Australia’s young guns do the business

By Syed Khalid Mahmood

In the end it was in the fitness of things that the best team having entered the knockout stage of the competition went on claim the trophy. Yes the Australians were the worthy winners of the title after having proved themselves the strongest of all participating outfits. Ricky Ponting deserved to be crowned again after yet another spectacular performance.

This title win should rank higher and feel sweeeter for the Aussies who managed to do it with a relatively young and inexperienced outfit. They were a much more formidable side when they had clinched the Champions Trophy in India for the first time in 2006 and there was hardly any element of surprise in Ponting having run away with the glittering cup.

Things were different in 2009 when Ponting returned to defend the title. Although they had demolished England 6-1 in the ODI series on the eve of the Champions Trophy they were expected to face tougher challenges with South Africa and India rated as the firm favourites due to a combination of factors.

Obviously nobody was foolish enough to write the Australians off but there certainly were not many people giving them as much of a chance as they had in the past when Ponting used to have the services of master blasters like Adam Gilchrist and Mathew Hayden and champion bowlers like Shane Warne and Glenn McGrath.

It was an opportunity for the Australian youngsters to come good on the international stage and they rose to the occasion under the able leadership of Ponting whose purple patch with the bat made the difference.

It’s nice of Ponting to have recognized the outstanding performance of the youngsters in helping Australia retain the Champions Trophy with hints of conviction.

"We have gone through some ups and downs in the last 18 months. A number of great players have left and we brought in a lot of young, fresh players. It was great to see some of them stand up and deliver," Ponting was quoted as saying after Australia completed a six-wicket win over New Zealand in the final in Centurion on October 5.

The Australian youngsters did not show signs of nerves and were not overawed by the occasion when New Zealand tried to make a comeback in the game. Fast bowler Peter Siddle and off-spinner Nathan Hauritz bowled exceptionally well at a stage when the New Zealanders were attempting to cut loose.

The Black Caps had opened up the game even while defending a modest total of 200 when they got the prized scalp of Ponting to reduce Australia to 6 for two. It was the 128-run third wicket partnership between Shane Watson and Cameron White that allowed Australia to regain control. "Two young guys at the crease at 6 for 2, it doesn't get any tougher and they did a great job," Ponting acknowledged.

"In the ODI series in England after the Ashes, we did well there to put ourselves in a position where we can give this tournament a little bit of a shake. We've played some great cricket over the last couple of weeks here," the victorious captain noted.

Ponting led from the front and his own batting form was instrumental in motivating his youthful side. His aggregate of 288 was the highest in the tournament earning him a golden. He was also declared Man-of-the-Series award, ahead of Watson, who scored unbeaten centuries in semifinal and final.

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Thoroughly deserved reward for Aleem Dar

Syed Khalid Mahmood

Pakistan ’s Aleem Dar had been recognized as one of the best umpires in the cricket world for quite a few years and it seemed a matter of time for him to be declared the best in the business officially.

Arguably the greatest cricket umpire to have been produced by the country, the super fit and ever smiling Aleem has earned the kind of respect in every nook and corner of the globe that very few colleagues could come close.

Only Simon Taufel of Australia matches his brilliance. Both of them have a few rare qualities in common that enable them to come to terms with the pressure-cooker situations where ordinary mortals run the risk of faltering.

It’s in the fitness of things that Aleem has replaced Taufel as the best cricket umpire in the world. The Australian was crowned as the ICC Umpire of the Year for the past four years but now the award has been clinched by Aleem.

A beaming Aleem received the coveted award from the ICC Chief Executive, Haroon Logart, in the recent ceremony in Johannesburg . He was as cool and confident as he’s standing in the middle when Ravi Shastri asked him a few questions at the stage.

The modest and unassuming character that he always is, Aleem mentioned the contribution of his family and friends in his rise to fame. His only ‘regret’ appeared to be living away from his wife for about six months every year.

