Another casuality off COVID-19 pandemic

The ECB had intended its new eight-team,
100-ball competition to be the showpiece event in
the domestic cricketing calendar and to attract a
"new audience" to the sport, with the tournament
due to launch on July 17.

The first season of the 'Hundred' has been pushed back to 2021 following an ECB board meeting on Wednesday - April 29th, 2020.

What is the "Hundred"?

"The Hundred" is an innovative and minute version of T20 and T10 events currently going on, in order to attract newer audience like Baseball players etc. towards the game of cricket, which was supposed to be starting in July 2020.

It is the newest causality off COVID-19 pandemic!

This is the the reality, because I personally feel that it'd be unfair while not allowing the spectators into the grounds, who beautify the ambiance of the cricket game along with the cricketing coverage all around the world.

The last series before this pandemic

Australia v New Zealand at Sydney before the series called off because of lack of availability of flights as Australia had blocked its borders for international flights because it wanted to contain the pandemic.

The last game

The last ODI game was played in closed doors, even while stroking ball for a four or a six, players themselves were going to the stands for retrieving the ball, hearing the ball-hitting-the-bat sound so clearly which in normal circumstances was difficult to listen to this much of the clarity.

Even the PSL 5 games under closed door circumstances

I still remember, the last game in full house at PSL was Karachi v Lahore game at Karachi, which was the same day the World Health Organization i.e. WHO informed the world that the subjected disease has been confirmed as a Pandemic, therefore the next game played at National Stadium of Karachi looked like test match being played in coloured kits in Pakistan, as the same crowd structure was experienced in test match cricket.

Even foreign players were finding it easy to talk via microphone while playing the game

This is another of the aspect I noted while watching last few games of the PSL, that National Stadium of Karachi was as quiet at the game was being played at a graveyard, there was a graveyard-silence at National Stadium Karachi, even at times while watching the coverage, I could hear the generator hiss sound occasionally, and furthermore when commentators used to talk with a player fielding on the ground, they were finding it easy to talk and hear them, which otherwise was not an easy task to during a game played normally at National Stadium Karachi amid previously played games compared.

What I personally feel

There is a low chance that cricket might step up anywhere during the end of 2020, which both looks so far but if we take account of this pandemic and the way it is progressing in the matters of hours, I don't think the way we enjoyed the first part of the PSL, would take almost 2020 before the world will resume its life pre-PSL time.

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Mr. Shoaib 'Bash' Akhtar Sahab

Below are the points I am gonna debate on;

• Umar Akmal is the latest Pakistani player to be banned on the corruption charges

  This is a shame, because one must remember the fact that he (Umar Akmal) and Virat Kohli debuted in the same timeline, one end up being one of the greatest chasers of modern day cricket, and otherwise the other debutant end up being part of different controversies, and instead of concentrating on his career and the lucky opportunity of representing the country which other fellow players with him always dreamed of, but honestly in my own perspective, he was a great player but because of his childish attitude, he ruined the opportunity he got, for which there is none to blame, he was a self-detonating time bomb which actually exploded few hours ago.

• Akmal had failed to report spot-fixing approaches made to him during the recent edition of the Pakistan Super League-5

  Again I would have to continue with above mentioned argument, that because of the above mentioned attitude and behavioral problem in his genes, there's none to blame except himself, because initially we must take account of the fact that since Hansie Cronje debacle, the cricketing world/fraternity has been choosy and cautious of such approaches, and hence it is a raising of eye brows act that so much discrepancy in his actions that once he informed the PCB of the approach but another instance where such approach was made again, he didn't take it seriously and took casual attitude towards it in the second time around.

• Akhtar slammed the PCB and its legal department for their failure to handle the issue of match-fixing

  Here I am gonna oppose Mr. Shoaib Akhtar on diverting/converting/plagiarizing the whole societal issue into a lawsuit issue, which is under no circumstances relates to the present circumstances, because if Mr. Shoaib Akhtar recalls, he himself has been DEPENDENT on/of fan-support himself, which is not a bad thing but this is a bad thing that you end up diverting the attention from society who is basically responsible for this debacle, because honestly if our society and fans had acted sensibly, and had not pampered him and other cricketers post 1992 era, players would also had not crossed lines, even if we go through Islamic Studies as well, there have been restrictions/limitations on us because if otherwise, it would definitely create a catastrophe and a quick detonation of the time-bomb, because the society needs to be self accountable of their own acts before pointing fingers on others.
  Hence, instead of the legal department, it is the fault of the SOCIETY, because like we quote, You reap what you sow hence he himself was found saying that chiefs of the cricket board were fans of those tainted cricketers, but my say is even if the chiefs were, why the society let it be like that? Why players ended up saying ہم عوام کی خواہش پر کھیلیں گے like that? Means the fault lies more with the society because it were the masses who accepted them. So when society is the main culprit, you still want to blame the legal department of PCB and place all the mess under the carpet? This is a shame for you Mr. Shoaib 'Bash' Akhtar sahab.

