiers who kept the momentum going in the company of the well-set Kallis as 118 more were needed off the 16 overs that didn’t look a tall order with eight wickets in hand.

The complexion of the game changed in the next few overs when Kallis played a loose shot. The Australian left-arm quickies Nathan Bracken and Mitchell Johnson delivered at the crucial stage of the innings and the spectacular catch taken by Ben Laughlin to send back the dangerous Albie Morkel allowed Australia to gain control. Laughlin then sealed the fate of the game by yorking de Villiers in the first over of the batting Powerplay.

Earlier in the day the Australians had overcome a middle-order collapse to post a total in the excess of 300. They were set for a much bigger total after the explosive start to their innings provided by Brad Haddin and Michael Clarke.

It were the slow bowlers again who derailed Australia. Even though the regular off-spinner Johan Botha was not playing even the duo of Roelof van der Merwe and J P Duminy did enough damage to keep the total in check. It was only a late flurry of strokes from Michael Hussey that took Australia to 300.

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Pakistan denied World Cup hosting rights

By Syed Khalid Mahmood

The Pakistan cricket suffered yet another major blow when the International Cricket Council (ICC) decided to restrict the 2011 World Cup to Bangladesh, India and Sri Lanka. 

The ICC has decided to retain the World Cup in the sub-continent but Pakistan would not be one of the hosts, as was originally planned.

The ruling from the ICC was very much on the cards for two reasons. The shootout in Lahore on March 3 in which seven Sri Lankan cricketers were injured had meant that Pakistan would be out of bounds for the visiting teams for quite sometime.

Then the officials of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) were found wanting in their damage-control exercise that should have been in full force to prevent further losses. Their approach was suicidal and they should not be complaining now.

The PCB functionaries could have fared much had they tackled the issue professionally. They went into a shell instead of making extra efforts to offset the tragic incident of Lahore.

There is not much any point in blaming the ICC in the prevailing circumstances for having stripped Pakistan of hosting rights for the next World Cup because of the "uncertain security situation" in the country as outlined in the handout issued after the board meeting in Dubai on April 17.

"It is a regrettable decision but our number one priority is to create certainty and deliver a safe, secure and successful event and the uncertainty created by events within Pakistan created a huge question mark over our ability to do just that,." the ICC President, David Morgan, said in the statement. 

It may not be easy for the ICC to stick to their plans of hosting the next World Cup’s matches in three other Asian countries. The security situation in Bangladesh, India and Sri Lanka has also remained alarming over the years and they had to move the events out of there.

Even India have been vulnerable and they had to shift their showpiece event, the Indian Premier League (IPL) to South Africa. Bangladesh could not host Pakistan recently because they had security issues. Sri Lanka have witnessed numerous terrorist attacks in the past.

One can argue in this context that the ICC could have deferred the decision and not denied Pakistan the hosting rights of the 2011 World Cup at this stage. The ICC should abstain from singling out Pakistan because terrorism is a global issue and the entire region has been volatile for the past few years.

One expects the ICC to be sympathetic to Pakistan’s cause because cricket is the game of the masses in this part of the world and the youngsters, in particular, are into it.

The ICC, working so hard for the globalization of the sport, should not lose sight of the fact that they must be considerate in dealing with the countries where cricket is the sport. It is a pity that the cricket enthusiasts are not getting the opportunity of watching international matches at home. They eagerly await the turnaround, the sooner the better.

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Focus on Shoaib Akhtar as Lee to skip UAE series

By Syed Khalid Mahmood

I am not sure if the Australians would classify this as a blow to their chances but Brett Lee’s absence from the upcoming limited-overs series against Pakistan to be held in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) will certainly disappoint the fans of the game.

Now the spotlight will be on Pakistan’s spearhead Shoaib Akhtar who is fired up to deliver for the country once more. It would have been a real thrill for the spectators to watch Shoaib and Lee in the opposing teams but the latter would not be a part of the action in the battle.

The contest between Shoaib and Lee, two of the fastest bowlers to have entered the cricket arena, would have been fascinating even though both of them were to be on a comeback trail.

The return of the injury-prone Lee in international cricket was being fast-tracked but he’s not in a position to do the job for his country right now. He will have to wait a little longer now as the medical staff deemed his surgically repaired ankle not yet ready for the rigours of bowling. 

Lee is a part of the Australian squad currently in South Africa and he will remain there for some more time for his rehabilitation but the chances of him playing for the Kings XI Punjab in the Indian Premier League (IPL) appear very remote. He still has a chance though of joining the squad in the UAE provided he makes a speedy recovery.