Well Aleem should not mind this brief ‘separation’ because the sacrifice has earned him the kind of fame and fortune that many of his colleagues may not even dream of it. One has to pay the price for everything and in his case there’s loneliness.

Aleem, who started his career in cricket as a middle-order batsman and leg-spinner, also might not have imagined going this far in the game. How could he have known, at the time when he took to the game as a youngster, that he would be hailed as one of the greatest umpires one day?

It must have been a blessing in disguise for him that he didn’t score too many runs or took too many wickets to be considered for national selection. Rather he diverted his energies by standing as an umpire and didn’t look back after finding a firm foothold in the arena.

He proved an instant hit in the field of umpiring and his confidence level belied his age. He was in complete control while making decisions and his standout nerves of steel caught the imagination of the movers and shakers of the game.

He was only 32 when he stood in his first One-day International at Gujranawala in February 2000. He made it to the ICC panel in a matter of just a couple of years. He impressed everyone with his outstanding abilities and went on and on. He made his World Cup debut in 2003. He had the honour of standing in the final of the World Cup four years later.

Now he has traveled to every continent of the world having supervised Test matches and ODIs regularly. He is one of the busiest umpires in the game today.

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New Zealand at last find a way to overcome Pakistan

By Syed Khalid Mahmood

It was after ages when New Zealand finally managed to overpower Pakistan in any form of the game. At times it had looked as if the Black Caps would never be able to do it because they were often found wanting in putting their acts together against Pakistan.

I don't know how Daniel Vettori mustered the courage to keep his team motivated in the semifinals at the Wanderers in Johannesburg on October 3 because Pakistan seemed to have taken them for granted.

Although New Zealand had emerged the Group B champions after the league matches, Pakistan, having ended as the runners-up in the Group A, would have preferred taking them on in semifinals rather than England if they were given a choice.

Because New Zealand are one team having been at the receiving end while encountering Pakistan for so long now. There is a long list of matches in the ICC tournaments where New Zealand have been undone by Pakistan after having looked so good before the game.

Martin Crowe and company might never forget the double disaster against Pakistan in the 1992 World Cup when they had crashed after being the only unbeaten team in the competition for weeks. They had overpowered every other team and were through to the semifinals before taking on Pakistan in their last league fixture.

Although it didn't matter much in the context of the tournament for them but it certainly was a warning bell for the hosts because they were blown away by Pakistan in the unlikeliest of circumstances.

The New Zealanders discovered only a few days later that they had actually dug their grave by losing the league encounter to Pakistan, who stunned them in the semifinals as well much to the disappoinment of their fans who anticipated them running away with the crown after seven successive victories against different nations.

New Zealand's hopes of snatching the title were dashed by Pakistan in the 1999 World Cup in England as well. Most recently they were whacked by Pakistan in the ICC World Twenty20 semifinals in England.

History was against them when New Zealand took the field against Pakistan even though the venue was more suited to their team in the Champions Trophy semifinals against Pakistan. The decision of the Pakistan skipper, Younis Khan, to bat first after calling correctly also passed the impression that they were least impressed by the credentials of their opponents.

Vettori marshalled his troops as shrewdly as he always does. He led by example and his team rose to the occasion. They might have been jolted by Pakistan's last wicket stand but they didn't lose heart and successfully chased down the target that wasn't all that big.

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Glory for Pakistan , agony for India

By Syed Khalid Mahmood

India ’s fate in the ICC Champions Trophy hinged more on the result of the Australia-Pakistan game at the Super Sport Park in Centurion than their own against the West Indies at the Wanderers in Johannesburg .

Both the matches were taking place on the same day (September 30) and it was to India’s advantage that their encounter was a day-nighter, meaning it started a few hours later than the other one being played entirely in sunlight.

Pakistan had already qualified for the semifinals with the blessings of the Nature as the washed out tie between Australia and India allowed them this luxury even before taking the field for the final league outing.