  You should remember one thing

  Proud nations do place country's pride at front, and sportsmen are their reflections on global scale, and since you have retired from competitive cricket, you have been a bash-boy of the cricketing fraternity and have been acting the 'next' Veena Malik, and acting sycophantic towards Indians instead of being logical like Kapil Dev when Vikrant Gupta took him online for an interview, and placed your point of view of staging an exhibition game for Corona Victims, he said if they required money, we should give them as we don't require, instead I would had wished this amount would have been distributed to the educational concerns as our children are the victims as they have been void of their study rights. 
  This shows and exposes the concerns of a reply from an educated person versus an emotional and a person who place country's dignity on global grounds, because loving the country is one thing, but representing the love for your country on international ground is something else, SA might be a more patriotic person from the heart but failed miserably in representing the respect, dignity, concerns and pride of the nation on international grounds.

  Sachin's birthday

  Because of your sycophantic attitude towards Indians (no offense to Indians), even Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar didn't bother to respond to your birthday tweet, otherwise just imagine if instead, it was by Wasim Akram or even by Imran Khan, had he not respond? He even respond to Brett Lee, so this is a clear indication where you stand on the international grounds, so therefore instead of talking TIT-FOR-TATS, try to take courses and classes from intellectuals on how to talk and how to hit-the-pot-when-it-is-hot strategy instead of being a reckless driver on an expressway. Enough said...

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Ramiz Raja on Umar Akmal match fixing

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Cricketing life amid post pandemic scenarios

Ball tempering or THE charm of keeping balance between bat and ball

This is the major bone of contention because right now when we are under confinement known as Quarantined, there were several things in the game of cricket, which WE USED to take it as ordinarily and nothing to be taken of great importance, but now as soon as competitive cricket is supposed to be resumed, although I am personally unsure of exact tenure when, but it is expected whenever the same is going to be resumed, it is surely going to be a revamped one, as the life post pandemic is surely going to be updated and hence we need to take account of the changes we (those who're involved in competitive cricket like club or the regional cricket), for which we need to get ourselves to be accustomed, otherwise the transition period is surely going to be a painful experience and changing ambiance on the playing fields.

Current playing conditions

Test Match Cricket

One-Day International (ODI) Cricket

Twenty 20 (T20) Cricket

Post Pandemic Scenarios

The situation might again be reverting back to that era where ICC's rules and regulations might again be turning towards favouring the batsman. Many of the analysts and players (both current and former cricketers) claiming that scenarios might differ alot, and hence many of the players might opt to go towards batting end from bowling.

Social Distancing

We might be the last of this

generation who used to enjoy
the exuberant and animated
celebrations on the cricketing
field

This is going to be a major factor for which a cricketing fan swivel towards cricketing grounds, waiting for hours on security check points before allowing to be seated on the stadium seats, just because they want their team to win and furthermore the main thing is watching their favourites to perform and while performing, they want them to celebrate and to be animated, which is at most of the times is like earning a million dollars, and hence under the futuristic scenario, we are not going to watch such celebrations, nor hugs, neither showing emotions on the field, which is a hard tablet to be swallowed for an average cricketing fan.

Murdering the bowlers

As per interview of veteran Indian bowler Asish Nehra; bowlers when unable to shine the ball or making the ball heavy from one end, by using the Saliva/تھوک/लार applied on the cricket ball, which enabled bowlers to enable a proper balance between bat and the ball, which was inaugurated by the Pakistani bowlers in order to take advantage of batting friendly conditions in Pakistani grounds and to have some bone of contention for bowlers. Furthermore, the seed sowed by our seniors in 1970s like the lights of Sarfraz Nawaz and Jalaluddin (who scored the world's first Hat-trick in Hyderabad Sindh) were reaped by Imran Khan followed by Wasim Akram, Waqar Younis, Aqib Javed which is further taught to Shoaib Akhtar, Muhammad Zahid, Azhar Mahmood and one of my personal favourite all-rounder Abdul Razzaq, just because they could make the ball to ask question(s) to the batsmen because of which the

balance which was disturbed and favoured the batters mostly, became balanced and hence it was initially termed as cheating which was dramatically changed to art when England in 2005 in their own backyard won the Ashes series against their rivals Australia on the basis of their bowling performances and England got their TODAY's share of greatest fast bowling performances from their bowlers like Fred Flintoff, G Jones, and James Anderson to be named some, who emerged as same cricketing figures for England cricket like Shahid Afridi, Wasim Akram, Waqar Younis, Moin Khan, and Rashid Latif etc. for Pakistan and Pakistan cricket.

