Pakistan’s Super Eight entry threatens fancied teams

By Syed Khalid Mahmood

There were a lot of discussions and debates on whether or not Pakistan would be able to force their way into the Super Eight, after having succumbed to a humiliating defeat at the hands of hosts England in their opening game.

My reply to all the queries in this regard was simple and straightforward. I told everyone, on and off the record, that I would be surprised if Pakistan didn’t accomplish their goal. The assessment was not based on any cricketing knowledge or anything like that. It had to do something with history and past record.

People generally have short memory. The followers of the game conveniently forget the fact that Pakistan have achieved their objective more often than not in similar circumstances.

I had convinced the anxious supporters of the Pakistan team that they need not to worry because the lady luck was more likely to be on their side and not only the Netherlands but any other side would have had to face the music.

It was proved once more that Pakistan could never be written off no matter how terrible they may appear on the field or how much they might be lacking in depth or strength. Mind you if they are on song no team on earth can withstand them. They are the one team who defy logic more regularly than anyone else.

I had a gut feeling that the Netherlands stood very little chance of coming to terms with Pakistan although they had stunned England in their first game. Taming Pakistan is always the most difficult of propositions and the other fancied teams in the competition would soon get a feel of it.

Pakistan’s qualification in the Super Eight means a warning to all other seven teams. They have been drawn in the easier of two groups with Sri Lanka, New Zealand and Ireland. The other group is much stronger on paper with the quartet of India, South Africa, England and the West Indies making the cut.

If the past record has to serve as a reference again, Pakistan would be quite happy to be playing against Sri Lanka and New Zealand against who they have had exceptional record in all forms of the game.

Both Sri Lanka as well as New Zealand have been known for playing their worst cricket against Pakistan. Ireland, who had been instrumental in knocking Pakistan out of the 2007 World Cup in the Caribbean, will be required to overcome a lot of outside factors to do it again.

In the prevailing scenario it looks very unlikely that Pakistan would not reach the semifinals. Once they are there it would be a matter of just two more good days. They could, however, be tested in the semifinals and finals should they reach there.

It doesn’t really matter how seriously Younis Khan takes the T20 games once the Pakistan team gets into their grooves it’s almost next to impossible to derail them. That’s the special thing about the Pakistan cricket. They can conquer the world with any kind of ammunition and any type of leadership.

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Sri Lanka deliver knockout punch on Australia

By Syed Khalid Mahmood

The body language of Ricky Ponting said it all. He knew it was curtains for his team as far as this tournament is concerned long before Mitchell Johnson’s wide down the leg side brought up Sri Lanka’s six-wicket win at Trent Bridge on June 8.

It was a must-win game for Australia, after having been thrashed by the West Indies in their opening game. Ponting must have been aware of the fact that the Sri Lankans were a more balanced outfit than the West Indians and their work was cut out against Kumar Sangakkara’s men.

As in their first game, the Australians didn’t get off to the kind of start that was essential to post a formidable total. In fact they lost a wicket in the very first over once more leaving Shane Watson to do the job of repairing the job with the skipper. The early departure of the explosive David Warner must have upset their plans of getting after the bowling from the outset.

Watson and Ponting did well to pull it back but the drama began with the introduction of the mystery spinner Ajantha Mendis, playing his first-ever game against the mighty Australians.

Even Ponting, arguably the greatest batsman of the world, was unable to come to terms with the deadly varieties of the magnificent Mendis. It was a cracker of a delivery that castled the champion batsman who was clueless whether to come forward to drive or rock back to defend.

Watson was even more confused while tackling Mendis and he was adjudged leg before after having survived a close shout earlier in the same over. Later Mike Hussey, the most accomplished of batsmen against spin bowling, was also foxed by Mendis.

The Australian innings was in disarray with the swinging yorkers of Lasith Malinga perfectly complementing the magic of Mendis. The great Mutiah Muralitharan was bang on target as usual, giving nothing away in his first three overs.