Australia and India were the two contenders for the single semifinal slot that remained vacant. India were to get a lifeline only if Pakistan managed to defeat Australia . In other words India ’s fate was lying in Pakistan ’s hands.

Pakistan had all cards in their pocket entering the game against Australia and their peace of mind was reflected in body language. Younis Khan and his boys were absolutely relaxed while playing pressure-free cricket.

Australia had everything to play for but Pakistan were not supposed to be pushed about it. The manner in which Pakistan batted had made it clear that they were more interested in going through the motions rather than making efforts to do anything sensational. The idea of conserving energy for the upcoming knockout games might also have been in their mind.

Pakistan , who are known for making the most of the death overs even with tail-enders make hay, scored only one run in the penultimate over of the innings with specialist batsmen at the crease. The batting powerplay overs were hardly utilized.

Australia were cruising towards a cakewalk victory when suddenly the match opened up with the departure of Michael Hussey. There was tension in their camp and the wickets kept on tumbling as soon as the Pakistan bowlers applied pressure.

The pace trio of Mohammad Asif, Umar Gul and Rana Naved-ul-Hasan bowled exceptionally well in their final spells and the Australians were absolutely clueless. It was happening at the same time when India were in the process of wrapping up the West Indian innings.

Obviously the Indians must have become interested but their excitement was short lived because the Australians somehow got the winning run on the final ball of their innings. That meant the end of the road for India as far as the tournament was concerned.

Had Australia succumbed to defeat, the Indian would have been in a rush to chase their target of 130 against the West Indies . Since that didn’t happen they had full 50 overs at their disposal to register a consolation win, their first in the competition.

The Indian captain, Mahendra Singh Dhoni, who himself got a wicket against the West Indies, very right pointed out that it was the defeat to Pakistan that crippled their chances of qualifying for the semifinals. The road had to be bumpy afterwards and so it turned out.

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Is the stage being set for Pakistan to claim Champions Trophy?

By Syed Khalid Mahmood

After watching the farcical results during the past few days everybody is left wondering if the stage is being set for Pakistan to run away with the Champions Trophy.

It’s quite extraordinary that South Africa and Sri Lanka, the two strongest outfits in Group B, have crashed and the semifinal sports have been secured by England and New Zealand, neither of them stood any chance of doing it at the start of the tournament.

The qualification of England and New Zealand into the semifinals, at the expense of hosts South Africa and Sri Lanka, means a soft target for Pakistan in the knockout stage of the competition having lost its charm considerably due to the unexpected results.

England had given a very good account of themselves in their first couple of games, against the fancied duo of Sri Lanka and South Africa, but their pathetic performance against New Zealand in their last league game suggested them of being incapable and unsuited for the big contests.

Pakistan are on a roll here. The washout game between Australia and India let them proceed to the semifinals without worrying for the outcome of their final league fixture. Such kind of luxury is hardly ever available in a tournament as keenly contested as the Champions Trophy where the teams are generally evenly matched.

Now Pakistan can afford to experiment and do whatever they desire in their last league outing against Australia. They should be in a very relaxed frame of mind and it might not be easy for Ricky Ponting and his men to call the shots despite looking stronger on paper.

Pakistan’s chances of winning the trophy have further been boosted by the ouster of South Africa and Sri Lanka. There’s likelihood of another potentially champion team, India, following suit.

With the trio of South Africa, India and Sri Lanka out of their way, Pakistan have every reason to feel more comfortable as far as their future in this particular tournament is concerned.

Neither England nor New Zealand appear to be having the depth or the character to come to terms with a Pakistan side playing as freely as now. New Zealand, in particular, has had horrible record against Pakistan over the years and they should consider themselves dead and buried if they are pitted against them in the semifinals or the final.

England might present a stronger challenge to Pakistan because, unlike New Zealand, they don’t have anything like mental block. The New Zealanders have passed the impressed of being scared of the ‘word’ Pakistan because they have come up with below-par performance against them more often than not.