From cheating to art

This was the time period where England cricket started to emerge as a complete team and furthermore during Pakistan's tour to England in 1992 time period, the 2005 edition of "art" was deemed as cheating at that time, and hence it was like prosecution of Pakistan's pace battery namely the Great 2 W's.

Returning back from history to post pandemic situation

Using Wax instead of Saliva

What is ball-tampering? When you scratch the ball on one side with your nail, bottle cap, with your spikes or any other means. But that does not make the ball reverse. You have to use saliva, sweat, murray mints etc. to not just shine the ball, but also make the other side heavy. That is how you traditionally get reverse swing.

All time greats of modern bowling are suggesting post
pandemic bowling conditions might take away the
balance between bat and the ball.

The other significant thing to keep in mind is fast bowlers need to practise using the artificial substances that will be permitted during a match under the umpire's supervision. You can't just expect fast bowlers to arrive at a Test match and suddenly start swinging the ball even conventionally.
Bowlers need to have the experience of using these artificial substances, like wax or shoe polish, you are talking about to shine ball and understand its behaviour. Also different balls - Kookaburra, SG Test, Dukes - will behave differently on different surfaces. So there are plenty of unknowns as far as I am concerned.
How many times am I allowed to approach the umpire to use the artificial substance to shine the ball? When we put saliva, at times I would rub that after every second or third delivery. There are different ways to shine the ball. Sometimes you don't shine the other side completely, especially if your ball has landed on the seam. Sometimes the ball goes to boundary or into the stands and comes back damaged, then you shine the ball in a different way.
You shine a Kookaburra in a different way, a Dukes in a different way and you shine SG Test in a different way. You shine a new ball differently. When the ball is old and it is reversing. sometimes you put more sweat. When the ball is not reversing you are only using spit. When there is a new ball you only put very, very little spit wherever there is a scratch. What I'm trying to say is there are several different ways of shining the ball.

By permitting artificial substances to aid swing, the ICC is going back on its own rules. But as far as I am concerned allowing wax, vaseline etc on the ball is not exactly equivalent to ball-tampering. If it actually says go ahead and rough the ball from the other side, then probably the bowlers will welcome the move. Because with a bit of practice, the bowlers will dominate the batsmen, who are bound to say it is unfair. But if you are saying the artificial substance is allowed to be used only on the shiny side and the other side cannot be touched, then you might see more instances of teams piling huge totals. 

Personally I feel not allowing the use of sweat or saliva is once again murdering the bowlers.

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Akmal... Akmal... Umar Akmal... Did it again

I am not here to already ridiculed Middle Akmal of his own wrong doing, because he has already been ridiculed, trolled and memed at Twitter therefore I am going to have some thing more soberly and would try my level best not to troll him any more than what he has been already.

A bullet train who took a complete U-turn at the wrong time

There is an Urdu saying which definitely suits the current scenario and whom alternative idiom not available in English transliterations;

ہزاروں خواہشیں ایسی کہ ہر خواہش پر دم نکلے

بہت نکلے میرے ارمان لیکن پھر بھی کم نکلے

 ؒLike mentioned on #ESPNcricinfo, Umar Akmal's troubled cricket career has hit its biggest roadblock yet, with the PCB handing him a ban from all representative cricket for three years after he pleaded guilty to failing to report details of corrupt approaches made to him ahead of this year's PSL.
Furthermore, ESPNcricinfo also end up saying; Umar Akmal's troubled cricket career has hit its biggest roadblock yet, with the PCB handing him a ban from all representative cricket for three years after he pleaded guilty to failing to report details of corrupt approaches made to him ahead of this year's PSL.

This is a shame for us as Pakistanis

Because ironically few hours ago, Veteran Cricketer Salim Malik also pleaded guilty and accepted his faults and in repercussions asked for the softer corner like Salman Butt, Muhammad Asif and Muhammad Amir did, which brings to me to my next point as follows.

Fear of being accused

This is another aspect which either leads us otherwise detracts us whenever we try to indulge in such things, have we forgotten the universal law, that there is light at the end of the tunnel? Than how come these players indulge themselves while being on the privileged end, act so naive and sans view the bigger and the broader picture while not playing with their careers? This thing only occurs when fear of being accused is placed on the desktop instead keeping it under the carpet and thinking the carpet will definitely eat up all the mess they have hidden inside, which brings me to my next point.