Australia, following the middle-order collapse, were in danger of being bowled out for a very low total. But a cameo from Johnson, who was particularly severe to Muralitaharan of all people, saw them reach a fighting total in the end.

The Sri Lankans were set a target of 160 in 20 overs and the Australians had to get wickets at regular intervals to stay afloat which they couldn’t. They did get rid of the experienced duo of Sanath Jayasuriya and Mahela Jayawardene cheaply but the half centuries from Tillakaratne Dilshan and skipper Sangakkara hurt them badly.

Sangakkara stayed at the crease till the end ensuring that was no panic near the end even though the asking rate had climbed to around nine an over. His presence in the middle allowed the young Jehan Mubarak to launch a murderous assault that settled the issue decisively.

Ponting tried everything he had up his sleeves. He rotated his experienced fast bowlers but the complexion of the game could not be changed. His face expression kept reflecting the pressure he was under.

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Ireland throw Bangladesh out of competition

By Syed Khalid Mahmood

Ireland had stunned everyone by making it to the Super Eight of the 2007 World Cup in the Caribbean and they have done it again in the shortest version of the game.

What a great start they have made in the ICC World Twenty20 2009, hammering Bangladesh by six wickets with 10 deliveries remaining. They have progressed to the next round of the competition, alongwith the defending champions India, from Group A.

Bangladesh, who had also made a surprise entry in the Super Eight of the 2007 World Cup, have been knocked out after losing their second game in succession.

It was a must-win game for Bangladesh at Trent Bridge, after having succumbed to defeat at the hands of India in their first outing. Their batsmen were unable to get going and their eventual total of 137 wasn’t testing enough for the spirited Irish side.

The Bangladesh batsmen were guilty of not applying themselves. The top three got starts but perished without making an impression. They needed to stay at the wicket for a longer time to lay the foundation for a big score.

Their top half was back in the dugout with only 66 runs on the board and less than 10 overs remaining. It was reckless batting that put them under enormous pressure and the Irish bowlers, more familiar with the weather conditions, didn’t let the batsmen score freely.

Ireland were in complete command of the situation having reduced their opponents to 117 for eight at the end of 19 overs. Bangladesh got a lifeline through the well-built Mashrafe Mortaza who helped his side collect as many as 20 off the final over. He remained undefeated on 33 off 16 balls to emerge the topscorer in the innings.

Ireland, who would have thought of chasing down something around 125, were suddenly set a target of 138 that wasn’t all that high but it demanded them to be little more focused.

Trent Johnston was the pick of the Ireland bowlers, claiming three wickets for only 20 runs off his four overs. The other bowlers pressed into service by William Porterfield also did the job, cashing in on the self-defeating approach of the Bangladesh batsmen who never thought of stabilizing the innings.

The target of 138 wasn’t a big but Ireland needed to stay positive to knock off the runs and get a head start in the tournament. They survived a few anxious moments before completing the job in the penultimate over. Their batsmen showed much more application and discipline to ensure that the great work of the bowlers earlier in the day was not undone.

The O'Brien brothers were brilliant once more and their resilience earned another famous victory for Ireland. Kevin O'Brien’s unbeaten 39 off 17 balls was another fantastic effort as he clobbered a couple of sixes besides five fours.

Earlier Niall O'Brien, coming in at number three, had struck three sixes and as many fours in his 25-ball 40 to keep his team in front. The skipper himself did the anchoring role and the tactics worked perfectly in the end.

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England get lifeline as Pakistan’s batters collapse

By Syed Khalid Mahmood

Pakistan’s batsmen were found wanting once more in the conditions that were not ideal for batting. The extra bounce of the Kennigton Oval pitch undid the stroke-makers who are more comfortable in doing the business on the placid sub-continental pitches where they take things for granted.

No matter how batting friendly the pitches may be in England the ball is always going to do something in the air and the bounce can vary. The Pakistan batsmen have often struggled whenever the ball has moved and what happened on June 7 was reflective of their mindset.

