Hosting jinx haunts South Africa yet again

By Syed Khalid Mahmood

History repeated itself at the Super Sport Park in Centurion on September 22 as the hosts South Africa crashed to defeat in the opening match of the ICC Champions Trophy 2009. They were surprised by the Sri Lankans, who never looked back after the whirlwind century from Tillekeratne Dilshan.

The top ranked ODI side of the world, South Africa, entered the competition as the firm favourites. Now they face the prospects of an early elimination on their own soil yet again in not too dissimilar fashion as the ICC World Cup 2003 and the inaugural ICC World Twenty20 in 2007.

South Africa have had this knack of choking at certain levels. They have often run out of steam in the semifinals of various ICC tournaments but more alarmingly they have fared even worse in their own backyard.

Judging by their current form and the balance of their side I was quite confident that they would leisurely walk through to the semifinals with neither of their opponents in league matches, Sri Lanka, England or New Zealand, possessing the strength to take them to task. I had anticipated them getting knocked out in the semifinals at the hands of Australia or India.

But the events of the opening day have created doubts even if they would reach the knockout stage of the competition. The home advantage has turned out to be the big disadvantage to them and they have to do something extraordinary to come back in the reckoning.

Since they are playing in their own country where they have a pathetic record in the ICC tournaments one can’t really back them regrouping all that quickly. All they need is a couple of bad hours in the park and they would be out of the event much to the disappointment of their fans.

Graeme Smith would do his country a great service if he could convince his boys to take the games against England and New Zealand as just another One-day International, forgetting they were playing in the Champions Trophy.

Smith must be wondering how he lost the plot against Sri Lanka, who were bulldozed by Pakistan in the warm-up tie leading to the big event. His decision to bowl first after winning the toss was a bold one but it didn’t pay off. They needed to take more than a wicket when the ball was still hard and new.

Dilshan and skipper Kumar Sangakkara laid a platform from where they never going to lose. The match could have gone only one way once the Sri Lankans had amassed 319 runs in 50 overs. Dilshan’s 92-ball 106 was indeed a terrific effort against the high quality bowlers.

Smith and Jacques Kallis delighted the home fans with their stroke-play but as expected the arrival of the spinners shattered their stumps as well as hopes. The mystery spinner, Ajantha Mendis, foxed the well-set Smith first ball before scalping Kallis and J P Duminy on successive balls.

Sri Lanka had the match in complete control when the rains came and they were the deserved winners even though it was DL method in the end that was used to settle the issue.

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Pakistan’s wake-up call for favourites

By Syed Khalid Mahmood

Just the other day I had pointed out that Pakistan can never ever be written off irrespective of their weakness or the strength of their rivals on paper. They have been the most unpredictable side all along in every team sport, generally having shown disrespect to conventional thinking.

Pakistan’s performance in the warm-up games leading to the ICC World Twenty20 in England earlier this year never really suggested that they would go on to collect the trophy a fortnight later.

Now Pakistan have got off to a flying start in South Africa, having trounced Sri Lanka in the warm-up tie at the Willowmoore Park in Benoni on September 18. They whacked their opponents by a staggering margin of 108 runs in the day-nighter.

Not many people would have expected Pakistan going on the rampage against a strong Sri Lankan outfit. But again it was a case of history repeating itself. Sri Lanka, more often than not, have come up with their worst performances while playing against Pakistan.

Makeshift opener Kamran Akmal came good hitting 82 off 78 balls with his brother Umar also had fun with the Sri Lankan bowlers while blasting 67 off 51 balls. Shahid Afridi came down the order but caused enough damage to take the Pakistan total past 300.

Sri Lanka certainly had the batting resources to challenge the big score but they were laid low by a man called Rana Naved-ul-Hasan took five wickets. All the big guns of their batting flopped like their champion bowlers.

Be at home or even at a neutral venue the Sri Lankans have crashed in similar fashion against Pakistan. Not only that but Sri Lanka have also helped Pakistan’s cause immensely on numerous occasions by blasting other teams heavily in the same group.