It could help Pakistan’s cause immensely if they are defeated by Australia in their last league encounter because this would enable them to book a date with New Zealand in the semifinals. In other words Pakistan’s place in the final will be guaranteed the moment they finish runners-up in Group A, behind Australia.

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Washout hurts India, takes Pakistan into semifinals

By Syed Khalid Mahmood

Just the other day one of the most respected names in the banking circles, in a one-to-one chat, shared his gut feeling that Pakistan might win the ongoing Champions Trophy in South Africa.

When enquired about the reason of this thought coming to his mind he very candidly pointed out that the way things were falling in place for them there’s a great possibility of the trophy coming their way.

That discussion had taken place earlier in the day in Karachi on September 28, quite a few hours before the start of the Australia-India tie at the Super Sport Park in Centurion.

Little did I know, at least, that Pakistan would be progressing to the semifinals of the event without worrying for the outcome of their last league fixture against Australia! How could have anyone predicted a washout game when none of the previous matches had been affected by rain.

It was a do-or-die situation for India and the composition of their team suggested that they were not taking any chances. They had packed their side with five specialist bowlers, having dropped the struggling Yousuf Pathan.

The spin bowling department was reinforced with the induction of ‘leggie’ Amit Mishra who was right on the money from the first ball he bowled. He could have been even more lethal if a catch was not dropped off his bowling in the slips quite early in his spell. Harbhajan Singh was retained on past reputation because he deserved to be axed or rested after his below-par performance against Pakistan which cost India the game.

The tale of horror continued for the Indian skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni because his fastest bowler, Ishant Sharma, looked completely out of sorts in the crunch game. Just as you can’t set a field for bad bowling obviously you can’t be prepared for your premier speedster to lose his way so dramatically.

Dhoni must have been a concerned man as nearly every Australian batsman was occupying the crease and doing the business fearlessly. India could have pulled it back in the final overs but still they would have been chasing something close to 300 if not more, had the rains not disrupted the game.

On the other hand if the rains had stopped after a couple of hours, India could have been set a target on DL method in which the asking rate would have been higher but the number of overs would have been considerably reduced.

I can never recall the rains having come to India’s rescue and as it had happened in the past on numerous occasions the match could not resume much to the dismay of their supporters.

The only beneficiary of the washout game between Australia and India was Pakistan who acquired complete peace of mind by going into the semifinals. The situation could have been tense for Pakistan if India defeated Australia in which case they would have been required to perform well in their last league outing against Australia.

India are not out of the tournament yet theoretically but the chances of them moving ahead in the prevailing circumstances are remote.

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Strauss outsmarts Smith in mind games

By Syed Khalid Mahmood

What a funny game cricket is! How quickly the experts could be proved wrong and how amazingly the events go exactly in the opposite direction to the one envisaged.

England, besides the weakened West Indies, were considered as the rank outsiders and hosts South Africa were installed as the hot-favourites for the title when the ICC Champions Trophy 2009 got underway on September 22.

In less than a week’s time the underdogs England have become the first team in the competition to qualify for the semifinals and the fancied South Africa earn the dubious distinction of being the first outfit to crash out of the mega event.

The manner in which England have played their first couple of games, having trounced first Sri Lanka and then South Africa in totally different conditions, no credit could be taken away from Andrew Strauss and his boys for coming good against all odds.

I don’t think anyone expected England to bounce back so strongly after the drubbing they received at the hands of Australia in the ODI series at home earlier this month. The turnaround has been nothing short of sensational and they are now only a couple of wins away from capturing the crown.

Strauss has turned out to be an inspirational leader who has provided the much needed confidence and self-belief to his teammates who were obviously demoralized after having lost six matches on a trot to an Australian team that wasn’t as good as the results reflected.

The mental toughness of the England skipper deserves special mention. He may not look all that a dashing character in the field but he’s one man who is there in the game with his heart and soul.