It was a must-win game for hosts England, after having been shocked by the Netherlands in the opening game. They rose to the occasion magnificently and as skipper Paul Collingwood noted in his post-match comments it was one of those days when all the eleven contributed their bit to record an emphatic victory.

England made amends to their disastrous start to the competition and their 48-run win over Pakistan took them to the next round without worrying for the outcome of the last league game.

England looked the better side and more significantly they were able to translate their supremacy into a resounding win. Pakistan appeared jaded and their batters were at sea while forcing the pace against a spirited bowling attack that possessed the variety as well as the punch.

Stuart Broad and James Anderson swung the ball appreciably and hitting them out of the park was always going to be laden with danger. The spin duo of Adil Rashid and Graeme Swann also bowled exceptionally well to create more pressure on the batsmen.

Collingwood proved himself an impressive leader. His proactive captaincy kept the batsmen guessing and there was not a single moment during the course of the game when the England captain passed the impression of losing the focus.

England, put into bat by Younis Khan, didn’t get off to a flying start as Shoaib Malik brought off a spectacular catch to dismiss Ravi Bopara in only the second over of the innings.

The runs were hard to come in the initial overs and it needed the brilliance of Kevin Pietersen to wrest the initiative. Luke Wright also chipped in with a cameo but it was the knock from Pietersen that laid the foundation for a huge score.

England denied themselves the chance of posting an imposing total with their inability to go after the spinners. Saeed Ajmal and Shahid Afridi were allowed to return the kind of figures they might not succeed in achieving while playing domestic T20 tournaments in Pakistan.

England finished at least 15 to 20 runs short of what had looked likely after the impetus provided by Pietersen. They had to settle with a score of 185 for five in 20 overs.

The England bowlers came on striking at regular intervals to prevent any onslaught from Pakistan at any stage of their innings. The asking rate kept on mounting with every dot ball and the pressure of finding boundaries nearly every ball was too hot to handle.

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Yuvraj, Ojha prevent catastrophe of 2007

By Syed Khalid Mahmood

Bangladesh may be a soft opposition for other teams but they have always been a formidable opponent for India, who have had the knack of failing against the weakest of outfits.

Bangladesh had spoiled India’s party in the 2007 World Cup in the Caribbean and Rahul Dravid’s team, rated as one of the favourites to lift the trophy, was back home even before the second round.

Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s lads are the firm favourites to annex the ICC World Twenty20 title for the second time running and there are very few people who’ll dispute India being the strongest team to have taken the field in the competition.

By virtue of being the defending champions, the Indians have been placed alongside Bangladesh and Ireland in a Group that’s not the toughest. Two of these three teams will advance to the second round and in probability India had to one team with a fierce tie expected between Bangladesh and Ireland for the other slot.

But you can never be sure about the Indian team, who are yet to win a major international event after having entered as the favourites. It can’t be mere coincidence that their most memorable performance has come when they began as underdogs.

Kapil Dev’s team that lifted the World Cup in 1983 was hardly billed to proceed to the semifinals. They won the World Championship in Australia in 1985, under Sunil Gavaskar, after a poor season at home. Similarly India hardly had any chance of laying hands at the trophy when Dhoni’s outfit went to South Africa for the inaugural ICC World Twenty20 in 2007.

India are head and shoulders above any other participating team in this particular event. Yet one can’t really be sure how far will they go, given their unpredictable and inconsistent record in the past.

Bangladesh was the first hurdle again and there were quite a few moments in the game when it appeared that history would repeat itself at Trent Bridge and India would be biting the dust yet again.

Yuvraj Singh and Pragyan Ojha, with their sterling performances, avoided the mishap for India and Bangladesh, who threatened to create yet another upset, was silenced to submission in the end.

It’s looked quite strange the manner in which India went about their business. Gautam Gambhir and Rohit Sharma provided them a solid start but the middle overs were consumed in consolidation rather than making effort to take charge.

India, being the superior side, should have dictated terms rather than waiting for the final overs to put their feet on the accelerator. The tactics could easily have backfired and it was the sheer belligerence of Yuvraj saving their face. His fantastic stroke-play at the fag end allowed India to collect 59 runs from their last four overs. It was his 18-ball 41 that helped India post a fighting total.

