Tendulkar’s yet another super failure

By Syed Khalid Mahmood

There’s indeed something special about a man named Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar. When he’s good he’s better than the best. Conversely when he’s not good he fares worse than the worst.

When he’s on song he appears to be the greatest-ever batsman but when he’s not in a mood to be among the runs he looks uglier than the traditional tail-enders who used to be there just for fun.

He has proved it on innumerable occasions that he’s second to none when it comes to taking on the greatest of bowlers. But the same man remains vulnerable to the friendliest of bowlers who are themselves scared of having a go at him.

Isn’t it strange that he’s equal to the task more often than not while coming to task with the champion bowlers and yet behaves like a novice when confronting the lesser mortals? This has been his story for a very long time now.

Statistically he’s the best batsman to be produced by his country. But how many matches has he won for India during an international career having crossed two decades now. He has scored in heaps but his performance in helping his team has not been as phenomenal.

Primarily because of his records, that are unlikely to be broken in the foreseeable future, he’s compared to the likes of the incomparable Don Bradman. I wonder if the Australian genius had so many failures as Tendulkar and that too against inconsequential bowling attacks.

Tendulkar has had this chronic problem of failing against the weaker opponents that do raise many questions just like he’s often found wanting when India need him to fire. The matter gets closed because of the human factor.

He’s no doubt a human being and it’s indeed next to impossible to score consistently over a long period of time. But what fails to satisfy many people is the bitter reality of his repeated failures against weak opponents with the just concluded home series against New Zealand being the latest example.

The form in which Tendulkar was in for the past many months, having blasted centuries after centuries at his sweet will it had seemed very likely that he would complete his half-century of centuries in the very first outing against the Black Caps, possessing a toothless bowling attack.

He was expected to do it in the first Test at Ahmedabad. Centuries by Virender Sehwag and Rahul Dravid had demoralized the New Zealanders on the opening day and the stage was set for Tendulkar to accomplish the feat without any fuss the following day.

The big crowd having gathered there in anticipation of the historic moment was disappointed when he got himself out against the run of play on the second morning. He got the opportunity to make up but he let it go again in the second innings. Then it was the turn of the holiday crowd at Hyderabad to watch in dismay yet another Tendulkar failure in the second Test.

Came the third and final Test and Tendulkar was in complete control before throwing it away once more. The whole series went by and he couldn’t score even a single century despite being in what people though was the form of his lifetime.

Tendulkar continued his love with the debutants. After having gifted his wicket to Ujesh Ranchod, Ruwan Kalpage, Mark Ealham, Neil Johnson, Jacob Oram, Monty Panesar, Cameron White, Peter Siddle and Peter George he let Andy Mc Kay celebrate at Nagpur.

readmore »»

India finally in top gear at Nagpur to control damage

By Syed Khalid Mahmood

Not surprisingly India performed the damage control act by winning the third and final Test against New Zealand at Nagpur after having given below par performance in the previous two Tests to keep the series alive.

There was always an element of ‘shock’ as well as ‘suspicion’ over the fate of the previous two Tests in which the hosts had looked like obliging the Black Caps with draws.

Obviously the New Zealanders were not the only ones ‘obliged’ with the unlikely result of the first couple of Test matches at Ahmedabad and Hyderabad where the hosts were reluctant to emerge victorious.

As we saw over three days and a bit at Nagpur the Black Caps had neither the firepower nor the resources to come to terms with the mighty Indian side, that has been flying high for the past couple of years.

India had to play below par or under-perform in those games to let New Zealand, fresh from a bashing in Bangladesh, come close because there was a huge gulf between the two teams and a draw was as good as a massive win for the visitors.

New Zealand would not have dreamt of drawing the first two Tests in India but courtesy some rather familiar ‘unseen’ factors the unlikeliest of results were witnessed in those games.

India didn’t seem to have the plan to repeat Ahmedabad and Hyderabad at Nagpur and the entire world saw what has happened there. Even the absence of their champion fast bowler, Zaheer Khan, didn’t make a difference.