"The National Selection Panel (NSP) has been advised by Cricket Australia medical staff that Brett Lee is not yet fit enough to resume international cricket. While it's disappointing for Brett to miss the start of the Pakistan series, the NSP wants to take a careful approach to his return to the Australian team," Andrew Hilditch, the chairman of selectors, was quoted as saying. 

"Brett's ankle has recovered well from surgery in January this year. However, the rehabilitation process is ongoing and, to date, Brett has not bowled sufficiently to allow him to be fit to resume playing cricket. I will be monitoring Brett's progress to assess his availability for any part of the series against Pakistan in the UAE,” Alex Kountouris, the team physiotherapist, added. 

There have been rumours that Shoaib Akhtar is also not fully fit yet but it’s not clear whether he would still be played in the forthcoming matches. We have seen so many times in the past an unfit Shoaib taking the field and then returning to the dressing room on account of fitness.

Shoaib has had these problems for the last many years and he has been in and out of the national team in the recent past. His statements to the media on the eve of every major series suggest that he’s fully fit but why he breaks down more often than not is something he’s unable to explain.

The Australians do have the backup support for people like Lee but Pakistan have struggled to find a decent pace attack and Shoaib’s absence has hurt them badly during the last few years.

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Pakistan-Australia series could affect IPL 2

By Syed Khalid Mahmood

The organizers of the Indian Premier League (IPL) have had to encounter problems of all kinds. They must have foreseen numerous hassles while launching the tournament of such magnitude last year but they might not have anticipated the change of venue.

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), having so much influence in the International Cricket Council (ICC) of late, had ensured that the international cricket would come to a standstill when the IPL was in progress.

As the luck would have it, the postponements and cancellations of the various events prompted their change of dates that now clash with the second edition of the IPL, getting underway in South Africa on April 18.

Pakistan and Australia, two of the finest one-day teams in the business, would now be engaged in a limited overs series in the Middle East during the period when the South African grounds will be hosting the IPL. 

The IPL organizers may not admit it publicly but the fact of the matter is that they would not have desired another cricket event taking place during the course of their extravaganza. 

The ODI series between Pakistan and Australia in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) has in fact dealt double blow to the IPL. Firstly a large number of viewers in different parts of the world will now have an alternate source of entertainment. Many people would prefer to watch the One-day Internationals between two of the most exciting teams in the world rather than follow an event not having much value in their eyes.

Since the television audience is going to be the key in the IPL 2 as the event being staged in South Africa will actually be targeting the huge Indian market, the telecast of the ODIs between Pakistan and Australia would cause a distraction.

Another cause of concern for the IPL organizers could the lack of presence of the stars of the two countries. While Pakistan’s players were unlikely to compete in the IPL 2 in any case, the withdrawal of the Australians due to national duty could result in substantial drop of audience in that country.

The IPL 2 will certainly appeal less to the Australian public because of the non-presence of their stars in the tournament. Secondly they could also be more interested to follow the fortunes of their national team in the ODI series against Pakistan.

All the eight participating teams in the IPL 2 have invested heavily by recruiting some of the most talented and skilled cricketers in the planet but they would miss the stars from Pakistan and Australia who had played their part in making the inaugural tournament so successful.

The shifting of the venue from India to South Africa has already prompted the teams to revisit their plans as the playing conditions in the two countries are quite different. The pullouts of the Australians in particular must have caused more concerns to them. Let us see how they make the last minute adjustments.

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IPL 2 to miss carnival atmosphere

By Syed Khalid Mahmood

The second edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL), getting underway in South Africa on April 18, is likely to miss the carnival atmosphere that had taken the whole world by storm last year.

The mood of the fans in South Africa is certainly going to be different than the one possessed by the enthusiasts in India. The passion of the Indian public for cricket is enormous and it’s hard to imagine the same kind of passion in South Africa.

Although the majority of the top performers of the world cricket are expected to be there and the highest quality of cricket is also anticipated once more but the lack of the crowd participation may take some gloss off the event.

Another thing is that the games in the IPL would be held at mid-day that is not deemed an ideal time in South Africa. The timings of the matches, however, would still suit the viewers in the Indo-Pak sub-continent.

Meanwhile the teams and franchises have had to rework their plans and logistical details because of the eleventh hour shifting of the mega event from India.

The change of venue will bring about a change in the strategy of the participating teams as well because the pitches in South Africa would be different to the ones in India where the odds favoured the batsmen.

The batting-friendly wickets in India had allowed the batters to tear apart the bowling from the moment they set their feet in the ground. It could be a different story altogether in South Africa where the pitches are known to assist the quicker bowlers. So we are unlikely to watch far too many runs scored this time round and we are more likely to witness low-scoring thrillers.

