Wednesday, March 30, 2011

Why did Pakistan loose the semifinal?

When you make Himalayan Blunders no amount of prayers help...
What are those Himalayan Blunders? Let me be brief.
  1. Not playing the most feared bowler in the world - Shoaib Akhtar. Umar Gul should have been dropped and Shoaib taken. Is there any match between these two bowlers? None. Shoaib is a class apart. He runs through the batting line up and when people avoid getting out to him they give wickets to others. In either case team benefits.
  2. Umar Gul giving away too many runs - 69 runs in 8 overs without any wicket. Afridi gave him many sessions even in the end to have a wicket in his name but he only succeeded in conceding more runs to India. One wonders why Omer Gul is the most favourite with Shahid Khan Afridi at the expense of the team.
  3. Bad field placement and hence leaking runs without a deep third man. Omar Gul was never bowling to the field. Over 20 runs were lost like that.
  4. Very poor fielding at least 30 runs could have been saved.
  5. Four catches were dropped of Tendulkar to the extent he was embarrassed. His luck was such that even after being given out the decisions were reversed thanks to the review.
  6. Such abysmal batting. Hafeez had no business to be out so irresponsibly. Where was the need of a non-cricketing shot? He must be dropped as Kapil Dev was once dropped at his peak by Gavaskar for an irresponsible stroke.
  7. Asad Shafeeq had no business to cut a straight ball from that arrogant Yuvraj.
  8. There was no need to bring upon themselves the pressure which they brought upon themselves. Misbah while trying to save wickets consumed far too many runs.
  9. Mohammed Yousuf was sorely missed in the middle and batting flopped miserably. What was Younis doing if he could not bat? And Afridi and A.Razzak? Why were they taken? I guess to bat.
  10. Kamran Akmal continued to be as bad as possible behind the stumps.
  11. What about power play? It should have been taken when the captain Afridi and vice captain were at the crease.
In short Pakistan could not have had a better chance to make it to the final and possibly the cup. This is too much and it has broken the hearts of millions around the world. Now we have to listen for the next four years that India has never lost to Pakistan in a world cup. Disgusting.

Sunday, March 20, 2011

Shoaib Akhtar - The fastest and the best fast bowler the world has produced...

The world's greatest bowler ever born!
Injustice done to the best bowler in the world...
We will miss him. I still hope and pray he does not retire and continues to play. If not the charm of cricket will be gone. If he goes he will be going without realising his full potential. He was extreme talent but we did not have extreme talent in management to match him. Poor management of Cricket in Pakistan has broken hearts of players and spectators alike.
How dare Naseem Ashraf the then PCB head, not give a Central Contract to a player of Shoaib Akhtar stature. Naturally he protested. Which later became cause of bitter controversy.
Talent has to be well taken care of and nurtured as is done every where in the world. So why not in Pakistan. I am not condoning indiscipline. He later was very good after realising his mistakes. We are all human we make mistakes. We must learn to forget and forgive. Now this guy was doing a lot and giving his best. His potential should be fully realised for Pakistan's sake.
Now it seems Waqar Younus and Afridi have haunted him out. It was a sad day for Pakistan when he announced his retirement. We should have a movement to bring him back. President Asif Ali Zardari should ask him to renounce retirement and be available for the national team. He should do what President Gen. Zia did to Imran Khan.
Shoaib Akhtar is the most feared bowler the world has seen. Even a half fit Shoaib Akhtar is more than all bowlers put together as Intikhab Alam had said. He would send a shiver down the spines of the world's best batsmen when he would be on the run up to bowl them.
He was the first to achieve speeds beyond 100 miles per hour and he consistently did that. In trying to play him out we got they gave away wickets to other bowlers. We benefited both ways.
However much the victory against Australia was cherished millions were sad that they did not see Shoaib Akhtar bowl on that day. I hope and pray they do not drop him in the subsequent matches. If they do then we know what is going on in the team.

Saturday, March 19, 2011

Pakistan breaks the winning streak of Australia in the World Cup...

Pakistan beats Australia Convincingly...

UK and Allies strike Libya... UK at its mischief again!

If The West is sincere and serious then they should solve decades old problems...
It is most unfortunate - UK again leading in the killing of people in the Arab World. UK never stops. It created Israel right in the heart of Arab Land and we see no solution in sight with Israel's atrocity and continuously defying the world community.
It is Britain that has remained the culprit throughout. It is not international community but UK in disguise. It was Mrs. Thatcher who forced Reagan to act in the first Gulf War. It was Tony Blair who trapped Mr. George Bush. No same thing under one alibi or the other they kill Arabs and Muslims. How many have they killed in Iraq? Where they are suffering they just keep talking and do nothing viz. Israel and India in Kashmir. There they see no oppression and democracy is forgotten.
Remember the Muslim World and The Arab World does not see it with kindness. If the West was sincere it would have done something to restrain Israel in Palestine and restrained India in Kashmir and the rest of the country not to be so ruthless and murderous there. People are dying and democracy goes to the dogs. Cant the West see this? Will of the International Community is just a hogwash for their hidden ambitions.
It is their interests. They are not interested in the people but are driven by the desire to weaken the Arab World so that tomorrow it is no threat to Israel.

Tuesday, March 1, 2011

What a match? What a chase? What a tie?

England needed to be there. But this is the super charged World Cup 2011. Expect any thing.
The batting was good by India but England were no where behind. Tendulkar ofcourse is Tendulkar. He built the platform for India no wonder. Bresnen five wicket haul ensured India did not pile up further.
The reply was equally sprited. Kevin Pieterson was wonderful and Munaf's catch was doubly superb that ended a class innings. The best caught and bold ever as they said.
Strauss and Bell amazing too. Did not think they could play so good. While cruising at will, Zaheer applied brakes along with Munaf.
But the last guy Shahzad of England's six brought England too close. Yet England's victory was not to be. Although some think technically England won. They lost less wickets and India did not bat the full 50 overs. It batted for 49.5 overs.