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.

readmore »»

A tale of two thrillers

By Syed Khalid Mahmood

January 16, 2009 turned out to be one of the most exciting days for the cricket enthusiasts all over the world. It was not unusual to have more one contest taking place on the day but there was double treat for the followers of the game as both the matches produced thrilling stuff until the very end.

Bangladesh and Sri Lanka were engaged in a low-scoring cliff-hanger in Mirpur while Australia and South Africa thrilled the audience at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) with yet another memorable encounter between two of the strongest sides in the business today.
Sri Lanka were extremely lucky to get away with it against Bangladesh and it were the heroics of Muttiah Muralitharan with the bat that saved the day for the tourists. The Sri Lankans had appeared dead and buried when the top half of their batting was back in the hut with only six runs on the board.
Bangladesh had become the firm favourites to lift the trophy even while defending a modest total of 152 in the final of the three-nation series but their hopes were shattered by the belligerence of Muralitharan who surprised everyone with his match-winning cameo down the order.
Muralitharan is always expected to be a match-winner but that’s because of his outstanding qualities with the ball. His magical off-spin bowling has engineered innumerable conquests for his team in every form of the game but probably it was for the first time in his illustrious career that his batting exploits turned the tide so decisively.

Although the Man of the Match award was clinched by Kumar Sangakkara for his half-century that might not have mattered had Muralitharan not produced that sensational unbeaten knock of 33 from only 16 balls.
Sri Lanka would have fancied their chances of recoding a cakewalk win when they came out to chase a target of 153 in 50 overs. Indeed it should have been a straight forward proposition for their star-studded batting but the target was looking out of reach after the nightmarish start to their innings.

Bangladesh also had made a recovery in their innings after being 54 for 5 in the 19th over. They got themselves into a very good position when they progressed to 149 for 6 at the end of 47 overs. Ajantha Mendis mauled the lower-order as the hosts last their last four wickets for only three runs.
The quality of cricket at the MCG was obviously higher where Australia and South Africa locked horns. After a few twists and turns during the course of the high-scoring fixture South Africa managed to pull of their sixth successive ODI win over the hosts at the historic ground.
Albie Morkel’s blistering unbeaten knock of 40 from 18 balls settled the issue which was still in doubt when 50 runs were still needed from the last six overs. JP Duminy and Neil McKenzie had earlier played their role admirably in reviving the innings that had been off to a shaky start while chasing target of 272 in 50 overs.

readmore »»

Plenty of table tennis events planned in Karachi

By Syed Khalid Mahmood


Besides being the financial capital of the country, Karachi is also the hub of sporting activities in Pakistan. Table tennis has been one of the most popular games in the metropolis but its controlling bodies in the past lacked the visionary approach to raise its standard.
The game also suffered enormously due to the politicking in the bodies whose premier objective was to prolong their stay in office by hook or crook. The Pakistan Table Tennis Federation (PTTF), for a number of years, remained chiefly responsible for the decline all over the country and Karachi was no exception.
The game of table tennis, however, has come alive in Karachi for the past couple of years with the induction of a few committed individuals who have been trying desperately to make things happen. It’s a very pleasant change and the results are coming.
The leadership of the Karachi Table Tennis Association (KTTA) is in the capable hands of Dr Farhan Essa and Javed Chhotani, both of whom have already made a difference by putting things in the right direction.

The KTTA held a media briefing at the National Sports Training and Coaching Centre (NSTCC) on January 14 in which they announced their plans to organize Inter-Schools, Inter-Firms and Inter-Towns Championships besides a couple of more events during the first quarter of the year.
Dr Farhan Essa, Chairman KTTA, revealed that a coaching camp for the students will be starting as early as on January 15 in order to let them prepare for the upcoming tournaments.
“The Inter-Schools tournament will be starting on February 1 and it will be followed by the Inter-Towns event due to commence on February 15. The Inter-Firms tournament will be getting underway in the last week of February,” Dr Farhan Essa revealed.
“We have planned to organize the 2nd Dr Essa Mohammad Ranking Tournament and the Inter-District Tournament during the month of March,” he added.
“Moving further we have the Amroha Ranking Championships and the Islamia Open Championships whose dates will be finalized later. We will be holding a few other events too before getting ready to host the National Championship late this year,” Dr Farhan Essa said.

