What they doing?

One and the half years later, still the world do not know the consequences behind Lahore attacks which let the cricket being away from Pakistan!

Hangup tactics have been followed by the PCB when it comes to the Lahore attacks on 3/3/2009 because of which international cricket from Pakistan has been a mere dream for a Pakistani spectator, but the way these people in power are doing their best to hide that report is even making me suspicious being a Pakistan, so can't think for a best when it comes to India, Sri Lanka and the western countries!

Their such tactics literally making anyone to think that they are hanging up the reports just because it'll expose their mismanagement and capability. That's why when ICC asked for the report for Lahore attacks, Ijaz Butt, the PCB chairman, who said that claims that the report had not been sent were "absolutely incorrect".

"We have resolved that. Everything has been sorted out and there is no problem on that account at all," Butt told Reuters.

If they have no objection sending the reports than why belating it! If Reports are to be believed true, Any such report can/will clearly play a role in determining the return of international cricket to Pakistan. "By not submitting the report, the PCB has not been able to form a strategy with the ICC and until the member boards analyse that report they will continue to hesitate when it comes to touring Pakistan," Ehsan Mani, former ICC president, told AFP.

There might be another possibility that like the current government in Pakistan, Mr. Butt also wants to make some money by staging home games abroad! If you go back to 2010 Lord's test between Pakistan and Australia, the way Mr. CEO Pakistan Cricket Board was bragging about the hit of staging home test in the UK, I don't think they don't have a plan of any kind for restoring international cricket in Pakistan and happy in staging home games out of home sans home advantage! Pity on such nonsense and idiotic people!

Last but not the least I must praise the people at ICC who still watching incapable people at the helm of affairs on PCB, still Lorgat and the ICC are keen to look at ways of bringing touring sides back to Pakistan though they acknowledge that a real push will probably be made after the 2011 World Cup. Lorgat recently suggested that it might be possible to send a "hand-picked" side to Pakistan soon, though he steered clear of putting a timeline to it.

What News Channels in Pakistan bragging about it:
* GEO News Urdu
* GEO News English

What News Channels abroad bragging about:
* Times of India

A new triumph!

4 days from tonight will be start of a new and tough series between a tough and vigilant English team against a mercurial Pakistani team, who just broke the vacuum of 15 years against Aussies in tests!

Couple of hours ago when I am writing this, team for England which would feature against Pakistan in tests starting from 29th of this month, was announced:

England squad Andrew Strauss (capt), James Anderson, Stuart Broad, Paul Collingwood, Alastair Cook, Steven Finn, Eoin Morgan, Kevin Pietersen, Matt Prior (wk), Ajmal Shahzad, Graeme Swann, Jonathan Trott

On paper it seems a very tough team and if news from Pakistani dressing room is believed to be true, than No Younus and No Yousuf for England Tour as well. I know and I admit that these youngsters at 3 and 4 showed courage but still its like devastating their career, as one bad performance would shatter their confidence resulting in inconsistency! These guys need to be groomed under the shadows of Younus at least as he's already in the UK playing county cricket and secondly scoring heavily for Sussex. Those who saying not to bring Younus or Yousuf, they should stop talking rubbish as creating termites in the team IS THE failure of management or to be more precise case of mismanagement, so don't try blame Younus or Yousuf for their own mishap! Currently this current PCB management has 2 big wins in their bags that's why their stay in the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore has been extended else no big contribution of any kind from their side since the inception of Mr. Butt to Pakistan cricket as PCB Chief back October 2008.

I was watching some former players' review some of them were so over confident that they were saying (literally) that kick all the seniors out and fill the team with juniors or overhauled like WE HAD just after 2003 and 2007 Cricket World Cup in South Africa and West Indies respectively! I just want to ask one question that is our back seat strength with according to our current national team? These guys no doubts played literally well being the first timers but still they would need atleast 4 years to fill the pockets with the likes of Younus and Yousuf and so I'd call it a sick-man's old joke!

Something positive from England!

Pakistan might call this tour as a successful one, but England tour is just round the corner with know THAT won't be our home-series!
Pakistan's chasing traumas Sydney 2010 - An Australian collapse for 127 in the first innings had left Pakistan with a target of 176 in the fourth innings - their best opportunity to end a winless run against Australia since Sydney 1995. The openers added a brisk 34 but wickets fell in clusters thereafter and Pakistan were shot out for 139. Dunedin 2009 - Umar Akmal's debut Test. After making a hundred in the first innings, Akmal was once again the lynchpin, scoring 75, as Pakistan attempted to chase 251. They had a fair chance at 95 for 3 and 161 for 4, but lost their last six wickets for 57. Galle 2009 - Pakistan were 36 for 0 and then 71 for 2, only 97 runs away from victory. Then followed a collapse to rival all other collapses during which eight wickets fell for only 46 runs. Salman Butt was the only one to make it past 20. Port Elizabeth 2007 - The last time Pakistan successfully chased a target of less than 200. Set a target of 191, Pakistan were facing defeat after Shaun Pollock and Makhaya Ntini had reduced them to 92 for 5. Younis Khan, who batted steadily, and Kamran Akmal led a revival that grew into a match-winning partnership of 99, securing a five-wicket victory.