India could have lost quite a few ranking points even at being top of the ladder if they let New Zealand draw at Nagpur too. I think this could have been the most likely factor that prompted the hosts to play the game the way they should have played in the last two Tests as well.

India won the third Test by a margin of an innings and 198 runs. They could have easily registered innings victories in the last two Tests as well, had they desired so.

The inexperienced New Zealand side was at their mercy from day one of the series. There could not have been a better opportunity to whitewash the Black Caps who had come to India with no hopes of challenging the home side.

As someone had remarked at the start of the series it was to be a mismatch. It should have been that way throughout the series but the Indians, not unexpectedly, chose to do things that looked ‘strange’ to the masses only.

Those having followed and covered India’s matches over the years did know that there would be some drama during the New Zealand which the home side was not going to be interested in winning as convincingly as was being anticipated.

Not many experts would disagree that India could have blasted New Zealand inside three days in each of the three Tests. That would not have only enthralled the spectators but also helped in preparing for the upcoming tougher assignments with greater confidence. They would have certainly been in a better frame of mind having done it three times rather than once.

readmore »»

Do Indian cricket authorities care for glory, rankings etc?

By Syed Khalid Mahmood

The International Cricket Council (ICC) had introduced the rankings in order to keep the interest alive in dead rubber games. It was also considered a measure to prevent match fixing as there seemed greater chance for such matches to be ‘fixed.’ Also the ranking points served as incentives for the fancied teams while taking on lesser mortals.

But all such incentives and precautionary measures aimed at controlling the evil prove meaningless if money becomes the sole criterion and things like the national interest and glories for country are pushed to a side.

Look at the latest example. The Indians are the top ranked side in Test cricket, a position they have thoroughly deserved after performing consistently against the other high flying nations. They are blessed with the most potent side in world cricket at the moment and they have come good against the toughest of rivals.

But India have had a big problem throughout the last couple of decades. They have not been at their best while taking on those sides found wanting elsewhere. They have a history of coming up with below par performances against teams like New Zealand, Zimbabwe, Bangladesh and Kenya.

People thought that they would do away with this old habit while taking on New Zealand in the current Test and ODI series with the ranking points at stake and India aiming to consolidate at the top of the tree.

Such thoughts have remained mere thoughts and the Indians have continued to show complete disrespect for their position. More than anything they are playing with the emotions of their own people. It remains to be seen for how long the cricket enthusiasts in India will tolerate this exercise.

It has been reported that India would be losing ranking points irrespective of the result of third and final Test at Nagpur starting on November 20. They can control damage by winning the game in which case they will lose only one point. A draw will cost them four points while a defeat, which can never be ruled out when they are in such generous mood, will deprive them of six points.

Batting has been India’s forte in the recent past and their batsmen have plundered the most lethal of bowling attacks rather ruthlessly on all types of pitches. Will you believe it that all their premier batsmen, with the sole exception of Virender Sehwag, are struggling at home against the friendliest of bowling attacks?

Wasn’t it a pity that the cricket fans of Ahmedabad and Hyderabad were denied the pleasure of watching Sachin Tendulkar at his best? Who would believe that the New Zealand bowlers would tie him down this much before scalping him cheaply against the heaviest of odds not once but three times in a row?

It’s very difficult to say if Tendulkar would indeed be allowed to reach the much-awaited 50th Test century at Nagpur or the plan is to defer it further. We will know it over the next few days.

readmore »»

How many more presents for New Zealanders in India?

By Syed Khalid Mahmood

The New Zealanders be been feeling delighted to be in India at the moment. They must be feeling over the moon with their exploits because they could not even have thought in their distant dreams of coming up with this kind of performance.

What was being branded as a mismatch before the start of the series, not surprisingly, has become quite a contest now and the fate hinges entirely on the outcome of the third and final Test. Cricket we all know is a funny game but not everyone knows how far the Indians could do in enlivening proceedings out of a dead game.

This is certainly not for the first time. The Indians have had this tendency of obliging the underdogs, more so in their own den. No wonder the teams like New Zealand and Zimbabwe are the major beneficiaries when India are the overwhelming favourites in a home series in particular.