Negligence of the management

Sorry to say but the reality and the fact is, this is a ridiculous thought the players solely are responsible for the mess and management is under the curtains and on the elite panel, one must question the management, here it is the PCB, that how come such thing occur under your nose? It definitely means there are strata within the PCB covering all this up, because of which this mess converted into a volcano and now placing havoc on the whole nation.

Globally and the National Pride?

Can it be assured that after this is done;

1. Our media acts in favour of the country
2. Umar Akmal sans represent in Pakistan colours/blazer?
3. Critically analyze the back-management related to such matters.
4. Articles being written on the news media regarding heavy finement and condemnation on such acts so that our coming generations became aware of it and hence avoid risking their rainbow careers into blacks?
5. Include the condemnation into curriculum because it is heavily required to encode these aspects as bad things in the minds of the younger ones
6. Proper implementation of strict SOP's must be placed in order to avoid repeating such instances in future, because the whole nation pride is dependent on it when we're on the international scale.
7. Make UA a sign of shame for future generation, that how a rising star turned south within a decade because of his stupidity.

If above mentioned are assured, only afterwards I am gonna appreciate the management of PCB, otherwise it is like again we say in Urdu, تھوک پالش کرنا۔

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ICC and its broadcasting partners and compare it with Pakistan

Following a thorough tender process, ICC awarded Star Sports the global broadcast rights for all the ICC Events spanning between 2015-2023. This included exclusive live and highlights rights across all platforms for ICC major events like the ICC Cricket World Cup and its qualifiers, the ICC Women’s World Cup, the ICC World Twenty20 and its qualifiers, the ICC Champions Trophy and the ICC Under-19 Cricket World Cup.

Exclusive to sell live cricket events' broadcasts to its syndicates

Star Sports also oversees the syndication and distribution of ICC events to a global audience and Broadcast Partners include; 

• OSN (Middle East and North Africa), 
• SKY (United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland), 
• Willow TV (USA), 
• SuperSport (South Africa and sub-Saharan Africa), 
• Fox Sports (Australia), 
• SKY TV (New Zealand), 
• ESPN (Caribbean), 
• PTV and Ten Sports (Pakistan), 
• Maasranga, GTV & BTV (Bangladesh), 
• SLRC (Sri Lanka). 

What about the Pakistan Cricket?

Pakistan Cricket is known by its main product which was but not CURRENTLY is domestic cricket structure, instead on the name of domestic structural cricket, we call it as the PSL, otherwise in my books, it was the domestic circuit games off which the bi-product was supposed to be called as the PSL instead it is otherwise in Pakistan. 

Otherwise

The matter of fact is we require OUR CRICKET to be known globally just like the old cricketing writers whatever the country they belonged to, know about Pakistan's Wills Cup, because it was MADE as a PRODUCT OF PAKISTAN at that time by our own authorities which was made available to global broadcasters like Star Sports at that time which used to broadcast Pakistan's games and it was an expensive deal at that time, where our management (the cricketing management) used to invest on long-run-goals, which benefitted Pakistan Cricket in longer run.

Media biasness

They call it as media boom, I call it messing it up with Pakistan's name and stature, because since the time Media got HOLD on the decision-making stature's, ruined Pakistan's self respect and stature on global arena, because the official sponsors of the Pakistan Cricket weigh so less, compared to the likes of Bangladesh which post 2000's have invested massively on their domestic cricket, which not only includes renovation of already built structures but also building newer venues which if we compare it with the regional venues, are at par.

Because of this media biasness, we have definitely lowered our standard and quality of players standards we used to have, because even if we compare Abdul Razzaq and Azhar Mahmood with today's lot of the all-rounders, the difference can easily be experienced, where we could have had expected from Azhar Mahmood in Durban to won a game for us in their own den, but not from the current lot, or we could have expected Abdul Razzaq to hit 5 fours against the jewel of Australian Cricket those days i.e. Glenn McGrath, they were gritty and and bold, but sorry to say since the time Pakistan started making their teams on fan followings that too from the so called1 roomed media houses, Pakistan cricket had their fair shared to disaster already.

Where is the management, who could take decisions on this scale?

The PCB should publish a lost-and-found advertisement for their management, who're nowhere to be found.

The Solution

Following are some of the solutions which under my limited scope could benefit Pakistan.

Stop thinking on the shorter scale and think on the broader-cum-larger-screen

Whatever the decision taken, think for the country, that how much benefit the country would get by the said decision, and link your benefits amid the profit/benefit from those decisions.