The KTTA Chairman acknowledged the support of the sports departments of the provincial and city governments, hoping to get maximum cooperation from them to accomplish their mission of improving the standard of table tennis in the metropolis.
The President of the Sindh Olympic Association (SOA) and the Sindh Minister for Sports, Dr Mohammad Ali Shah, who was also present on the occasion, lauded the efforts of the KTTA while announcing a grant of Rupees half a million.
“The initiatives of the KTTA are heartening and they deserve the support of the government as well as the private sector. We are confident that our grant will help them in organizing their tournaments. I am particularly looking forward to the Inter-Towns event that is a new concept,” Dr Shah observed.
Dr Shah, one of the leading orthopedic surgeons of the country, noted that table tennis was one sport that was particularly refreshing for the eyes.
The PTTF President S M Sibtain, also commended Dr Farhan Essan and his team at the KTTA for their proactive approach and he hoped that the other associations in the country will derive inspiration from them.

readmore »»

Sri Lanka benefit from cancellation of India’s tour to Pakistan

By Syed Khalid Mahmood

Sri Lanka, rather unfortunate not to have dethroned Australia in the last World Cup, have got a lucky break with the cancellation of India’s tour to Pakistan. They are the real beneficiaries.

The cricket authorities in Pakistan as well as in India eyed a series with Sri Lanka to fill the vacuum. They were the only team supposed to have a breather during this period of time but as the luck would have it they have not one but two teams to handle.

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) was eager to play host to a longer series against Sri Lanka to offset the losses but their counterparts became double-minded when the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) also started pushing for a series around the same time.

Now both the tours have been confirmed. Sri Lanka would indeed be touring Pakistan, albeit in phases and in between they will play a series of One-day Internationals at home against India.

In fact the itinerary of Sri Lanka’s tour has now been revised following the confirmation of their series against India. The Sri Lankans desired curtailing their stay in Pakistan and the PCB hardly had any other choice. They didn’t have the cushion to turn down the request and they have agreed to scrap Multan as one of the venues for the three-match ODI series.

There is not security issue or anything related to it but the PCB was left with no other option than to stage back to back ODIs at the National Stadium, Karachi, and the third and final game to be held at the Qaddafi Stadium, Lahore.

According to the revised schedule, Sri Lanka will now play two ODIs on January 20 and 21 at the National Stadium, Karachi, with the final match of the series at the Qaddafi Stadium, Lahore, on January 24.

Originally the first game of the ODI series was to be played at Karachi on January 21, the second one in Lahore on January 24 and the third and fine one in Multan on January 27.

Sri Lanka's tour of Pakistan will be split into two parts. In the first part they will play the ODI series before returning home for a five-match ODI series against India but they will be back in Pakistan for two Tests.

Meanwhile the Sri Lankan authorities have officially confirmed that they will play host to India for a five-match limited overs series during the month of February. India’s hurriedly arranged tour to Sri Lanka will also include a Twenty20 International.

The dates and venues of the Sri Lanka-India matches are yet to be finalized but it seems a matter of time for the itinerary of the tour to be released.

The BCCI, eager to make up for the recent losses in revenue, has also approached their counterparts in New Zealand to add an extra Test match during India’s upcoming tour and it’s extremely likely that they would be accommodated.

readmore »»

Matthew Hayden’s exit will hurt Australia

By Syed Khalid Mahmood
Matthew Hayden, having scripted many famous wins for his country, has decided to call it a day before he was treated as a liability for his team becoming progressively weaker with the departure of the tried and trusted campaigners.
Australia, in the coming years, could face similar crisis as the West Indies did after having ruled the world for quite sometime in the 1980s. The West Indians have never really recovered after having created a situation where the senior pros were asked to pack up.

Hayden’s absence will be sorely felt at the top of the order. He was the man who provided Australia, more often than not, the cracking start that demoralized the opposing teams. The big left-hander was not afraid to take the aerial route if the ball was pitched in his zone even in the first over of a Test match.

Australia indeed have a system in place that keeps throwing talented youngsters. Their academies groom the gifted teenagers and the standard of their domestic cricket is indeed higher than in any other country. But neither of these factors means that the seasoned guys like Hayden should be pressurized to quit the scene the moment they come up with below par performance.

The Australians have their own lifestyle but they have become little arrogant with the success they have accomplished in the past. But by letting go their stalwarts one by one, when they still had some years of cricket left in them, the concerned authorities are taking too big a risk.