I think it’s just a matter of the history repeating itself here. At least I won’t be surprised if New Zealand go on to clinch the Test series and then also claim the series of five One-day Internationals that follows. In fact it looks quite likely now that the New Zealanders would be allowed to compete in each and every game of the tour.

The Indians have done it so many times against New Zealand previously, having let them dominate and win from position of nowhere.

The Indians, fresh from a resounding 2-0 win over Australia in the Test series, were being expected to blank the Black Caps, who had been whitewashed at the hands of Bangladesh in the ODI series just a few weeks ago.

But look at the Indians how they have controlled the series against New Zealand, a totally disjointed and depressed side at the start of the tour. It needed quite an effort and sacrifice on part of the hosts to let the New Zealanders come at par with them.

What happened in the first Test at Ahmedabad was nothing short of disgrace to cricket. India had to work extremely hard to get bowled out for less than 500 in the first innings after having got to 300 for the loss of just one wicket. The likes of Sachin Tendulkar, VVS Laxman, Mahendra Singh Dhoni and Suresh Raina had to fail in order to ensure a smaller total than anticipated.

The Indian bowlers had to work even harder to facilitate the inexperienced New Zealand batsmen post a much higher total than their capabilities. Then we witnessed the sight of the mighty Indian batting order to collapse to 15 for 5 against a bowler who never looked threatening or devastating.

In the second Test at Hyderabad the hosts were found to be even more generous than the first game. The New Zealand opener, Tim McIntosh, having bagged a pair in the first Test came very close to scoring a century in each innings while the flashy wicketkeeper, Brendom McCullum, was gifted with his maiden double century.

What next India? Should we see the remaining New Zealanders returning their career best performance in the third and final Test or will we get a break for a change.

readmore »»

Can Zulqarnain take such a big step all by himself?

By Syed Khalid Mahmood

Well Zulqarnain Haider has remained a dubious character all along but expecting him to have deserted the national team in the middle of a series looks something too big for a man of his stature.

The controversial wicketkeeper-batsman was in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), having played the ‘decisive’ knock that guided Pakistan to yet another upset win over the South Africa in the fourth One-day International, stunned the cricket world by not turning up at the ground for the fifth and final ODI.

It must have been a ‘shocker’ for the entire cricketing fraternity but not the officials of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) who had obviously handed over him his passport before the game.

Had that not been the case how Zulqarnain flew out of the UAE. In a country as regulated as the UAE there was not even minutest of doubt that he did have his travel documents with him when the news of him being ‘in the air’ was broken during the fifth ODI.

While everyone was speculating about his whereabouts when he was found missing as the teams reached the ground but I don’t think there was any element of surprise, by the look of things, for Ijaz Butt and his cronies.

How can Ijaz Butt be unaware of the episode when one of his lieutenants must have handed over the passport to Zulqarnain because there’s no evidence to suggest that the ‘absconding’ cricketer had stolen it? If it were so a case should have been lodged with the local police about it.

Doesn’t it look interesting that Zulqarnain did not ‘inform’ it officially to the team management or the so-called PCB about his plans to escape from the UAE? It lends credence to the theory that he had an understanding with Ijaz Butt without whose whims nobody could dare doing anything, particularly his close associates.

Zulqarnain’s preference to reveal the ‘secrets’ to the media instead of reporting to the International Cricket Council’s Anti Corruption Unit poses few questions and there’s obviously a message between the lines that everything was being according to some previously worked out plan.

Zulqarnain, having surfaced in London, didn’t come up with any satisfactory explanation in the press conference he addressed there and in fact more questions emerged that remained unanswered.

There are indications although not reported by the media in a big way yet that Ijaz Butt did have a ‘role’ in facilitating his safe passage to the United Kingdom. This is such a serious matter which could even lead to his dismissal from the position of the Chairman, PCB.

Although Ijaz Butt has caused irreparable to the Pakistan cricket over the last couple of years this could the issue that finds him out of the job he loves so dearly because of the ‘absolute power’ he wields in calling the shots.