Pakistan Cricket as a product 

Pakistan cricket does require it to be rebranded as a cricketing product just like it was during early 1990s which the administrators WERE thinking about the cricketing fraternity and were brainy-cricketing-minds of those days, which are needed to think that way.

Linking profits with prosperity of Pakistan Cricket

The problem arises when we declined the basic rule on which majority of the global cricketing bodies have it in like the ECB, that they have linked their prosperity and benefits with ECB, if ECB does well it means they are doing well, because it creates a sense of accountability and transperancy in masses and the stakeholders, who're readily NOT RELUCTANT in investing with ease in the ECB.

Same is the thing we also require to have it in us because this is the high time of competitiveness globally, and if we do not act accordingly, we would be left behind by margin of not years but in decades, as already we lag behind in years when compared globally.

Official merch

In order to promote Pakistan Cricket, the PCB needs to team-up with their official kit partners to have their merchandise be marketing and sold on PCB's official website, because not everyone is in Karachi to buy it from AJ's official merch shops, otherwise a fan is ended up buying the duplicate and the second copy of the original merchandise, which are of the substandard quality, which dilute the standard.

Broadcasting woes

People might say, I have soft corner towards the Indians, but the fact is they have been firm on their Mission and subsequently the Vision, if remember back in those days when before particular series, they use to decide whether they are going to go with ESPN, TWI, NEO sports or Tensports. If I remember correctly, they (The Indian Management) started with their home series against Australia where they signed up with Channel 9, but opted for a standardized presentation quality like even in today's time, if we watch that presentation/production, by watching it we would recognize that it is a Doordarshan presentation.

Whereas

Pakistan lacks in an official production package FOR Pakistan Cricket. Star Sports has its own production templates for Ranjhi trophy and certain other Indian domestic cricketing events, likewise Pakistan does require the same strategy.

Sometimes ago, NZ used to incorporate the same production lines that of the Unisys systems by label of Channel 9, but afterwards they differentiate themselves as because of the production, they were shadowed under their Australian counterparts. But now since they differentiate themselves from Australians, they came into limelight and hence now we know more players of them as compared to earlier where we used to have trouble in pronouncing their names.

Pakistan's production templates

Sony Pictures India pvt. ltd. who owns TenSports now, have the rights to broadcasting Pakistan international home games, but sorry to say presentation template is same for Pakistan, Sri Lanka, and the West Indian home games, altogether.

It is just like

Those who play with Powerpoint Presentations would definitely get my point, where we have built in templates over there which we tweak it for our ease, but the fact is we are not willing to use our minds to have an impact on the viewer and the viewership aspect.

I personally used to

I personally do not like to self-praise myself, but those who worked with me, are definitely going to recall this thing that I used to make the Powerpoint presentations from the scratch i.e. using the blank template and than making it my own by making my own theming, which included colour, graphical aspect, fonts, heading 1, 2, 3 and transcript (which every one else used to hate me for this) because unlike my presentations, others used to paragraph their presentations, whereas mine used to be bulleted and hence my faculty instructors always used to recognized my own format like once I made a presentation for a colleague of mine (where I was not part of that presentation), therefore after university time, the faculty member told me afterwards after reviewing the presentation that she recognized it was made by me.

How she recognized

She recognized because I used a standardized template like Heading 1, 2, 3 and having standardized slide change animations which was jelly like instead of exuberant etc instead of manually bolding and having full paragraphs, means my presentation looks was glued in the mind of the viewer which in my case was my faculty member. This is the thing which Pakistan Cricket also requires.

Like I mentioned as above

Sri Lanka and the West Indies have the same template like that of Pakistan, so there should be differentials in order to have it recognized like that of the British Sky for ECB, SuperSports of CSA, Fox Sports and Channel 7 for Australia, and now SparkSport NZ for NZC which is totally unique than the rest of the cricketing world, because this is the need of the current times.

