Pakistan tour to England in COVID-19 conditions

Pakistan took decision in hurry

It is too early to say but it is my personal opinion that Pakistan has taken decision to tour England in this current sustained situation of COVID-19, as Pakistan didn't go for Quid Pro Quo as this could have been a bargaining situation for Pakistan to bid England to have a return tour to Pakistan.

Broadcasting woes awaits for Pakistan

Broadcasting is the main aspect by which a host cricket board earns major chunk of the earning for the whole series, but due to current on going COVID-19 conditions, the broadcasters won't be Hatim Tai (an Idiom used in Urdu language in replacement for generosity), instead they would definitely be SELECTIVE in SELECTING the SERIES, means only those series' which would benefit the broadcasters, is going to be the Mantra.

The broadcasters

The broadcasters are now going to be selective in selecting quality broadcasts for a particular nation and country cricket board, furthermore it'd be an opportunity for cricket boards to go for home grown cricket broadcasts structure just like Pakistan had during the WILLS Cup era when PTV used to produce and broadcast the Pakistan's home games to Star Sports, and mind it, it was much better quality wise because at least the cricket presentation was home-grown and furthermore the PCB had the control over the content being shown on behalf of PCB and Pakistan on international grounds.

In short

National Stadium, Karachi during HBL PSL 2020 game

We won't be able to to watch cricket matches between Pakistan and Zimbabwe in Karachi or a tri-nation series in Zimbabwe, which is going to hamper an opportunity for teams like Afghanistan, Zimbabwe to prove their worth against competitive opponents, which was supposed to be the good thing for cricket and for those teams altogether, as selective broadcasts would mean selective cricket matches to be broadcasted for the international audiences, which is definitely going to shatter the interests of the masses to watch a cricket game on their TV screens, which is now going to be a dream for many, as there have been audience who like to watch cricket games of minnows and less-known cricketing teams.

Cricket without the crowd

Empty cricket stadiums are now
going to be the fate of the cricketing
fraternity for near future.

It would be unjustifiable for certain cricketers for not having being appreciated and reaction from the chanting crowd off the seats, which is going to be the way it is expected that cricket is supposed to be played for sure. but how it is going to impact the performances of specific and certain cricketers, as I also personally feel it is the crowd chanting which actually enhances the performances and increase the stamina  for cricketers to perform, like Australians had an attitude of defeating their opponents in their own dens because the reaction of crowd getting down-and-out was a feeling which was liked in the Australian cricketing culture, and that was the thing, favored the Australian cricket.

Crowd and the cricketers

It is the crowd which enhances the performances of the cricketers. There have been cricketers who make themselves available for the cricket series' where there is proper cricket structure and crowds like that of the England and Australia, which was exactly seen when Australia games pre-pandemic against New Zealand, games were played in empty stadiums and hence it was like without any enthusiasm and interest and resulting in the games were called off citing the pandemic threat.

Crowd and the cricket commentators

Cricket commentators are also dependent on and upon the reaction(s) of crowd because their reactions make them (the commentators), create certain catching phrases and/or expressions which is later on treated as their registered unofficial trademarks, in short when I remember is the late Tony Greg is to be called one who used to enjoy the commentary while noticing 'n noting down the expressions of the crowd, go through to Sharjah classics commentary where he used to make an ambiance and than watch the same commentator in Sri Lanka where his tone was pretty serious, so crowd is the main thing which actually makes up the ambiance of overall cricket on how it is going to be played.

Pakistani cricketers

It is heard that Pakistani cricketers have been optimistic, as they have been playing in empty stadiums at Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Sharjah during home test matches Pakistan played at the UAE which includes the famous test match Pakistan played and won against England in Whitewash during 2012 season, and the famous gloomy test match against Sri Lanka which Pakistan won while it was striking night time from evening, hence they are optimistic that they won't be bothered, but I say let something be decided upon a proper time.

But on the longer run

Things are not going to be the same for anyone single cricketer, as there is going to be sans-saliva applied for bringing swing to the cricket balls and bio-controlled environment which is going to have newer dimensions for playing the game of cricket without giving favours.

Share

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.

Share

IPL News | Paddy Upton on resumption of competitive cricket

I personally agree with the comment of Paddy Upton who was the former coach of IPL's Rajasthan Royals franchise coach that resuming a game like cricket ain't suitable as the mental situation of majority of players' won't be up to the mark and instead it'd at least take 2 to 3 weeks before they'd be able to compete with a competitive brand of cricket like IPL which is a T20 franchised based league associated with India. Furthermore, He was ended up quoting;

Do you see the IPL happening this year?

It's really unknown whether IPL will happen, as much of the future remains rather uncertain. Some are prophesying months of lockdown and slow down, and others suggest that this is not too far off the regular annual influenza. Time and research will tell when sporting action will resume.

But the main thing which I also agree with is human-psychology aspect when we incur a self-quarantine where we get self aware of their personal-hygiene more than ever, personally when it comes to my personal experience, the time when I enter home from my office, my wife usually orders me to take a shower on immediate, the purpose of telling this is that this disease has literally affected the psychology of every single individual human being, which we used to take for-granted, we personally have to give them their importance;

What would be your remedy to keep depression away?

Being proactive in each of the areas I mentioned, ensuring that we are productively building each facet of our life, moving towards solutions, rather than sitting and doing nothing and over-worrying about current or future problems.

Last but not the least, like he also ended up saying the same thing, that we are not ready for this mental re-modification, therefore whenever such situation occurs; we should now be ready to face such catastrophe and keep out mind calm at critical situation, which we learnt the hard way;

In your interaction with players, did you ever ask them to be prepared to handle a situation like this?

I didn't specifically prepare a player for things like this, but certainly have had a number of conversations about how they are using their downtime. For international cricketers, much of this downtime is spent in their hotel rooms, and I have always encouraged them to be productive about this time, broadening their horizons and furthering their lives, rather than simply whittling this time away by spending the majority of it watching TV series, playing TV games or being on social media.

Share