Well Pakistan and Sri Lanka have not been grouped together this time round. Pakistan’s massive win over Sri Lanka in the warm-up game, however, could serve warning bells to Australia and India, two of the three pre-tournament favourites, who have been drawn in their group.

In the event of Pakistan making it to the last four either Australia or India will have to miss out. The West Indies, with their depleted outfit, could not be expected to spring surprises a la Pakistan.

Talking about the West Indies they had to face the music at the hands of South Africa in their warm-up encounter. There was absolutely no element of surprise in watching the home batsmen dominate the inexperienced bowlers. South Africa posted a total of 388 for four with skipper Graeme Smith, Jacques Kallis and J P Duminy having enthralled the audience.

The only cause of concern for the hosts was an abdominal strain to Herschelle Gibbs when he took evasive action to avoid a straight drive from Smith. Gibbs had to retire hurt and he will be needed to have a scan to determine the extent of the injury.

I don’t think New Zealand’s defeat at the hands of the Warriors in Pretoria can be classified as a shocker. The Black Caps possess an inexperienced batting that’s unlikely to score heavily. They have a potent bowling attack but in one-day cricket you need to put runs on the board too.

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South Africa, India start as favourites

by Syed Khalid Mahmood

The ICC Champions Trophy 2009 is round the corner. There have been plenty of One-day Internationals (ODIs) leading to the second most prestigious event in the sport after the World Cup that’s held after every four years.

With so much action on the eve of the tournament it’s not at all a tall order to assess which teams are more likely to lay their hands on the trophy. If the recent form in ODIs is the sole criterion then Australia and India appear to be the firm favourites for the crown.

But if all the factors are taken into account then South Africa have to be regarded as the front runners. The top ranked ODI side in world cricket as of today, they will obviously gain huge advantage of playing at home.

The Champions Trophy 2009 is being played under a new format and only the top eight teams of the world are contesting it. They have been divided equally in two groups. Defending champions Australia are drawn with India, Pakistan and the West Indies in Group A while the hosts South Africa, Sri Lanka, New Zealand and England constitute Group B.

The weakened West Indian team is unlikely to come good in the challenging environment of South Africa where the ball would seam and bounce. Unless their authorities work out some formula to reinforce their squad with the seasoned campaigners at the eleventh hour, the West Indies could be the punching bag with every rival fancying their chances of improving their run-rate.

Even if the West Indies were playing to their full strength they would have been least expected to qualify for the semifinals from the group of death. They would have struggled even against Pakistan.

Talking of Pakistan they can never be written off even if they are being represented by second or third strings. They would remain a threat to any fancied team. They are not ranked all that highly at the moment but they can screw anyone on their day. They have every chance of causing an upset or two and displace Australia or India from the semifinal line-up.

The contest is much more open in Group B where South Africa are the standout team but there’s very little to choose between the trio of Sri Lanka, England and New Zealand. None of these three outfits is expected to bag the trophy.

In the prevailing scenario the Champions Trophy 2009 is more likely to be a three-horse race between South Africa, Australia and India. One of these three teams should win the tournament if the miracles don’t happen.

Besides the rankings and ratings these are the three teams who have the firepower and depth to dominate others. South Africa and India, in my opinion, possess stronger ODI outfits compared to Australia, who have proved simply too much for the struggling England side. The Australians have been experimenting continuously after losing their legendary cricketers and it remains to be seen if they will be able to cope with the pressures.

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Sohail Tanvir, Ahmed Shahzad banned for bringing game to disrepute

By Syed Khalid Mahmood

What a pity that the quartet of Sohail Tanvir, Ahmed Shahzad, Javed Qadir and Nadeem Shaikh had to be banned indefinitely from playing in the cricket tournaments at the Karachi Gymkhana for having brought the game to disrepute.

The technical committee of the 24th PPL Trophy Karachi Gymkhana Ramazan Festival Twenty20 Cricket Tournament 2009, headed by Iqbal Umar, found them guilty of having violated the code of conduct while playing the quarter-final tie for A O Clinic Cricket Club against Karachi Electric Supply Corporation (KESC) on September 13.