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Television production and Pakistan Cricket

Broadcasting Contracts for Cricket (Television)

Event	Broadcaster	Contract Amount	Rights Details
ICC Events	Star Sports	US$1.98 billion	Global audio visual rights for all events organized by ICC for 8-year period 2015–2023. Starts after 2015 World cup.[5][6] Camera, Commentary and the whole production is done by Star India.
English Cricket Domestic Rights	Sky Sports BBC Sport (Highlights)	£1.1 billion (US$1.56 billion)	UK and Ireland rights on all platforms for all games organized by ECB including International, Domestic and T20 League for 5-year period 2020–24[7]
Indian Cricket Domestic Rights	Star Sports, Hotstar and state owned free to air channel DD Sports (only ODIs and T20)	INR 6138 crore (US$944 million) only for Star Sports	Global rights for all games organized by BCCI other than Indian Premier League for the 5-year period 2018–23.[8]
Indian Premier League	Star Sports and Hotstar	INR 16,347.5 crore (US$2.55 billion) Star Sports – offers coverage in English as well as 8 regional languages.	Global rights for IPL on all platforms for the 5-year period 2018–2022[9]
Australian Cricket Domestic Rights	Channel 7 (only test matches and Big Bash League) and Fox Cricket (all matches and Big Bash League)	AU$1.182 billion (US$920 million).	Australian rights for all Cricket organized by CA including International, Domestic and Big Bash League for 6-year period 2018–2024.[10]
South African Cricket Domestic Rights	Supersport	Rand 1.5 billion (US$202 million)	Rights for all cricket organized by CSA for 8-year period from 2012–13 to 2019–20[11]
Pakistani Cricket Domestic Rights	Sony Pictures Networks India is the official broadcaster and producer. Shares feed with government owned free to air channel PTV Sports	US$150 million[Note-1] (according to sources)	Global rights for all games organized by PCB under ICC FTP (does not include Pakistan Super League) for the 5-year period from 2015 to 2020.[12]
Pakistan Super League	Geo Super and PTV	US$36 million
West Indian Cricket Domestic Rights	Unknown (New deal from 2020 yet to be announced)	Unknown
New Zealand Cricket Domestic Rights	Sky Sport Spark TV Sport from April 2020	Unknown
Sri Lankan Cricket Domestic Rights	Sony Pictures Networks India	US$80 million
Bangladeshi Cricket Domestic Rights	Gazi Television Star Sports does the production when India tour Bangladesh	US$20.025 million

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ICC on post-pandemic scenario

ICC on taking steps post-pandemic

This is a reality at least for a cricket fan like me, because if associates and permanent members decide to start cricketing action, as soon as the resolution of the pandemic, it is yet to be started from now upon a sustainability in on-going health conditions, where it is still a contagion.

Cricketing world and the pandemic

World cricket will start trying to make sense of the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on the international calendar when the ICC and its member boards get together in a conference call on Thursday i.e. 23rd April 2020. CEOs of the 12 Full Members and representatives from three Associate boards will be on the call trying to figure out, among other things, what happens to the T20 World Cup later this year, and their various bilateral commitments.

Fortunates and Unfortunates  

The last ODI amid the pandemic

The last international match to take place (behind closed doors) was the first ODI, of what was supposed to be a three-match series, between Australia and New Zealand in Sydney, and all cricket action around the world, international and domestic, has been on hold since. 

The ECB expecting losses 

Some boards are expecting a bigger hit than others; the ECB for instance, could see much of its summer schedule wiped out, and could lose nearly £300 million as a result. 

The BCCI

The BCCI has had to suspend the IPL indefinitely as the situation in India amid the global pandemic situation in India where the contagion is still on the high instead of stabilized worm of active cases erupting on daily and regular basis within the country.

Cricket Australia and the PCB

Others, like CA and the PCB, have been fortunate for the pandemic striking just as their seasons were nearly complete.

Minutes of the virtual meeting 

A number of bilateral series, some of which were part of the World Test Championship (WTC), have also been hit and the fate of this WTC cycle (2019-21) is likely to be high on any agenda. All WTC commitments have to be completed by the end of March 2021 for the final to take place next summer. The fate of the ODI Super League will also be discussed; the league, which is a pathway to qualification for the 2023 World Cup, was due to begin in May. This will make creating new windows into which to squeeze in existing bilateral commitments, while avoiding clashes with any domestic rescheduling, far trickier.

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The PCB doing something right

Post 2023 era for Pakistan Cricket

Pakistan expecting to bid for 3 major ICC events after this current contract ends where major FTP contracts are again going to be allocated to the highest bidders, Pakistan Cricket Board expecting they might be able to go for tournaments like U19, etc. which is something positive because Pakistan if hosts an ICC tournament, will going to be one after the 1996 Cricket world Cup, furthermore Pakistan has not hosted any ICC tournament like WT20 and CT which almost all cricketing world has hosted in their own backyards, therefore a cricket maniac country like Pakistan should also host some ICC events, which is surely going to benefit the cricket and the cricket vicinity in the country.

List of players who were plagiarized with the match/spot fixing
allegations.