Atlast a vacuity of 15 years was shattered tonight by Pakistan on Australia. I can bet every Pakistani was on the edge of the seat when wicket tally started to move from 3 to 4, than 4 to 5 and when the scores were tied at that vary moment when Kamran Akmal got brilliantly caught off the slips by Mike Hussey, honestly speaking I had my heart in my mouth, and when Umar Gul hit the winning run, my breath got well.

It was SOMEwhat a job well done still slipups can be seen in the batting department, which apart from this time, backfired 3 times in the series (keeping in mind there were only 4 innings for Pakistani batters to bat in this short series), but there can be some positives from this England tour specially in youngsters department where we had much better bowling than Aussies in both the tests, and in batting Azhar Ali had the temperament and got into the limelight! As far as the Junior Akmal concern he didn't impressed me much apart from being too interactive on the field!

But need of a player with the likes of Younus is required as apart from Junior Akmal there isn't a batter who could hold the pillars of Pakistani middle order and under him I am sure Azhar Ali will be groomed the most.

Now when this Pakistan Australia series is concluded, England's series is gonna start just in a 5 days time from now! and England players would be keenly watching this series and observing them, so one might think that another tough fight is in the pipelines for Pakistanis as Pakistanis wont have the privilege of being the host while playing against the England.

And as far as the captaincy woes concern, let us give time to Salman Butt, even a road when gets laid, needs time to get hard before it can be opened for traffic, so skipper needs sometime too and there should be strong hold on players else they'd get out of control like we saw just after ICC World T20 2009...

Too much for Aussies!

Big trouble for Aussies, but Sydney happened just 6 months ago...

If statistically speaking, this has been Aussies second worst performance against Pakistan in tests. Some of the more lows regarding this match is as follows!

• This has been Australia's second lowest score against Pakistanis


• In 1956 when Australia were bowled out for 80 runs @ Karachi which Pakistan able to win by 9 wickets!


• During that 1956 Karachi test, Ian Johnson had won the toss and put themselves into bat.


• With respect to number of overs played, this has been the 4th worst first inning total


• Prominent scorer in yesterday's first test against Pakistan, Tim Paine 17 is the fourth-lowest top-score for Australia in a Test innings in which all 11 batsmen have batted. This, then, makes it Australia's lowest top score in the last 110 years. The three previous ones were all against England: 10 in Sydney in 1888, 15 at The Oval in 1886, and 16 again at The Oval in 1896.


• As far as Pakistan's concern, this is their fourth lowest total on which they bowled the opposition out, on the other hand this has been the third while they loss the toss!


• Pakistan's opening stand has put Pakistan on top and may be a contender for first test win since the Sydney test of 1995 which although was a dead rubber when the series was already decided but that this time there's a CHANCE of cracking that syndrome!


• On the other hand Aussies are on the verge of their first live test match defeat since Calcutta test in 1998


• The last time Pakistan beat Australia by an innings was when they won by an innings and 188 runs on designer pitch in Karachi where Mudassar Nazar and Aamer Malik opened the bowling in both innings.

Miscellaneous!

Can we expect that he'll be leaving soon

Pakistan would be the only cricketing nation who knows the art of being in the news all the time for unnecessary reasons! Now see this old man who should start spending time at the mosque, and he should more concentrate on taking care of his grandsons and daughters, instead of TAKING GREAT CARE OF PAKISTANI CRICKET!

Already standing committee on affairs of sporting activities not happy with their performance, as in Pakistan he's nicked name as Mr. U-turner, and unlike expected off him that being a seasoned campaigner of Lahore City Cricket Association aka LCCA, he was expected to present and implement in plans for the improvement of cricket in Pakistan, and that too on the honorary basis, but this old man has been a liability more than anything, literally spending too much on foreign trips, 150 US$ per day expenditure of his on daily basis, on the places where he isn't needed!

That's where we can see why Naseem Ashraf was better than this joker who has bring nothing to Pakistan cricket except humiliation! on the other hand no future planning, no expenditure controlling steps nothing of any sort taken by him, stadiums land are being captured or owned by someone else under their presence, what does this convey! because of their mismanagement, Lahore attacks were held else it could had avoided! Deterioration of relations with fellow neighbours on cricketing grounds, just give me a single name who's supposed to be a friend to Pakistan cricket board these days, couples of years ago we had good relations with India and Sri Lanka both and Bangladesh were also improving but by time 2009-10, everything is in vein and nothing of any sort with them.