“The umpires, Riazuddin and Junaid Ghafoor, had complained in writing to the technical committee that Sohail Tanvir, Ahmed Shahzad, Javed Qadir and Nadeem Shaikh were engaged in verbal abuse, suspected ball tampering and defying decisions. The technical committee, in view of the umpiring report, has banned all the four cricketers from future tournaments at Karachi Gymkhana,” a statement issued by the organizing committee read.

It’s very sad indeed that Sohail Tanvir and Ahmed Shahzad, who have played international cricket for the country in the recent past and they are still in contention for a place in the national squad, displayed so much immaturity while appearing in a local tournament of Karachi.

Sohail Tanvir and Ahmed Shahzad, who had come from Lahore, didn’t make any friends by behaving so rudely and unprofessionally in the cricket field. They showed disrespect to two international umpires, contending their decisions like schoolboys.

I am not if they were aware of the fact that the Karachi Gymkhana happens to be one of oldest institutions of the country and its members have been known for going by the book.

Sohail Tanvir and Ahmed Shahzad, in particular, were being blamed for the chaos with the others like Nadeem Shaikh and Javed Qadeer getting the cue from them. It was very unfortunate that the incidents of indiscipline took place in the presence of Dr Syed Mohammad Ali Shah, whose A O Clinic Cricket Club has played in all the 24 editions of the tournament so far.

Dr Shah, who is also a member of the Governing Body of the Pakistan Cricket Baird (PCB), besides being the President of the Karachi City Cricket Association (KCCA), should take a note of the ugly behaviour of players of his own team.

The technical committee of the Karachi Gymkhana obviously can impose a ban on the cricketers found guilty in their own tournaments. Now the ball is in the court of the PCB to conduct an enquiry and take appropriate action to prevent such incidents in future.

Dr Shah, who was present at the ground for the better part of the ill-tempered match, can set an example by having those cricketers punished who challenged the authority of the umpires and tried to influence them.

Both Sohail Tanvir and Ahmed Shahzad are young cricketers. They are expected to make a comeback in the national squad in not too distant future. But they need to be more stable mentally and they must learn to accept the decisions of the umpires.

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Dravid does make the difference

By Syed Khalid Mahmood

Although it was Sachin Tendulkar who stole the limelight by scoring heaps of runs the contribution of Rahul Dravid in India annexing the recently concluded Compaq Cup in Sri Lanka was no less insignificant.

Already short of both the world-class openers, Virender Sehwag and Gautam Gambhir, India desperately needed depth and resilience in their batting to dominate their rivals. The young guns had been found wanting when exposed to challenging conditions and the selectors had made the right move of going back to the basics.

While Tendulkar’s presence ensured unmatched class on top of the order, the comeback of Dravid provided the much needed strength and character to an otherwise enterprising batting line-up.

When you have the master blasters like Yuvraj Singh, Manhedra Singh Dhoni, Suresh Raina and Yousuf Pathan to follow there is greater need for a solid platform to let them fire to their heart’s content.

This is exactly what happened in Colombo recently. Dravid didn’t score many in the outing against New Zealand but he spent a lot of time at crease to blunt the Black Caps attack. Dhoni and Raina did the rest with their characteristic positive stroke-play. It could have been a different story to relate if India lost early wickets even though the target wasn’t all that big.

India had already cruised into the final, having become the top ranked ODI side in the world in the process, when they came out to take on hosts Sri Lanka in their league match. Set a daunting task, the Indians were in the game until Dravid was at the crease. With his departure the Indian hopes were dashed.

With the makeshift opener Dinesh Karthik having looked out of sorts in the league matches, Dhoni made the bold move of sending Dravid in as the opening partner with Tendulkar. It turned out to be a master stroke as both the seasoned campaigners provided a perfect start that eventually won them the game as well as the trophy.

Dravid is a team man to the core and he is one man who is always more than willing to meet the challenge. He could not have desired a better comeback gift than the Compaq Trophy that was gleefully collected by skipper Dhoni.
Talking of Dhoni let us give him the credit for having laid the red carpet for Dravid, who was returning to the ODI side after quite sometime.