Australia are yet to recover from the shock of losing people like Glenn McGrath, Shane Warne and Adam Gilchrist, all of whom were the tend-setters in their respective fields. Hayden was also one of them who symbolized aggressive cricket.
The departure of McGrath, Warne, Gilchrist and Hayden means they have now lost four genuine match-winners. The majority of the Australian triumphs during the era of Steve Waugh and Ricky Ponting were engineered by this quartet.

Damien Martyn, Justin Langer and Jason Gillespie were also brilliant cricketers but they were more often in the support cast. Their exit also deprived Australia of invaluable experience but their replacements did good enough to keep the momentum going. But it may not be possible to cover the losses of the once in generation kind of cricketers.

How quickly would Australia find a replacement for Hayden remains to be seen. He was a dasher who took the match away with the blink of an eye. His punishing knocks allowed Australia to dominate their rivals from the outset. It’s quite unlikely that any youngster would be able to fill in his shoes right away.

Enormous pressure was building on Hayden in his own country when runs had dried up off his bat this summer and he chose to call it a day gracefully like Gilchrist had done a year before him.

Hayden will be missed in international cricket. His awesome batting display will live in memory of those having watched him. The big man was the destructive opening batsman who had a most memorable World Cup in the Caribbean in 2007. The bowlers, particularly the new ball operators, would be relieved with his exit from the scene.

readmore »»

Kevin Pietersen’s aggression was just a bit too much

By Syed Khalid Mahmood

Excess of anything is bad. Kevin Pietersen has been known for his aggression but the recent events have proved that he has been found wanting as the England captain and he has quit the job.

One of his prime responsibilities was proper coordination with coach Peter Moores to achieve their mutual objective of putting England in the top draw. As things have come out in the open now they had difference of opinion on issues leaving little chance of reconciliation.

Both Pietersen and Moores have been displaced now and England look to a new set of leaders to guide them in what promises to be an action-packed year with the showpiece Ashes battle just months away.

Pietersen’s tenure as captain turned out to be a brief one. He proved to be a mixed bad really. He looked positive at home last summer but he failed to impress in the demanding conditions during the winter tour of India.

The recent events could be a blessing in disguise for England because Pietersen was never a long-term prospect as a skipper. He lacked the wisdom and most importantly didn’t have the patience needed in a successful leader. He had an ordinary series in India where he had failed miserably in lifting the morale of the side.

Andrew Strauss may prove a better captain and England might benefit more with him being at the helm of the affairs. He appears to be more suited for the job primarily because of his temperament.
India, undoubtedly, were the better outfit but England should have offered stiffer resistance. Pietersen’s body language didn’t suggest that he was the kind of inspiring captain that was required to handle the situation.
Individual brilliance and leadership are two different things. There is no one who will dispute his abilities as a batsman. He is a wonderfully gifted cricketer who can take the game away on his own. He is innovative as a batsman who can tame the best of bowlers with his positive approach.

But leading the side required a lot of additional skills that he sadly lacked. He had the passion for doing things completely in his own way. That might have been acceptable in some other teams but that was never going to work in the system in operation in England.
It was the prerogative of the Board to appoint the coach. Obviously Pieterson was the not the captain at the time when Moores was selected for the job of coaching the team so he might not have been consulted on this issue.
Pieterson had every right to have a say in the matters relating to the team but he was also required to develop a working relationship with the coach. You can’t have the cake and eat it too as the saying goes. The disagreements and differences were all but natural. But they should not have come out in the open. Both of them needed, being professionals, to handle the situation amicably in order to prevent the embarrassing situation they got it that ultimately cost them their jobs.

readmore »»

Happy Birthday Rahul Dravid

By Syed Khalid Mahmood

Rahul Dravid turns 36 today. The batting maestro didn’t have a particularly good time in the middle the whole of last year and he needs to take a fresh guard on January 11, 2009 to be able to weather the storm for quite a few more years.

Dravid, undoubtedly the most accomplished batsman of his generation, has still a role to play in the Indian cricket team that boasts of the most potent batting line-up in the world. His presence at number three provides the balance to an outfit whose intent is to play for win.