Strauss is not known for bullying the opponents or doing anything that could bring the gentlemen’s game to disrepute. On the contrary he’s cool, calm and composed. This, however, doesn’t mean him to be taken for granted as the South African captain Graeme Smith discovered at the Super Sport Park in Centurion on September 27.

Smith was leading the run-chase and he was middling nearly every ball. The contest was alive as the asking rate was still in single digit and the home side had wickets in hand when the last 10 overs of the innings began, five of which were to be used for the batting powerplay.

Having hammered the England bowlers all over the park from the first ball of the innings, Smith showed signs of having cramps around the time he got to his century. He desired the services of a runner to conserve his energy for the final onslaught. He got the treatment at the ground and A B de Villiers came along to run for his fatigued captain.

The on-field umpires had no issue in allowing Smith a runner but they went by the book and sought the consent of the fielding captain. Strauss was very much alive to the situation and he was in no mood to give a lifeline to his opposite number. I think he made a perfectly right decision of turning down the request not once but two times.

Cricket is a tough game and it should be played the same way. If Smith was fit enough to flay the bowlers why should he have been provided the luxury of not running his singles and doubles. South Africa’s hopes of staying in the competition vanished the moment Smith was snapped fittingly by Owais Shah, who was guilty of dropping him earlier in his innings.

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India missing Sehwag, Yuvraj

By Syed Khalid Mahmood

India’s 54-run defeat at the hands of arch-rivals Pakistan at the Super Sport Park in Centurion on September 26 brought to the fore the big hole in their team caused by the injuries to Virender Sehwag and Yuvraj Singh.

Sehwag and Yuvraj are not only the master blasters who blow away the opposition in the blink of an eye but they bring in the balance that enriches the side to the extent of being unbeatable.

Both Sehwag and Yuvraj are two wonderfully gifted all-rounder cricketers whose mere presence in the park makes a world of difference. Without them India are not the team that could be expected to do wonders or even live to their big reputation now.

Under the circumstances it seems highly unlikely that India would be able to lift their game and make it to the semifinals of the Champions Trophy. Their fate, in the present scenario, might not be much different to the one in the ICC Twenty20 in England earlier this year.

India, on paper, are still a better side than Australia and the West Indies, whom they have to combat in the remaining two league matches. It remains to be seen how Mahendra Singh Dhoni meets the challenge.

Life is already getting tough for Dhoni. Often found as cool as a cucumber he was certainly in a spot of bother not only in the field but also off it. He must have realized, although he might not admit it, that a game against Pakistan takes its toll and there are moments when you run short of ideas.

It was not Dhoni’s cup of tea to have remarked: "At times I felt I was three bowlers short. There were times I didn't know whom to go to or what fields to set. Wherever I put a fielder, the ball went elsewhere." It was not his usual answer to a simple query if he missed a fifth bowler.

Dhoni must be wondering how things went horribly wrong when he had the match in control by picking up three wickets inside the first 15 overs. How can he be blamed for pressing the part-timers into service at a stage when Shoaib Malik and Mohammad Yousuf were not prepared to take on the bowlers?

It was the failure of the premier spinner, Harbhajan Singh, to have severely hurt the plans. The vastly experienced off-spinner didn’t oblige his skipper with a wicket or two and in fact compounded problems by spraying the ball in various directions.

Shoaib and Yousuf played risk-free cricket with complete peace of mind. They knew that they were actually stealing the game by piling up the runs. Their double century fourth wicket stand ensured a mammoth total for Pakistan.

When India batted, chasing 303 in 50 overs, they kept the contest alive by maintaining healthy run-rate from the outset. Strangely though, some suicidal instincts saw them lose wickets against the run of play. They were bowled out inside 45 overs. In fact 31 deliveries were still to be bowled when their last wicket fell.

Although 54 runs separated the two sides in the end, the contest was much closer and India were guilty of giving it away after being in the driving seat which was of course not an unusual sight in their games against Pakistan in particular.

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