Sunday, December 29, 2024

Centurion test - South Africa won a cliffhanger

More blacks compared to green dots

Pakistan's Test Struggles: A Tale of Home Ground Advantage and Social Media Hype

The recent test match against South Africa saw Pakistan succumb to defeat, a result that, while perhaps unsurprising to those paying close attention to the on-ground realities, was met with a wave of social media frenzy. This overblown media hype often obscures the true factors at play in a test match, particularly the crucial role of Day Four.

Historically, Day Four has proven to be a pivotal juncture in test cricket. The pressure mounts, fatigue sets in, and subtle advantages can swing the momentum dramatically. In this instance, South Africa, playing on their home turf, capitalized on this pivotal day, leveraging their intimate knowledge of the conditions to their advantage.

This victory undoubtedly gives South Africa a psychological edge heading into the 2025 series. Playing at home, they possess a distinct advantage, having honed their skills and understanding of the local conditions over years of competitive play. Pakistan, on the other hand, will need to carefully analyze their performance, identify their weaknesses, and devise strategies to overcome the challenges posed by South African dominance on home soil.

Again... strategic "mis" management observed on captaincy

If my words are important, I personally feel,
2024 was a year, where Pakistan compromised
a lot on experimenting, instead of working
constructively.

Because right now, captaincy aligns with strategic management, which is related with team-meetings, and laying down strategy(s) for the team and strategic player of the opponent, which they might have done for Mohammad Abbas, but have we done the same for their (South African players), because it were the runs from their tailenders which cost us the match, otherwise we had cheaply taken their 5 wickets for 37 runs while 3 wickets were taken yesterday.

Again! I am not blaming Shaan Masood, instead I am blaming the team management, who're seated at this position without working on SWOT analysis, playing cricket of the 1990's. I might be incorrect in my assessment, but this is my say on what I feel about conclusion of the last test match of the year 2024. Adios 2024 and Welcome 2025.