Pakistan Cricket Board is going to grip harder the fixers

When I am using the word fixers, it includes both match and spot fixing and like we use a term in Urdu Language, سزا کا خوف which mean fear of the allegation, which is harder in the UK and the Australia compared to countries in the South Asian region, but Pakistan doing the right thing because it has been a norm when we've lost precious players because they were involved in the illegal activities, but the main thing is why we are mixing forgiveness with inclusion in the national team, because of this ACT of kindness, it has made the tainted players being getting accustomed of involving into such activities, the recent victim is being Umar Akmal, where he was convicted and was taken aback a day before the PSL 5 ceremony, which is a shame for the whole country because it has been a norm in Pakistan cricket since 2000s and now it has been almost 20 years when Hansie Cronje, Muhammad Azharuddin, Gibbs, Wasim Akram etc were called in match fixing allegations, South Africa and Australia have researched well and here instead still we have still being "fighting" with this contagion.

The problem lies with the masses

Not downgrading my nation but the reality is we require to acknowledge the flaws in ourselves instead of showing swiftness in allegating and pointing fingers on others, and thinking it as a sign of confidence, where in the world is the grace, sophistication, acceptance and mature temperament we should have shown instead of this immature attitude where we are always ready to degrade our fellow countrymen?

Taking ques from neighbours might help

As neighbouring country have zero-tolerance on these aspects and because of which they have able to gain the world-confidence in their favours, because in this way the world has shown confidence in that country's products and productions.

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Should WTC games be rerun in 2021?

Currently, the pandemic going on in today's time, it is highly unlikely that cricket games would not gain confidence of the international fraternity to stage international games at home and away (home of away team), therefore I personally feel it is highly unlikely that even ICC World T20 Event 2020 in Australia is not going to occur, where a single game ends within 3 hours, unlike a test match game where there are 3 sessions a day; A standard day of Test cricket consists of three sessions of two hours each, the breaks between sessions being 40 minutes for lunch and 20 minutes for tea. Means if there are 2 test matches in a series, therefore a single test match would contain 15 hours of playing sessions, which means a 2 test match series would have 30 hours of playing sessions, which in today's scenario is not the case that even a non-test match playing nation would risk playing on home nor foreign soil for such long span of time.

The World Test Championship should be played next year

Why I am advocating for its postponement?

Keeping in mind the today's scenario, where every single individual is and have been skeptical of each and every single thing like washing hands, touching staircases nor handshaking with our fellow colleagues etc. and hence under such circumstances if we opt for staging a single bilateral series between two teams is a dream of a dreamer these days, let alone a test match series which at least have a 2 test match series and like I mentioned above, there are 3 session a day, and there are 5 days a test match, therefore there are 15 hours of playing test match duration, and for that purpose, it is a potential risk of getting contaminated with the said contagion.

This is the main reason;

Because the game of cricket especially the test match cricket, is the game of sheer concentration, where it is like one is sewing a proper dress, which can either be a 3 piece suit, a shalwar suit, a casual tee shirt, or an un-stitched shorts, and for the purpose concentration is the main thing, and in current scenario, it is even harder for a player like the great Inzamam ul Haq to concentrate on the game amid the ongoing pandemic.

World Test Championship

Current Scenarios

The current remaining game of WTC

World Test Championship Calendar

Current remaining games of WTC excluding the postponed Pakistan v Bangladesh 2nd game at Karachi

Current World Test Championship Standings

This is the current WTC standings till April 20th, 2020

In case, if none of the WTC games being played in 2020, than under the current scenarios, those games are deemed to be called as a drawn game, and in such scenario where the game is not able to be completed under the current playing conditions where there is a global pandemic situation, and hence any single individual couldn't ignore this fact for sure, such game is going to be called a No result, where a "no result" is recorded if a limited over match which has been started cannot be completed, which usually occurs if weather or light interrupts play. The result is effectively the same as a draw.

In case, if all remaining games of WTC couldn't occur, such scenarios are expected

What I personally feel if we do not rerun these games at a later time?

It'd be unjust for some teams especially England and South Africa because in case of England, England is having all two games in their own backyard against the West Indies and Pakistan, where in their own den, England is definitely power to watch for and under current circumstances, they are deemed favourites for beating both and that too comprehensively, therefore England is surely going to show its displeasure in sharing those points with their opponents which England is surely going to oppose, considering their current lot of cricketers, and reconsider the fact that they are current ODI cricket champions, therefore being an unbiased cricket fan, I personally feel it is going to be unjust for some countries for sure.

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Mike Atherton on why Pakistan Cricket being so excited?