And now after this, icing on the cake, changing skippers of the sides like one changes his pajamas too often, since 2009 we had skippers from Shoaib Malik, Younus Khan, Mohammad Yousuf, Shoaib Malik again, Shahid Afridi and now Salman Butt. Is this a gali muhalla ki cricket team! even in that cricket we have skipper for a long time compared to our national side!

Why are Yousuf and Younis missing?

Why are Yousuf and Younis missing?

Huge loss indeed

Mohammad Yousuf has been a prolific run scorer in Pakistani middle order averaging more than 60 in last five and the half years time

After seeing what this cricket board has done with the formidable heavy weight middle order of Pakistan cricket team, I think we don't need foes to destroy us as these three middle-order positions for Pakistan have been among the world's best, and even more successful than the more acclaimed middle orders of Australia and India, They average 51.85, which is next only to Sri Lanka's 55.15, and their tally of 31 centuries in 40 Tests means that, on average, there is one centurion among Pakistan's Nos. 3, 4 and 5 in three out of four Tests!

Team-wise middle-order stats (Nos. 3-5) in Tests since 2005

Team	No. of players	Tests	Runs	Average	100s/ 50s
Sri Lanka	13	45	11,582	55.15	36/ 44
Pakistan	17	40	10,579	51.85	31/ 45
Australia	14	60	14,112	51.50	44/ 64
South Africa	13	59	12,703	47.22	41/ 54
India	14	55	11,797	45.72	33/ 60
England	16	70	14,754	42.88	41/ 61
West Indies	22	50	10,216	41.02	29/ 48
New Zealand	22	42	7802	36.97	14/ 41
Bangladesh	17	34	4452	22.59	3/ 24
Zimbabwe	8	8	941	20.02	0/ 6

Not surprisingly, all three of Pakistan's heavyweights find a place among the world's best middle-order batsmen since 2005. Younis and Yousuf have similar averages, of just over 60, while Inzamam isn't far behind with 57.40. Sri Lanka's two jewels lead the way, but India and England go completely unrepresented in the top 12. India's best during this period has been Sachin Tendulkar (average 51.10), while Kevin Pietersen has topped for England with an average of 49.91.

Best middle-order batsmen (Nos. 3-5) in Tests since 2005 (Qualification: 1500 runs)

Batsman	Tests	Runs	Average	100s/ 50s
Kumar Sangakkara	43	4103	62.16	14/ 14
Mahela Jayawardene	45	4333	61.90	15/ 13
Younis Khan	32	3273	60.61	10/ 11
Mohammad Yousuf	33	3364	60.07	12/ 11
Shivnarine Chanderpaul	46	3531	57.88	10/ 21
Inzamam-ul-Haq	20	1550	57.40	5/ 8
Ricky Ponting	60	5480	57.08	19/ 25
Jacques Kallis	55	4627	55.74	17/ 19
Thilan Samaraweera	33	2500	55.55	7/ 15
Brian Lara	19	1859	53.11	8/ 2
Michael Clarke	47	3468	51.76	11/ 15
Michael Hussey	47	3467	51.74	10/ 18

The partnership stats for the middle-order wickets tell a similar story: Sri Lanka lead the way with an average of 55.23, while Pakistan follow at 51.17. That average means Pakistan's three middle-order wickets put together about 153 runs; in the first innings of the Lord's Test, those three wickets only managed 38.

Team-wise partnership stats for wickets 3-5 in Tests since 2005

Team	Innings	Runs	Average stand	100/ 50 p'ships
Sri Lanka	224	11,875	55.23	41/ 38
Pakistan	217	10,695	51.17	31/ 48
India	278	12,718	47.81	35/ 55
Australia	296	13,483	46.81	36/ 58
South Africa	299	13,279	46.75	33/ 56
England	361	15,569	44.73	46/ 61
West Indies	271	10,859	40.97	28/ 49
New Zealand	219	7736	36.49	16/ 31
Zimbabwe	48	1185	24.68	1/ 8
Bangladesh	199	4455	22.50	4/ 24

When Younis and Yousuf got together, they were more prolific than any other middle-order pair, averaging more than 100 runs per completed partnership. In the 24 innings they batted together, they added at least 50 runs on 15 occasions, and went on to a century stand seven times. The Indian bowling attack was clearly their favourite: in nine innings against them, the pair added a whopping 1372 runs and averaged 171.50, with six century stands. They're the only Pakistan pair in the top eight, though; Australia and Sri Lanka have two representatives each.