“Dravid is the most stable and technically sound. He is a kind of batsman who would look to take his innings till the end. He will support the middle-order and help the flashy players play their game.” Dhoni was quoted as saying before going to toss in the opening game.

"Dravid is the ideal No. 3, especially in such conditions and during the evening when the ball swings and seams, so definitely he we will bat at that position," Dhoni complimented.

Dravid has made the captain proud once more. India would need him at his best in the upcoming Champions Trophy in South Africa where his ability to come good in conditions difficult for batting could again lay the platform for the stroke-makers to make hay in the death overs.

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India regroup, survive anxious moments to claim trophy

By Syed Khalid Mahmood

India, more than any country, have had to earn their win. It’s very uncommon to watch them register a triumph without hiccups. Irrespective of their own strength and the weakness of their opponents they have had to struggle many times against the run of play.

Who would have expected Sri Lanka to frighten India in the final of the Compaq Cup at the R Premadasa Stadium in Colombo on September 14 after the latter had posted a massive total of 319?

No matter how big target they are defending and how difficult the conditions for batting are, the Indians can never be expected to take things for granted. The unlikeliest of events take place against them. They very nearly got rolled over by an inexperienced Sri Lankan middle-order.

Sri Lanka did hold the psychological advantage entering the final, after having blown away India in the league meeting less than 48 hours ago, but there was only team that looked like to dominate once the target of 320 was set under floodlights.

The Sri Lankans not only embarrassed the Indians but at times forced them on to the defensive. All credit to Mahendra Singh Dhoni and his team for battling all odds to finally conjure up a win that should have been theirs without so much of drama.

Isn’t it quite extraordinary that the Sri Lankan batsmen, who have remained generally inconsistent against other teams, get pumped up while taking on the Indians? Probably they fancy their chances of getting away with it while confronting India.

No matter how strong, balanced and potent the Indians may me they look vulnerable when least expected. With a little bit of more luck they could have also lost the final despite being so well placed for most of the time.

Sachin Tendulkar played one of his greatest innings in international career. Harbhajan Singh delivered one of the finest spells under pressure. Yet India were not assured of a victory until the last Sri Lankan wicket fell.

India did the basics right and were rewarded for their endurance. The move to elevate Rahul Dravid as opener instead of the out of form Dinesh Karthik paid dividends. It was such a wonderful sight watching Dravid and Tendulkar bat together. They laid the strong foundation that was so vital for posting an imposing total.

Dhoni took the responsibility of milking the bowling in the company of Tendulkar and the run rate was not allowed to dip. The Indians could have eyed a total in the region of 350 after being so well placed at the end of 30 overs.

Dhoni, however, was not prepared to take the risk of giving it away after the great start. He didn’t open up until the batting powerplay was taken when the ball was changed. Unfortunately he was snapped before he could blast the bowlers. Yuvraj Singh took his time while Tendulkar also remained cautious even after his hundred. They exploded far too late and the Indians were happy to get to 319 in the end.

The Indians might have thought that anything in the excess of 300 was safe, given the history of the ground. But what they had ignored that the majority of the miracles come about at their expense. They barely survived another one that night.

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India on top of the tree

By Syed Khalid Mahmood

The manner in which India played against New Zealand in their opening match of the tri series for the Compaq Cup at the R Premadasa Stadium in Colombo on September 11 there was hardly any element of doubt in them being the number one ODI team of the world at the moment.

I do agree with the Indian skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni that the rankings and ratings are bound to improve when you are on the winning spree. He deserves the credit for having extracted something close to their best from his teammates during the past couple of seasons and India have finally moved on top of the tree as far as the ICC rankings for the One-day Internationals are concerned.

The emphatic victory over New Zealand under floodlights in conditions that were not typical of what one finds in the sub-continent was a near-perfect start for Dhoni and his boys after two months layoff from international cricket.

It would have only been perfect if India had cruised to victory without hiccups while chasing a modest target of 156. They did romp home quite leisurely in the end after being guilty of opening up in the game by losing three wickets in quick succession.