The average score in the IPL last year was about 170-180 per innings. The figures from the domestic Twenty20 in South Africa reveal that the average score is 140. The batsmen will have to apply themselves for putting runs on the board.

The young Indian cricketers, who had played their role admirably in the inaugural IPL, may have to struggle on the bouncy strips of South Africa. The conditions in South Africa will also fluctuate quite a lot depending on the weather. The grounds around there are very different from centre to centre as well as the bounce.

So the conditions will be very different at different venues and life for the fringe Indian cricketers could be very tough in these conditions. It presents a big challenge for the average domestic Indian players in particular to adapt to the South African conditions.

In the IPL 2 the teams having stronger South African presence in their squad will obviously get the advantage for they are familiar with the conditions, they understand how they can change from morning to afternoon, or from first innings to second innings.

There are a number of different aspects that an experienced South African player will be able to pass on to his own team and will also be able to adapt to his own game. This factor puts Bangalore Royal Challengers at an advantage in that regard.

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India return triumphant from New Zealand

By Syed Khalid Mahmood

The Indian cricketers, having emerged triumphant in a Test series in New Zealand for the first time after 41 seasons, were accorded warm welcome upon their return home on April 9.

They returned home in batches in different cities after having done a fabulous job in New Zealand. The victorious skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni, Man-of-the-Series Gautam Gambhir, opener Virender Sehwag, fast bowler Ishant Sharma and leg-spinner Amit Mishra landed in capital New Delhi while the legendary batsman Sachin Tendulkar alongwith spearhead Zaheer Khan, off-spinner Harbhajan Singh, medium-pacer Munaf Patel and young Dhawal Kulkarni disembarked in Mumbai.

The batting stalwarts Rahul Dravid and VVS Laxman flew into directly to their respective cities, Bangalore and Hyderabad.

The Indian cricket fans had the reasons to feel proud of their team who had overcome all the obstacles to record their first Test series win in New Zealand after Mansur Ali Khan Pataudi's team had downed them on their own soil in 1967-68.

The ride has been rough and bumpy for the Indian sides over the years having had to endure the cruelties of the nature besides taking care of their form. What happened in the third and final Test at the Basin Reserve in Wellington was so typical of their fate. It has remained so near yet so far story for them on a number of occasions.

Their win in the first Test at the Eden Park, Auckland, was their maiden Test triumph on the New Zealand soil for 33 years or so. They should have won handsomely the third Test as well to take the series 2-0. But the manner in which they were robbed of the win in Wellington suggested they might need decades if not centuries to accomplish it.

The Indians have won so few matches, despite having dominated decisively so many times, that they value their every win much more than any other team despite being in possession of the strongest outfit in the business.

That could be one reason why the Indians sometimes play cricket that looks unusual if not mind-boggling. They know how difficult it’s for them to complete a win. Therefore they adopt tactics that are different to other teams.

Sometimes you have to pardon them for not delivering because of their consistent hard luck. They should have aimed for a whitewash over the New Zealanders but their own performance was terrible in the second Test at the McLean Park, Napier, where they had to play out time save the game.

One is not sure how Dhoni has been labeled as a lucky captain. Yes he may be less unluckier than his predecessors but to expect the luck to go with him is something beyond my comprehension. That’s why he may not be able to have the success rate as high as that of Ricky Ponting or Clive Lloyd despite having the capacity of doing better.

Ponting and Lloyd didn’t have to fight the nature. They got the value for their performance. Not Dhoni. If he had just normal luck, his side would have won the Wellington Test.

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Prof Ejaz Farooqi making immense contribution to cricket

By Syed Khalid Mahmood

Prof Ejaz Ahmed Farooqi, an eminent educationalist, has also distinguished himself in the field of sports and community service. Hailing from Karachi, he is one of those very few proactive personalities, who believe in letting his work do the talking.

Having a proven track record in the field of education, Prof Ejaz Farooqui has made his presence felt on the cricket scene in a remarkably short span of time. He’s now recognized as one of the leading cricket administrators. His level of commitment for the cause of the game is commendable.

He was himself a cricketer in his younger days that seems to be the reason why he has been more towards cricket administration. He was elected as the Chairman of the Zone II of the Karachi City Cricket Association (KCCA) in 2006 and what a contribution he has made to the game since then.

He has been in the forefront in promoting and supporting the young cricketers not only of his zone but the entire city. He has been the motivating force behind the launch of so many tournaments that have taken place from time to time during the past few years.