Best pairs for wickets 3-5 in Tests since 2005 (Qual: 1000 runs)

Pair	Innings	Runs	Average stand	100/ 50 p'ships
Mohammad Yousuf-Younis Khan	24	2358	107.18	7/ 8
Michael Clarke-Marcus North	13	1026	78.92	5/ 0
AB de Villiers-Jacques Kallis	28	1967	78.68	9/ 5
Mahela Jayawardene-Thilan Samaraweera	26	1808	72.32	8/ 2
Michael Clarke-Ricky Ponting	16	1082	72.13	3/ 3
Mahela Jayawardene-Kumar Sangakkara	43	2839	66.02	6/ 13
Sourav Ganguly-Sachin Tendulkar	19	1175	61.84	4/ 5
Paul Collingwood-Kevin Pietersen	40	2404	61.64	8/ 9

While Pakistan's strength over the last five-and-a-half years has been their batsmen at positions three to five, their opening combinations and their No. 6 batsmen have hardly kept pace. At No. 6, Pakistan's batting average is an ordinary 32.04, and only West Indies, New Zealand and Bangladesh have done worse. Pakistan have tried 11 batsmen at that position, but most of them have struggled. Shoaib Malik's 19 innings have fetched only one century, and an average of 34, while Faisal Iqbal's 10 innings brought him meager returns of 184 runs.

Team-wise stats of No. 6 batsmen in Tests since 2005

Team	No. of players	Tests	Runs	Average	100s/ 50s
India	9	55	3323	45.52	6/ 23
Sri Lanka	10	45	2745	44.27	6/ 12
South Africa	12	59	3307	39.36	5/ 18
Australia	13	60	3316	38.11	8/ 18
England	11	70	3886	38.09	11/ 21
Zimbabwe	4	8	490	35.00	1/ 2
Pakistan	11	40	2083	32.04	4/ 11
West Indies	15	50	2517	29.96	2/ 14
New Zealand	15	42	1845	28.82	4/ 4
Bangladesh	9	34	1496	24.12	2/ 4

Post Script: Stats and Excerpt taken from Cricinfo.com

Are you nuts!!!

Lawson wants Shoaib Malik to be the test skipper! http://www.cricinfo.com/pakistan-v-australia-2010/content/story/467875.html

Mr. Politician as he (Shoaib Malik) is known in Pakistan, was once again recommended by the former coach, Geoffrey Frances Lawson for the test team which is playing in England against Aussies and later against England, and with due respect our former coach wants Malik to head Pakistan in remaining 5 test matches being played in England! Is he nuts? How can he be obvious choice when his own position in the current team isn't confirm! The last full series we played under him was against India in India in 2007 and how pathetic we played there, stats and reports clearly show, giving Indians a chance to have added advantage on Pakistan in recent years!

The way he created all those plots, only on having doubts on some of the players he was against and the kinda game he played than especially after the champions trophy 2009 in South Africa, the ODI and T20 series played in the UAE and the test series concluded in the New Zealand clearly shows he's not a team man when he refused to take crease just because of the green top, are such players taken with the team? I know he has some other good advantages but apart from that, being a team player matters the most, which I don't think he's! He's still playing for his position in the current Pakistan outfit!

After the inquiry committee video leaked on Pakistani television, it was clearly visible that Malik was the person behind all these bunch of a long drama serial, shrink into a mini one thanks to pathetic performance in Australia where we weren't able to bag one win, so how can he be an automatic choice over Salman Butt! Bring back Younus and Yousuf as individual players as Pakistan dearly needs the services of those, such strong middle order can't be made in matter of months but it requires hard work of years of which our cricket management want to scamper that and want to have pie in return!

Even an intermediate level student works much harder than these current so called Pakistan Cricket Board Management!

Something positive atlast

ICC Wants cricket to be revived in Pakistan http://www.cricinfo.com/pakistan/content/story/467640.html

Even ICC wants it but these stupid bum heads fail to do so. Earlier just before ICC World T20 2010 Afghanistan team came to Pakistan for practice, they could have easily used that opportunity for staging a short series against them. It could have shown positivity. Earlier than Bangladesh team also came for a short visit to Pakistan, they could have cashed in that opportunity too. But like the way our political government working VERY VERY hard to make rental power projects and war against the terror as our needs, its just ridiculous to think their own nominated personnel would do anything different!

I'd praise the ICC and Craig Chappel for putting out this idea but sorry to say as these stupid bum heads are more happy making money in off-shore home staged games and no plans for staging international games in Pakistan or even enhancing the stage of International Cricket Grounds in Pakistan most namely NSK and GSL. Don't wanna pin out another mishap which they recently produced was demolition of a newly built stadium in Punjab I suppose! If I heard it right before this incident happened, children used to play with the bricks by torn them from the walls, that was the standard of their construction.

Look at India, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh, how much they've invested in their cricket grounds! Is our cricket board doing the same?

Politics politics...