I don’t know if the matter would continue to be probed or the concerned authorities will close the case at the behest of some ‘influential’ people in Pakistan whom he has obliged at the cost of national interest.

readmore »»

Ijaz Butt’s dismissal order on the cards

By Syed Khalid Mahmood

The stories have started doing the rounds that Ijaz Butt is being booted from his position as Chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) as he’s understood to have lost the support of the man who got him inducted and protected him for more than two years in the most sought after job in the country.

Chaudhary Ahmed Mukhtar, one of the most influential federal ministers having close ties with both President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani, is understood to be finally fed up with his brother-in-law who is suspected to be involved in serious wrongdoings of late.

Ahmed Mukhtar’s sister is married to Ijaz Butt and this appears to be the only reason why the latter has survived till now. Any lesser mortal would have bitten the dust and could have been behind the bars for the offences committed during his stay at the PCB.

Cricket is the uniting force of the nation and it’s the most widely followed sport in the country by some distance. The action on and off the field creates waves and the media considers even the minutest of details newsworthy. In other words the performance of the cricketers makes and breaks the mood of the people.

The accomplishments of the national cricket team lift the spirit and the morale of the people of Pakistan a long way. It’s taken much more seriously than just a sporting conquest.

In some way the performance of the cricket team directly affects the government. The success earns tremendous goodwill for the government and people credit them for the victory. Similarly the government comes under fire the moment the cricketers come up with ordinary effort in the field or if the cricket administrators of the country are found wanting in dealing with the issues.

The Pakistan cricket has been at the lowest ebb during the last couple of years. In this period not only the national team has dropped down in the ICC rankings in Tests as well as One-day Internationals but Pakistan has suffered setbacks after setbacks off the field as well. There have been innumerable controversies having caused considerable damage to the image of the country besides embarrassing the government.

With Ijaz Butt’s one-man show in the PCB failing miserably in coming to terms with the cricketers, the ensuing players’ power has been instrumental in bringing about the catastrophe in the recent past. The total lack of management and its vacuum has allowed the betting mafia to make inroads freely and Pakistan’s cricketers have been making headlines for the wrong reasons regularly.

The PCB needs a helmsman who can turn it around with his outstanding leadership qualities, visionary approach, vast administrative experience and sound technical knowledge about the game. He is to be an individual who has the access to key government officials, enjoys the respect of the international cricket fraternity and has the iron will to tackle the trickiest of situations like controlling the menace of players’ power.

readmore »»

Shoaib Siddiqui plans taking bowling to interior of Sindh

By Syed Khalid Mahmood

Shoaib Ahmad Siddiqui, Secretary, Sports and Youth Affairs, Government of Sindh, who has been the motivating force in making things happens on a fast track as far as the activities of sports at the provincial level are concerned, has vowed to take the sport of bowling, popular sport of the urban areas, to the interior regions of the province.

Shoaib Siddiqui, who had taken over the chief of the sports department of Sindh in October 2008, firmly believes that it’s the fundamental right if every citizen to have access to the sporting facilities.

More significantly he also reckons that the government, besides the corporate sector, has a responsibility to create the sports infrastructure to let the common man engage himself in healthy activities.

The visionary and responsible government officers like him, who believe in meeting the challenge and overcoming the obstacles, are the ones who bring about a change despite the shortcomings in the system. It’s easier said than done.

Shoaib Siddiqui gladdened the hearts of the enthusiasts of the sport of bowling by supporting one of their tournaments recently which was organized by the Sindh Tenpin Bowling Association with the venue being the bustling Thunder Pins housed in Millennium Mall which is one of the favourite destinations for the youth of Gulshan-e-Iqbal, Gulistan-e-Jauhar and other adjoining areas.

It was the first ranking bowling event to be staged in Pakistan, made possible by the Sindh Sports Board (SSB). It was a major accomplishment for the organizers who had also made an appearance in the 13th Sindh Games 2010 held in Karachi.

The inaugural Sindh Inter-League Bowling Tournament 2010 was acclaimed as a success story with about 50 bowlers having registered in the masters and amateur categories. The outstanding performers of the landmark three-day were rewarded with cash prizes besides certificates and trophies.