The KCCA Zone II has been benefiting in particular under his leadership where greater number of tournaments are being held than ever before. He has himself volunteered to sponsor the majority of the tournaments to ensure that the cricketers of zone remained engaged in quality cricket throughout the year.

The results are also there to see as the KCCA Zone II has emerged victorious in the Under-19 tournaments a couple of times besides winning the Under-17 event once.
It’s very heartening to note that the KCCA as well as the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) have recognized the services of Prof Ejaz Farooqui and he has been entrusted with key assignments recently.

He was appointed the manager of the PCB XI for the four-day match against the visiting Zimbabweans while he also the manager of the Patron’s XI in their two-day match against Sri Lanka last month.

The PCB and the KCCA should avail the services of a man of his caliber who has the expertise as well as temperament to do justice to the challenging assignments. Being a highly educated man, his attitude towards other is more humane. We need humble and unassuming people like him at the top who care for others.

Prof Ejaz Farooqui should now be playing a long innings in the field of cricket administration. One hopes that he will soon be getting bigger assignments in the larger interest of the sport. The game of cricket needs capable and selfless people like him.

He is particularly keen to serve the areas that were neglected in the past for one reason or the other. It must have been very heartening for the young cricketers of Surjani Town in particular to have welcomed the respected figure of Prof Ejaz Farooqi in a tournament held there.

It’s not often to find a personality his stature pay a visit to the cricket grounds of Surjani Town and it was a nice gesture on his part to have gone there to witness a game and distribute the prizes.

The occasion was the final and presentation ceremony of the Surjani Champions Trophy Cricket Tournament. His speech must have gladdened the hearts of the area cricketers and organizers.

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Ehsan Qureshi survives a scare

By Syed Khalid Mahmood

Renowned sports journalist and author, Ehsan Qureshi, met with a horrible road accident on April 7 but fortunately he didn’t receive any serious injury. The car he was driving, however, was badly damaged.

Ehsan Qureshi, the Senior Sports Reporter of the Associated Press of Pakistan (APP), the premier news agency of the country, was driving towards the Civic Centre, Gulshan-e-Iqbal, on University Road at around 11.45 am when he ran into a coaster that had stopped abruptly at the edge of the pedestrian crossing near the PIA Planetarium.

“What I could remember is that the vehicle in front of me applied emergency brakes when the police signaled its driver to stop to facilitate people cross the road. Driving at around 40 to 45 km/hr I was not very far behind that coaster. The distance was so little that my car banged into it although I had also put my feet on the brakes right away,” he recalled.

“The intensity of collision was so ferocious and I lost my senses momentarily. I did hear faint voice of people who had gathered around me but I was unsure what exactly was happening. It felt for a while that my neck had been broken. The scores of people who rushed to the scene also feared serious injury after watching the condition of my Suzuki Alto car,” he added.

“Thankfully, with the prayers of my family, friends and well-wishers, I survived. It was indeed a major road accident, as the car had to be towed away, but thanks God I didn’t suffer any injury,” a mighty relieved Ehsan Qureshi said.

“I was touched by the caring attitude of the area people who demonstrated great human qualities to rescue me. We often complain of materialism and selfishness in society but the incident showed once again that the humanity is still alive. I will never forget the timely support of the people present on the scene who were instrumental in lifting my spirits and helping me stand on my feet quickly. Hats off to them, my unknown friends who stood by me there on the roadside,” he remarked.

“I am particularly grateful to my friends Prof Ejaz Ahmed Farooqui and Jamil Ahmed who promptly reached the spot of the accident and helped me recover,” Ehsan Qureshi stated.

Ehsan Qureshi displayed great courage and fortitude from the moment he was away from the scene. The first thing he enquired after depositing his car to his mechanic in PECHS was if the luncheon media briefing of Dr Mohammad Ali Shah, Sindh Minister for Sports, at the Karachi Gymkhana, was starting on time. He was not prepared to return home. Rather he wanted to spend the rest of the day as was originally planned.

He, however, agreed to relax for about half an hour at the office of Jumbo Infomedia before moving on. He didn’t sit for a moment longer and hired a cab to proceed to the head office of New Jubilee Insurance where he had an appointment with its Managing Director, Tahir Ahmed.

The HBL sports department was his next destination where he had his meal with old-time cricketer friends Abdul Raquib and Liaquat Ali, while recounting the tale of horror a few hours ago.

Phones from the concerned friends and family members kept on coming but he performed his duties normally at the APP office on I I Chundrigar Road, filing a good number of stories. He was not finished yet. He then reached the Karachi Golf Club to cover the bridge tournament and it was not until 10 pm when his mentor and senior office, Abdul Qadir Qureshi, finally dropped him at his residence on Rashid Minhas Road.

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