Don't treat Pakistan Cricket and Pakistan as your home born thing!

Am I looking stupid enough to understand things without facts and figures? These fatigued Pakistan Cricket Board thinks so! It doesn't matter for these PCB guys either Pakistan looses a test match or win, all they counter is how much money they're generating from the off-shore home series in England. Literally! at the time when Pakistan was chasing a mammoth 440 runs target with 8 wickets already down, Chief Executive of Pakistan Cricket Board, Wasim Bari was exclaiming the amount of profits they're going to get from hosting a test series in England! What a rubbish! Was that the right time to show your excitement?

Secondly! on criticism on selection procedure, the selection committee head Mr. Mohsin Khan, whom I had great respect till he applied for this job, again yesterday fumed at the media personnel when asked about the biased attitude in selection of players! Literally he used such terms that he was ignored as he was a Karachiiete and they (whom he not mentioned) ignored him for two years and made him the 12th man who'd give water bottles to the players! With due respect Mr. Selector but did this justify the unfairness in selection? Ignoring top notch players who COULD play in England and have vast experience of it (remember when Pakistan last played in England, Mohammad Yousuf was by far the best among remaining 4 batsmen in the batting order), and you justify it by gathering sympathies by telling your own 20 30 years ago mis-happening with you! IS THAT JUSTIFIED?

Not selecting players on merit telling we've to search for new players, so first strengthen your domestic circuit like India and Sri Lanka did in the region and than introduce new talent in international arena else it'll backfire it! you can't blame media for not putting your mishap under the carpet...

3rdly Salman Butt the dashing Pakistani opener who has been in great form with the bat these days has been NOMINATED (mark my words not appointed) as the skipper for Pakistan's later tour of England after the conclusion of current Pakistan Australia test series! I was reading one of the comments on Cricinfo.com that he doesn't change his pajamas as Pakistani team changes its captain since 2009!

Keep in touch with regional team's captain, start with India. Mahindra Singh Dhoni and Shoaib Malik were appointed skippers at the same time for their countries for the ICC world T20 in South Africa 2007. Since than Mahindra Singh Dhoni has retained his captaincy although India didn't cruise to second round or the semis in later T20 tournaments played in England and West Indies respectively! On the other hand, After Shoaib Malik, We had Younus Khan (which I still presume was the best captain of all, he just had hard luck with players because a manager took the side of rebels), Mohammad Yousuf and now Shahid Afridi. We should admit and ashamed of the fact that we've wasted them...

I just wish this government and this cricket board both are to be dislodged as they both know nothing how to plan ahead! After seeing what happened in the first test, indication shown that Mr. Chairman Pakistan cricket board wants Mohammad Yousuf in the team which would play against England! How pathetic! Narrating the same words of our chairman of selectors that;

Play for the country but don't play with the country!

as I don't know whose playing with whom!

May god bless us all!

Heavy work to be done!

Will test cricket in Pakistan survive?

After a pathetic performance in the first innings of the test match with the bat by Pakistanis, they're starting to show some form in the second innings while chasing a mammoth 440 to win in two days time, with already 114-1 with Salman Butt playing on 58 and Azhar Ali the debutant playing on 28.

I am as my previous articles state that not very optimistic regarding a positive result in favour of Pakistan but still they should capitalize it by learning how to stay on the wicket! Every team in current test playing lot knows how to minus Pakistan. Sorry to say but no test century has been scored by any Pakistani since Imran Farhat's 117* v New Zealand @ Napier on 11 Dec 2009. Do our players know how to stay on the wicket? Do they know the importance of staying on the wicket with limiting your shot play important in test matches? I don't think else if they had, (the management, board and the cricketers), we may not have loose the Galle test, the Sydney Test and some pathetic performance by our Seniors in the test opener played at the Lords, you can give some space to juniors as they're alien to these conditions and hearing and learning about some place is another thing and to experience is anything, other than Salman Butt, did the two seniors Afridi or Kamran Akmal justified themselves? The stage at which Afridi arrived if he had stayed on the wicket and supported Butt than we might have had a little deficit compared to a mammoth 105 overall lead.

Now as the elders say time wasted cannot be recovered but can be compensated by means of sensible batting in the second innings as there's a lot of time but you have to keep the wickets save till the last day! Else I think if Pakistan accept the result in favour of Aussies than the limited test interest in Pakistan would also be blown away.

Too little too much...

Shane Watson took his first test Fiver

Like I said, I wasn't over-expecting from their current performance with the Duke ball, but now when they started to bat, Aussies showed why they're a tough side to beat. Even defending a par score of 250 odd runs, they managed to bowl Pakistan out inside the deficit with starting the second inning on high by getting an overall lead of 105, for that too we should thank Salman Butt for his inning because of which we were able to reduce the deficit closer to 100 run mark.