Bangladesh were very much in the hunt and it was a brilliant spell of left-arm spin bowling from Ojha that derailed them. The Twenty20 international debutant dismissed the dangerous duo of Junaid Siddique and Shakib Al Hasan in his first over to bring relief for his captain. He took two more wickets to earn the Man of the Match award.

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Gayle the magnificent

By Syed Khalid Mahmood

The West Indies have had the habit of throwing it away after promising starts and even the brilliance of Chris Gayle at times has got undone by the follies of his teammates. But the story was little different at the Kennington Oval on June 6 when they bulldozed Australia by seven wickets with as many as 25 balls remaining to kick start their campaign in the ICC World Twenty20 2009.

Gayle produced yet another sensational knock and more importantly he left at a stage when the job was as good as done. There were just a few runs to get with far too many balls at their disposal when he holed out probably in pursuit of a personal landmark.

He was batting on 88 and the West Indies were 13 runs away from victory. The only way he could have reached his hundred was to deal in boundaries. Brett Lee was the bowler, having had a nightmarish day. Gayle’s eyes lit up when Lee pitched another one up but the stroke got more elevation than distance and the catch was taken in the deep.

Gayle left the field to a standing ovation by the crowd who had been treated to some of most brutal strokes. Mind you he was toying with the Australian bowlers who were experienced and knew their job. The West Indian captain deserved full credit for having come up with something exceptional to guide his team to a most emphatic victory.

Obviously Gayle was the man who did the job but it would be unfair to ignore the contribution of his young opening partner, Andre Fletcher, who lent him perfect support in the big chase.

It was Fletcher, not Gayle, who began the onslaught in pursuit of a target of 170. They had a plan to make the most of the first six overs and Fletcher was assigned the task of starting the carnage. He showed great confidence in his abilities and was not overawed by the big reputation of the bowlers he was facing.

Fletcher’s unorthodox strokes provided the West Indies an exhilarating start and for a moment Gayle looked content to play second fiddle. This allowed the tall left-hander to get the feel of the proceedings and once he got into the top gear there was nothing that went unpunished.

Ricky Ponting tried every option he had up his sleeves but the breakthrough didn’t come until it was too late. The Australians might have regretted not having a specialist spinner in their side as the part-timers were unable to stem the flow of runs.

Earlier in the day, the West Indian fast bowlers had done a wonderful job by rocking the Australian top-order. Jerone Taylor got his team off to a cracking start by scalping the dangerous Shane Watson and Ponting in the very first over of the game with the neither of the two managing to open their account. Michael Clarke also perished early forcing them to look towards consolidation rather than force opponents to submission.

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12th Sindh Games revive sporting culture in Larkana

By Syed Khalid Mahmood

The 12th edition of the Sindh Games concluded with a colourful ceremony at the Shaheed Benazir Bhutto Sports Complex in Larkana on May 31 with the Chief Minister, Syed Qaim Ali Shah declaring the Games closed.

He paid rich tributes to the Provincial Sports Minister, Dr Syed Mohammad Ali Shah, to have dared holding the Games in the month of May, that’s generally considered hot from the sports point of view.

“We have known that the outdoor sports events in our country are staged in the season of winter or spring. But Dr Shah deserves credit to have given us the concept that the Games could also be held successfully in summer. The success of the 12th Sindh Games proved the point that every season is suited to sports if the events are managed professionally,” he observed.

The Chief Minister, while congratulating Karachi Region for clinching the trophy once more, urged the athletes of the other four regions to continue working hard for improving their performance in the future events.

He presented the winners trophy to Dr Frahan Essa Abdullah, chef de mission of the Karachi Region who was then carried on shoulders by the elated members of the victorious contingent.
Syed Qaim Ali Shah announced that the next edition of the Sindh Games will be staged in Karachi. He announced a grant of Rupees five million for the sports department for holding the 12th Sindh Games in a splendid manner.