Hanif Mohammad Mirchawala, Director Sports, Government of Sindh, was the chief guest in the presentation ceremony of the tournament having been inaugurated by the departmental chief, Shoaib Ahmed Siddiqui.

“I suggest that the Sindh Sport Board should provide us with the space to open up a bowling arena in terms of private-public partnership. We are trying our level best to make this sports reachable for every class, a technician who won gold dedal in 13thSindh Games Tenpin Bowling Event 2010 amateur category is the living example,” Romis Ali General Secretary, STBA, observed in his welcome speech.

Top Seed Shabbir Lashkarwala lived up to the billing to become the first Sindh Inter-League champion by scoring an average of 172. He was also the gold medalist in the13th Sindh Games 2010 Tenpin Bowling event.

Rashid Ali, Syed Zubair and Aleem Agha claimed the next three positions in the masters’ category with Mahmood Ahmed claiming the award for the highest score of 236.

Abdullah Tahir emerged the champion in the amateur singles while the next three positions were shared by Shahjahan, Abid Ahmed and Faizan Tariq. Abdullah Tahir got another prize for his being the top scorer with 214.

Sindh Whites, comprising of Khawaja Ahmed, Zubair Ali, Naeem, and Abdullah Tahi, won the team event with Sindh Green, featuring Robert, Shahjahan, Sarim and Mahmood Ahmed, finishing as the runner-up and Sindh Blues, containing Naseem Ahmed Qureshi, Shabbir Lashkerwala, Farhan Riaz and Abid Ahmed, getting third position.

readmore »»

Steve Davis should be retired from ICC elite panel

By Syed Khalid Mahmood

Contrary to what some people might think, for some strange reasons, the Indian cricketers remain more consistently at the receiving end than their contemporaries when it comes to the ICC rulings, be it a match referee or an umpire.

What umpires Mark Benson and Steve Bucknor had done in the Sydney Test between Australia and India in 2008 to bring the game to disrepute was something unprecedented and unheard of.

What match referee Mike Denness had done in the South Africa-India series in 2001 jeopardized the future of the game as the two countries were forced to engage into an ‘unofficial’ Test match after so much of controversies.

In both the above incidents the team to be victimized was common. Not surprisingly the Indians were hard done by the ICC officials on both occasions.

Smaller or minor injustices do keep occurring once in a while and nearly every team gets affected but when it comes to something major or monumental we have the Indians to face the music.

Something similar happened on the fifth and final day of the first Test between India and New Zealand in Ahmedabad on November 8 when the Australia umpire, Steve Davis, committed ‘blunders’ on successive deliveries to create history of sorts.

I am not sure if the idea was to oblige the New Zealand captain, Daniel Vettori, or it was meant to hurt the Indian duo of VVS Laxman and Zaheer Khan, Davis really made a mess of it on both occasions and it must leave a question mark about his future as an ICC umpire.

If Davis is unable to locate or hear those big inside edges then I am afraid he should not be standing in even a club match because it’s against the rules of the game to declare a batsman leg-before wicket if he hits the ball first.

What Davis was trying to do? Was he attempting to bring the match back to life as Laxman and Harbhajan Singh were in the process of saving it for India? By ruling Laxman and Zaheer out on successive deliveries, when neither of them could have been out, he certainly opened up the contest.

A minimum of 40 overs were still to be bowled with India 254 ahead when Davis made those two horrible decisions on successive deliveries of the 90th over of the innings by which time none of the New Zealand bowlers was threatening enough.

Davis provided the breakthrough to New Zealand and denied a thoroughly deserved century to Laxman. It was a big inside edge and the batsman was well and truly shocked. Zaheer couldn’t believe his luck either as the Australian umpire showed his power by another wrong call.

Harbhajan, who was at the non-striker’s end when Davis was on fire, also had a few words with the beneficiary, Vettori, who only smiled back.

Harbhajan was on the verge of completing his first Test hundred when Davis was striking those telling blows and he showed his distrust for the umpire by opting to clear the field instead of becoming his third victim of the day.

readmore »»