Else I don't watch live test matches much but whatever I saw 127 for 7 wickets, I switched off the TV (prior to the reason that an annoying PEPCO auntie will appear on the screen telling me to switch off extra lights and use A/C on 26 degrees.. dumb-ass)

Returning to Cricket, now when I am writing this thing, the second day play has been finished which clearly belonged to the Aussies as they were able to finish Pakistan's batting in a day and than again were batting with a lead of 105 and now when the day's game over, Aussies have a lead of 200 runs and still 3 days game is left and 6 wickets for Aussies remaining!

I just hope Pakistan able to save this test match as literally without excuses, we were without such batsmen who know how to stay on the wicket, Asim Kamal, Faisal Iqbal, Younus Khan, Mohammad Yousuf to name some! Plus no grooming for replacement of such players can be seen and we're heavily relying on the raw talent being produced on this land!

As far as the test match concern, Pakistan has the sniff chance but very difficult even than as Aussies have already managed to extend the lead touching 200, and with out batters batting in tendency for stroke playing instead of staying on the wicket and stroke on the badder balls, they tend to stroke every ball, and in such circumstances if Pakistan saves the match would be a greater achievement and should cease think of a positive result from this test!

Well played but...

First day of the Lords test clearly belonged to Pakistan

It was a worth test match to watch, with two Muhammad's strike early and let the ball to to talk in windy, cloudy and seamy conditions just like we've here in Karachi these days, although not as cold but still, but Pakistanis pacers maneuvered the balls wherever and whenever they wanted, although fight from Clarke, Punter and Katich were seen but on the whole, it was more Pakistani bowlers on the Lords Cricket Ground than the Aussies Batsman.

Just before the first days tea, although Aussies had scored 170 odd runs but Pakistani bowlers chipped in with the wickets at regular intervals, and now the second day would be started by Mike Hussey and Australia's last batsman Doug Bollinger, who was responsible for a match saving and later match winning inning with Mike Hussey at Sydney during the new year's test match.

Now when Pakistani bowlers have fired, its time for Pakistani batsman to take the first inning leads and to give Australia something of a pressure, while talking of pressure, some pressure has already been exerted by the Aussies to the Pakistanis, not by their cricketers but by their article writers, because the incident they've been referring to was just an accident, when Muhammad Aamer being with his follow through went passed Punter with Aamer's elbow brushing him, can't they remember how they treated Pakistani players, not going too far, at the World T20 played in West Indies, Kyle Mills when his appeal was rejected in a Super 8 match played at Barbados against Salman Butt, Mills deliberately went closer to the batter to inquire, was that his domain than? He went that closer to be man-handled, so with due respect I'd just say that don't try to teach us how to treat when you yourselves are involved with it too. Sledging is also above the law in ICC's code of conduct but still Aussies have been the past masters of this techniques.

Peace!

Severe battle awaiting!

Expecting a good days cricket at the Lords Cricket Ground!

Before the start of the test series between Pakistan and Australia starting tomorrow at the Home of Cricket, keep note of these facts!

# Pakistan have not beaten Australia in a Test since November 1995

# This is the first neutral Test in England since 1912

# Ricky Ponting's record at Lord's is poor - he has 109 runs at 18.16 with a highest score of 42. It is his worst average at any venue where he has played at least three Tests.

Things not looking hopeful for Pakistan as now Aussies have their major skipper back in the business and so on some mystery in inclusion of Steven Smith which gives them an option of having added batsman in lower middle order, who can chip in some runs as well, and as the facts clearly mentions, Pakistan didn't won against the Aussies since November 1995 SCG test!

As I am not a superstitious person I don't think the last fact do give us an advantage as a team as Punter is a world class player and has a reputation with him. Pakistan team is also having some new faces in the middle order, where other than Junior Akmal, none touches the 40 Avg mark, so slightly new mid order in absence of MoYo and Younus, and we've to rely on Malik, Jnr. Akmal, Umar Amin, Azhar Ali, and so its relatively a new look Pakistan side it could open the door for Amin and Azhar to make their Test debuts. From the side that lost in Hobart, Khurram Manzoor, Sarfraz Ahmed and Mohammad Yousuf are gone, with Afridi recalled and Kamran Akmal back in favour with the gloves.

Form guide

(with the recent performance at the left)

Australia WWWWW

Pakistan LLLDW

This clearly shows where the two teams stand and so I need not to say much about it!

Part 1 of the triumph completed

Pakistan comprehensively beating Australia 2-0 in the T20 clash

Yesterday was the end of part1 of the home series including 2 t20 and 2 test matches which are being played in England but hosts are the men in greens. The two T20s which were played, Pakistan was manage to beat Aussies comprehensively, settling the scores from St. Lucia hammering when Mike Hussey played an unbelievable inning to take the match away from Pakistan. This time the story was different as many injured players were returned from their injuries, worth mentioning name was Umar Gul's inclusion, and he proved worthy of his inclusion when he took the all important wicket of Mike Hussey in the depth over.