Former England captain @Athersmike on what makes Pakistan cricket exciting

Full Interview coming 🔜 pic.twitter.com/6c3yuHXpzI

— Pakistan Cricket (@TheRealPCB) April 10, 2020

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IPL Influence on foreign teams' attitudes - Money Speaks

Has Australia "go too soft" on India during the Border-Gavaskar Trophy in 2018-19 at home? That's what Michael Clarke believes, and in the IPL, where players around the world make big money, Tim Paine's youngsters are "too scared" to find Virat Kohli and partner, where the visitors won 2-1.

"Everyone knows how powerful India in the financial aspect of the game, whether in international/bilateral interactions or/and at the IPL," Michael Clark said in the Big Sports Breakfast radio program. "So, I think, Australian cricket, and probably every other team, went the opposite in a short time - in fact, they missed out on India, because they were afraid to dismiss Kohli or intimidate Indian players. They had to go and play with them - in April.”

"And they wanted to ... If Kohli is captain in the IPL, Rohit Sharma is the captain in the IPL, you know, list the ten players, they bid these Aussies to join their IPL team. So the player is like, 'Well, I'm not going to strangle Kohli, I want him to pick me up at the [Royal Challengers] Bangalore, so that I can know, in my six weeks, a million Americans (Dollars). There was a sense where Australia had gone through this small phase of our cricket, had it become too soft or not as rigid. We're accustomed to watching."

The victory was historic for the team India as they became the first Asian team to win a Test series in Australia. For Australia, the loss came at the back of the 2018 ball-tampering scandal that forced Cricket Australia to ban Steven Smith, David Warner and Cameron Bancroft, and take an inside look at their team's culture. As a result, Tim Paine and co. were under pressured to do their best against India.

According to Michael Clark, there was also a cricketing reason for not "smashing" the Australia. Virat Kohli, whom he rated as one of the top batsmen to play with or against. "I think some players think it's over, maybe they try and play this big shot in a state of aggression or frustration," Clark said. "But yes, I do realize that Kohli is one of those players you don't say much to, and he only hopes that he will fall asleep a little at the beginning of his innings and make a mistake."

Pakistan's concern

As it is written above, in the cricketing world, India is financially the power house, and therefore it is influenced while Pakistani players play against Indians.

Till 2005

Pakistan used to show vigor against their rival-next-border and arch-rivals, just watch the innings Pakistanis played against them in their own backyard. But within a year, the body language of both the teams were literally swapped, which literally means Pakistanis when usually face their arch rivals, now face them as if they are not their arch rivals instead arch nemesis.

Pakistani players not part of IPL

This is a reality that apart from the inaugural season of the IPL, Pakistani players are not part of any of the IPL till than. Than as above mentioned, where Australians have incentives for IPL contracts, why Pakistan is diluting its natural vigor?

The Vigor!

The vigor is something we as Pakistani fans would definitely would want, but the way under pressured Pakistani team has been playing against the Indians since 2006 is something suspicious because otherwise Pakistan team plays normally and well under a certain plan, but whenever they face their eastern neighbour, they play haphazard, and except the final of the #CT2017, they have not been able to overcome the goosebumps, which is pretty suspicious because of the sudden change in their natural flair.

Maybe is it because of a back-end-diplomacy?

Because previously when we were not dependent on their sponsorship contracts amid our cricket board's back office concerns, because of which post 2006, the natural vigor we experienced off our Pakistani Cricket team has been deteriorating and hence it has reduced the bowling qualities of our bowlers, because now we have a 150 KPH+ bowler namely Hasnain, and we are celebrating that we have got another Shoaib Akhtar sort bowler, otherwise Pakistan was a country where there was a backup to every bowler, but now we have one bowler only who can continuously bowl 150 KPH.

This exposes the priorities of upper management

This clearly exposes the fact that the priorities of our management and think tank have been diluted upon being the leader instead of following, because there is a saying that a leader is made by the team it being followed (anonymous). So our current PCB management doesn't have its priorities in taking aggressive approach in thrashing the monopoly of India, because of which we are devoid of watching those natural flair and talents like we used to watch till 2004, afterwards I personally have seen a consistency in all the teams without their natural flairs, which we have been void of watching.

Otherwise

Pakistan cricket board can easily take initiative but there is criminal silence upon that aspect, even if I place myself into their shoes, bringing home games to Pakistan could be one of priorities but answer me one thing, back-end management USUALLY lays down multiple plans and even if a certain plan is difficult to initiate, they place a blue print/plan along with a separate team just like BCCI did, and made a particular team, which lays a plan (the vision) on how we are going to achieve our vision (the mission), The PCB has and had to take this step on which they are not willing to invest on this long term plan, again country is in tertiary priority, which is a shame.

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