Speaking on the occasion, Dr Shah observed that his mission was to spread the flame of sports in every nook and corner of the province and he needed the support of the provincial government in fulfilling his ambition.

“I was advised by certain quarters to postpone the 12th Sindh Games or move it to any other venue in view of the weather conditions here. But it was my commitment to the people of Larkana to hold the Games here and we were able to organize it successfully despite all odds being stacked against us,” he said.

Dr Shah believed that the interior regions of the province deserved greater attention as they lacked the infrastructure facilities that didn’t allow their athletes to progress beyond a certain level.

The Provincial Minister for Local Government, Agha Siraj Durrani, who himself holds a black belt in karate, was highly appreciative of the efforts of Dr Shah and his team for having braved the hot weather and organized the Sindh Games so successfully in Larkana.

Ahmed Ali Rajput, Secretary, Sindh Olympic Association (SOA), in his speech, highlighted the various challenges that had to be met in holding the Games.

The welcome address was delivered by Shoaib Ahmed Siddiqui, Secretary Sports and Youth Affairs, Government of Sindh, in which he acknowledged the support of the concerned quarters in accomplishing the task of holding the Sindh Games.

“According to the directives of the government we are working tirelessly to develop sports culture in the province. It’s our desire to engage the youth in healthy activities with sports being on top in the list of our priorities,” Shoaib Siddiqui said.

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Yousuf, Razzaq set to return to Pakistan team shortly

By Syed Khalid Mahmood

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) may be prompted to recall early the duo of Mohammad Yousuf and Abdul Razzaq whose resignations have reportedly been accepted by the Indian Cricket League (ICL).

Both Yousuf as well as Razzaq can still be drafted in the Pakistan line-up because the batting simply has lacked the consistency in the recent past. It will come as so surprise if both of them make it to squad for Pakistan's upcoming tour of Sri Lanka.

The Pakistan cricket has certainly missed Yousuf’s anchoring role in the middle order and the enterprise of all-rounder Abdul Razzaq as their replacements have failed to deliver on a regular basis.

Since Yousuf and Razzaq are desperately needed to boost the struggling Pakistan side, it looks extremely likely that they might have been approached by the PCB officials with the solid offer of an immediate return to the national team if they distanced themselves from the ICL.

It’s debatable whether the PCB should have been so lenient in pardoning them for having compromised on national interests. Both of them, and all other who joined the ICL, knew that they were ruling themselves out of international arena since the ICC did not recognize the League.

The ‘rebel’ cricketers received astronomical sums for having ditched their national boards that’s why some of them have not welcomed players associated the ICL right away.

The PCB could have also waited for sometime before recalling the ICL contracted cricketers, even though they had resigned from the League.

Drafting them back into international cricket from the moment they have resigned from the ICL doesn’t reflect wisdom. The cricketers, who benefited so much financially for having abandoned the national team, should have been made to wait for some time before recalling them.

But the officials of the PCB must be having their logic that may not look logical to the ordinary mortals. They were issuing public statements that they were willing to take them back even when they were engaged in the ICL.

“Mohammad Yousuf and Abdul Razzaq are available for selection now and that is a good thing. Cooling period doesn't come into it,” Wasim Bari, a former Pakistan, now Director Human Resources at the PCB, was quoted as saying.

Wasim Bari obviously conveyed the sentiments of the people at the helm of the affairs in the PCB, who displayed so much of fondness for Yousuf out in the open despite his controversial moves during the past few years.


Yousuf, high in demand after accomplishing the record of highest number of Test runs in a calendar year, had signed a contract with the ICL in 2007. Then came the news of him ditching the ICL and getting a hefty fee from the PCB for doing the same.

Yousuf was eager to play IPL, after his ‘deal’ with the PCB, but legal complications didn’t allow him to fulfill this particular desire and he rejoined the ICL instead in late 2008.

Everyone believed that Yousuf’s career with Pakistan was over once he was back at the ICL. But he has been granted a new lease of life lately and his international career is likely to resume soon.

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