This was one dept I personally feel we should look for, as without Umar Gul we're unable to finish our games, and so have we planned anything for life after this great fast bowler? I know many people might say there's raw talent scattered across Pakistan, but have we started to polish them, is so? NADA

Aussies have been past masters of creating their bench-strength ready for anytime. Although they were not able to produce greats like McGrath, Warney in bowlers but they've produced a closed result. So being a practical sorta person I am happy what Pakistan has achieved after 12 consecutive hammerings from the same team in 3 formats, but we should not be happy so much as things are not good for us in far future! near future it might work.

Although I personally support Waqar Younis's coaching as he is the perfect candidate to be teaching them the tricks and I personally feel, under the supervision of Waqar, we're seeing the current Gul all of us are being discussing these days. Its too early to compare him with the Great 2 Ws, but he can near them.

As far as the series' concern, I think it'll be a tough contest with Pakistan not showing positive result as far as the stats and result concern but I only hope and wish that they play with the hunger of winning, and even if they lose, don't give up the fight.

Good wishes

Who'll be the next?

Who'll be the next Vice-president from the Australasia?

Aussies have been damn angry on this rejection, which I already had mentioned here, but still they insisted with him, again I am rewriting this that a candidate of his stature should had withdrawn himself instead of being humiliated by the rejection, I had already wrote that thing way back on 28th May, 2010 when this whole saga had started to boil-up.

Now, when its all messed up, it'd be alot better to clearup that mess and to search for a new candidate from Australasia because it's their turn for selection of Vice-President. On the other hand, some voices have been raised too on the rejection of Mr. Howard with pleasure, I just want to ask them a question that if we (the Asians) would start doing this thing, than next time when it'll be our turn, they (the Whites) would repay us with the same by showing THEIR displeasure, so instead of taking decisions on emotional grounds, it'd be alot better to take decisions on logic and keeping far-planning in mind, because that's one ground where we lag and they capitalize on it.

Some might say I've been neutral, but I think that's the best way to analyze your-own-self, because being a human being no body can't be perfect, but CAN limit those weaknesses. Now what I fear after that fiasco and as I mentioned earlier that things will start to go against us when it'll be our turn...

Peace!

No Pakistan... =O

ICC announced its plans till 2015- with sans Pakistan organizing its home game at "home"

Yesterday [1st July 2010] at ICC's board meeting in Singapore, many decisions were made including ICC's Future Tour program, but Malcolm Speed's exaggeration over shadowed all matters, which included appointment of new ICC President Mr. Sharad Powar from India and most importantly ICC's future tour program till 2015.

Disappointing for Pakistani point of view that no Pakistani home staged matches is in between of this span, and the most significant aspect of this future tour program was that there would be ICC organized tournaments every year, like this year it was ICC world T20, Next year it would be ICC Cricket World Cup 2010 which would be staged in India, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh minus Pakistan, as Pakistan will enter into this tournament as a visitor team as current Pakistani Cricket Board Admin withdraw its rights to be the 4th partner of the organizing committee, and I personally think although Pakistan wont able to stage its games at home but it shouldn't had withdrawn its right to be the 4th partner. Well whatever happened, not for the good, but we should admit this fact that yeah, now since the current government has arrived, suicide bombings and other menace have deteriorated the security conditions in Pakistan.

As far as the FTP concern, I am still confused how they're gonna stage the Champions Trophy in 2011, as the last one was staged in South Africa 2009, so how two ICC tournaments can be held in a year, with two 50 over ICC tournaments would be held the same year? it would be the waste! If Champions trophy from the Pakistan wouldn't be shifted than the telly was right as follows;

2008 – Champions Trophy – Pakistan
2009 – ICC World T20 – England
2010 – ICC Champions Trophy – West Indies
2011 – ICC Cricket World Cup – the Subcontinent

but as CT 2008 rights were taken from Pakistan and were granted to South Africa who staged it in 2009, a very congested looking start to the new FTP I am seeing;

2009 – ICC World T20 – England
2009 – ICC Champions Trophy – South Africa
2010 – ICC World T20 – West Indies
2011 – ICC Cricket World Cup – the Subcontinent
2012 – ICC World T20 – Sri Lanka
2013 – Champions Trophy - England
2014 – ICC World T20 – Bangladesh
and
2015 – ICC Cricket World Cup – the Australasia

Where in the world can a CT be staged bi-annually in between except in 2013, when it isn't recommended to stage two similar format tournaments in a same year? (although different category) as I personally feel ODIs still have life in it and one of the important aspect of International Cricket

P.S. I can be wrong here and so you can help me rectify this information as this is what reached me.