New Zealand must have fancied their chances of claiming an unlikely victory when the trio of Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid and Yuvraj Singh was sent back in the dressing room within flash of an eye. Mind you they are three of the top batsmen in the game and it’s not often that they follow each other so quickly.

India certainly were in a spot of bother when their fourth wicket fell with more than 70 still needed for victory. Daniel Vettori was living up to the reputation of India-killer and the match had become wide open against the run of play.

Dhoni, as he has done frequently, kept his cool and curbed his attacking natural instincts to construct his innings. Suresh Raina, demoted in the batting order following his failures earlier this year, survived a few anxious moments before opening up.

Dhoni and Raina were happy to see Vettori off. It’s incredible that the Indian batsmen are supposed to be the most proficient in tackling the spinners but time and again they also prove to be the most vulnerable against slow bowling.

Dhoni did concede in the post match presentation ceremony that things could have been more difficult if New Zealand had another quality spinner in their ranks.

Vettori probably didn’t know exactly how much the Indians could suffer at the hands of the spinners, irrespective of their class and guile. He would have been better off accommodating another spinner in place of one of the fast bowlers.

Talking of the fast bowlers, the Indian trio of Ashish Nehra, Ishant Sharma and Rudra Pratap Singh was right on money and there were no escape routes for the Black Caps. The pressure was sustained by the spin duo of Yuvraj Singh and Harbhajan Singh who sent New Zealand crashing to 155 all out.

The target of 156 was unlikely to test the supremely confident Indian batters. Sachin Tendulkar’s stroke-play delighted the spectators while Rahul Dravid got the opportunity of spending some time in the middle.

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Ehsan Mani outbursts may not help in mending fences between BCCI, PCB

By Syed Khalid Mahmood

Ehsan Mani, a former President of the International Cricket Council (ICC), has re-started blaming the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) at a time when the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) is trying to mend fences with the neighbours.

I fail to comprehend what service the former ICC President is doing to the Pakistan cricket with this blame game. He has accused the BCCI of trying to isolate Pakistan from the cricketing world and held it responsible for turning down the proposition of holding Pakistan's share of the 2011 World Cup matches at neutral venues.

A few months ago he had held India responsible for having engineered a split in the Asian bloc to deprive Pakistan of hosting rights for the 2011 World Cup following the attack on Sri Lankan cricketers in Lahore. He was of the opinion that the BCCI was doing so in the fear of losing the tournament altogether.

As a former chief of the controlling body of the game Ehsan Mani should have refrained from using the kind of language he did out in the open.
"I can say this with conviction that no board is today able to stand up to the Indian board in the ICC. Unfortunately, it is all about making money these days and the Indians dominate," he was quoted as saying.

Did he disclose any secret or was it breaking news of sorts? It was neither because everyone knows that India happens to be the biggest market and the bulk of the revenue for cricket is generated from there. Obviously the BCCI has greater significance in the ICC because of the financial reasons.

The BCCI or that matter the ICC could not be blamed for the excessive commercialization of the sport. Cricket has become an industry and its administrators are keen to market it as a very strong brand.

Ehsan Mani has had the feeling that the BCCI was instrumental in depriving Pakistan from staging their matches even at neutral venues.

"I know for a fact that this was decided, but India turned it down at the cricket committee meeting and since Saleem Altaf was representing Pakistan in Ijaz Butt's absence things went wrong somewhere. India then insisted that the matches should only be held in the South Asian region,” Ehsan Mani said.

"In a calculated manner, India is trying to isolate Pakistan from international cricket. No board is willing to support us and we have no inputs coming from other boards. No one including the ICC is willing to answer the most important question: what happens if relations don't improve between India and Pakistan. Will Pakistan get permission to play its matches in India?” he questioned.

"Given the existing relations between the two countries, any untoward incident can trigger off more problems. Then is the ICC willing to organize the World Cup without Pakistan?" he asked.

Ehsan Mani has every right to voice his concerns but he should also keep into account the nature of his outburst and its implications. May be he thinks that Pakistan’s cause will be helped in some way with this kind of attitude.

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