India today has many outstanding young batsmen who can take the fight to the opposition with their brilliant stroke-play. But how many of them have the capacity to graft an innings or to occupy the crease for a long time in Test matches. The Indian youngsters are doing well in the limited overs contests but they have to look to the seasoned campaigners in the longer version of the game.

Dravid provides stability to the Indian batting. He has the technique as well as the temperament to grind the bowling, a tendency not common in youngsters anywhere in the world. He adds value to the team with his grit and fighting qualities.

I totally agree with the Indian chief selector Kris Srikkanth who has very clearly stated that Dravid will be one of the key elements of the team during the upcoming tour of New Zealand.

"He's a batsman with over 10,000 runs in Test cricket. He is also among the greatest batsmen the world has produced. If you don't give Dravid the extra leeway, whom are you going to give it to?” he very rightly questioned to the critics having gone an extra mile in lamenting Dravid.

"We have specific plans. During the forthcoming series in New Zealand, a player like Dravid will be very crucial for us. There will be bounce and movement for the pacemen there. If India are to progress to the No. 1 ranking, it has to beat New Zealand in New Zealand. Dravid will be a key member of the line-up at the No. 3 slot," Srikkanth was quoted as saying.

It’s very heartening indeed to find the chief selector backing the player undergoing a lean patch. I think Srikkanth deserves credit here for not having got carried away. Obviously he and his panel of selectors much have been under immense pressure to dump Dravid for the tour of New Zealand.

Indeed Dravid has endured a lean patch in 2008. But why do people so conveniently ignore the fact that he held the Indian batting together from the time he entered the Test arena in 1996 until 2007. An ordinary year after 11 golden years doesn’t necessarily mean that the man is finished.

His greatness has been beyond doubt. He has scored heavily in every continent of the world. He has delivered where the others have found wanting. He has won India more Test matches than anyone else. It’s just a matter of time for him to regain his touch. His bat has the power to silence the guns of his critics.

readmore »»

Victorious skipper Smith out of action for a while

By Syed Khalid Mahmood

The loss of victorious skipper Graeme Smith, due to an elbow injury, will be a big blow to South Africa’s chances of pocketing the upcoming series of One-day Internationals against Australia.
Smith, a picture of courage and fortitude, had played the third and final Test at the Sydney Cricket Ground despite not being fully fit but he suffered another injury during the course of his innings on the second day and it cost his team dearly.

As usual he was dominating the Australian bowlers when he was hit on his gloves by Mitchell Johnson and he was force to retire. The South Africans were jolted by his non-presence in the field.

Having the scores of 48, 108, 62 and 75 in the previous four innings, he was in complete command of the situation when he had to leave the field abruptly. He did make an attempt to stay at the crease but the first-aid at the ground was not enough to treat the serious injury.

The complexion of the Sydney Test changed with the premature exit of Smith. The incoming batsmen tried to make up but none of them could play the kind of attacking knock the skipper was capable of playing. His knocks had been instrumental in guiding his team to victories in both the previous games.

South Africa, who might have entertained hopes of getting a first innings lead even after Michael Clarke and the tail-enders had extended the Australian total to 445, finished far too many in arrears to add to their discomfort.

Smith’s absence was felt in the field too when Australia came out in pursuit of quick runs in their second innings. It became evident soon that the acting skipper Neil McKenzie lacked the skills to handle the bowlers and set proper fields for them.

The best way of restricting the flow of run was by picking up the wickets but McKenzie appeared more interested in saving the boundaries by spreading the field. What he probably overlooked the fact that his fast bowlers were likely to be more effective when supported by attacking fields.

It was a pity to find a bowler of the caliber of Dale Steyn, who was adjudged Man of the Match in only the previous game, was left to operate with a solitary slip. The edges were found and they went into gaps. The South Africans would have been much better off playing normal cricket instead of going on to the defensive.

One is not sure if Ricky Ponting would have declared the innings as early as he did if Smith was fit. The Australian skipper bought more time for his bowlers by setting a challenging target. It could have been a different story to relate had Ponting delayed the declaration by adopting safety first approach.

Smith reappeared on the field only in the final session of the game in pursuit of salvaging a draw. He came out to bat at number eleven with more than half an hour’s play left. The wounded tiger refused to give up and it was only at the fag end when he picked by Johnson. 

Smith’s batting and captaincy will both be missed in the ODI series but he had to take the break in an effort to be fit by the time these two teams resume their Test rivalry as early as next month. 

readmore »»