A joker indeed

A joker indeed

A joker indeed, I should not agree with complete comments he passed about Pakistan and Bangladesh but now the bells have rung for Mr. Chairman of Pakistan Cricket Board as outsiders have also started to call him a joker.

The main points of Speed's comment on reaction to disapproval of former Aussie Prime Minister Mr. John Howard, that under the rotation policy, the next Vice President Nominee would be from Pakistan and Bangladesh, Australia and New Zealand shouldn't be voting in favour of it than. His comments came at a time when 6 out of 7 full members of ICC showed their displeasure in nomination of Mr. Howard, including Pakistan and India minus Zimbabwe.

He also mentioned that Mr. Sharad Powar lacks cricketing knowledge and might be working part time in the ICC as he already have a full time government job in India. He also claimed the countries who rejected Mr. Howard rejected him on political grounds and let a good administrator who could run the affairs of International Cricket, could go grey.

• I just want a personal question with him, that when he (No offence Mr. Howard) in power, than was that his domain to criticize on Zimbabwe Cricket and to cancel Australia's tour to Zimbabwe and barred all relations with the African Nation, was that justified?
  
  
• or when he being the head of the state, called spin wizard M. Muralidaran a chucker, was that justified? its an insult and disgrace to any simple and a common human being to be called as a thief without having any reason, on the other hand he's a spin wizard and a known sports personality in Sri Lanka and around the globe, so how could he insult him!
  
  
• and why going so far, in Pakistan during the regime of General Musharraf, when Australia was supposed to be touring Pakistan after a span on almost 9-10 years, but was afraid due to security conditions here (however it were not as much bad as they're now), as at that time Pakistan had successfully hosted the Proteas under strict security all over Pakistan, South Africa played almost on different grounds (tests and ODI included), where Pakistan authority had control over security situations, eventhough Pakistan was not given that chance by the Aussies thanks to their prime minister Mr. Howard again, who rejected the proposal of another President.

So being a controversial and political character himself, whose tenure has been filled with racism towards the Asians, and Afro Nations, so how could they claim that those who rejected Mr. Howard, did on political grounds, when the person who was nominated for the post did his politics even when it wasn't his domain, he was responsible for bringing politics into the game of cricket, and clearly violating the international laws where you're barring someone to do something.

As far as Mr. Speed's comment on Mr. Butt, I personally support his comments on it as this clearly shows his (Mr. Butt's) authenticity in international cricket, and I am only angry on my own people who nominated him as the head of Cricket Board of the country, else outsiders have the right to laugh on my own weakness and negligence, he has made Pakistan (not Pakistan Cricket Only) a laughing stock internationally, although being an ex-CEO of a game's governing body he should had controlled himself and not being so personally and emotionally attached to this decision as this is democracy that if member cricket boards don't like a particular person on the whole and his nomination requires votes of the member countries' cricket boards, so such things do happen but to show displeasure on disapproval is something which is to be condemned, as this shows the narrow mindedness and lack of sportsmanship in that particular person.

Cheers!

Unnecassary and unfair tactics

Pakistan will miss the services of many during this English tour

The biggest point of contention was the exclusion of former captain Younis Khan, despite his appeal against the ban imposed by the PCB upheld. Ijaz Butt, chairman of the board, said later that Younis' return would require clearance from the board, something that wasn't deemed to be an issue with Shoaib Malik, Shahid Afridi and the Akmal brothers, who were all pardoned and included. Faisal Iqbal, Misbah-ul-Haq and Mohammad Sami were the other notable absentees from the 17-member squad.

That's what I am asking! why only Younis need clearance when Afridi, Akmal brothers and Shoaib Malik had their bans overturned? It's literally unfair gasping such tactics and singly pointing out a single player and rest of them who were accompanying him with the bans, were lucky enough to had their bans overturned!

Now what punishment is PCB going to give to former captain, whom I personally think was the best captain after Imran Khan. I don't know why Afridi has been lenient regarding exclusion of Younus, by saying form and discipline let him out of the team, can he be assured that such things wouldn't be happening with him in future? So why being a chamcha with PCB? Inclusion of Younus in the England tour could had supported Pakistan's cause as he was already in the UK playing county, and scoring heavily, so what else sorta form is he required to show now?

Ok, if they say they wanna give chance to the deserving so where are the deserving ones, playing with the future of the youngsters with a tough English conditions is a suicidal attempt on their career, not everyone is of the caliber of great Javed Miandad, instead they should have opted for players who know how to stay on the wicket, like Asim Kamal, Faisal Iqbal, Khalid Latif etc.

I am just praying this regime of Butt Cricket Board ends quickly and to be handed to some professionals, instead of such rookies.