There can't be another easy chance...to beat Australia!

Salman Butt the only batsman who applied himself as a test batsman but lost concentration at Ponting's brilliant bowling change and tight defensive field for just a moment and was stumped by Tim Paine it was a pavilion parade then on. The pinnacle being Shahid Afridi's penchant for sixes as if he is playing a t20 match. All the players had to do was to stay at the crease runs would have followed as they had two and a half day to achieve the target. And with the wicket playing so easy the victory was there for the asking. But our guys except the one above did not desire for it I am sure.
When you play Tests like 20x20 what else do you expect...

This a classic case of opportunity squandered. Time to think and bring back the greats of Pakistan Cricket. Send an SOS call to Mohammed Yousuf, Younus Khan, Shoaib Akhtar and Faisal. Now! With Shoaib Akhtar's genuine pace, Asif's nagging length a la McGrath, Mohammed Yousuf and Younis solidity in the middle and with a good captain there is no way we can loose.

Cricket is evolving...

Dilshan's improvised stroke lofting the ball over his helmet and the wicket keeper's, for a four against West Indies.

See how T20 is changing cricket?

The beauty of T20 is all the sloggers have failed. While new risky strokes have been developed, those who are not making cricketing strokes are all failing. Great example of the already once legendry Afridi. He was just not connecting the other day. Even today while Jaisurya and Dilshan played brilliantly both fell to unorthodox strokes - the reverse sweep.

But T20 is having a wholesome or otherwise effect on The ODIs and Tests. In ODIs you are getting tall scores. Some of the daring of T20 is manifesting itself there. Tests are also being affected. You are seeing better scores, more lively batting and lesser draws. Now if that is good or bad I do not know.

The biggest benficiary seems to be India. Their bench strength has increased no ends. IPL is giving a lots of young boys in India to taste international cricket and rub shoulders with the greats of cricket like Gilchrist, Shane Warne and the like. Govt. ban on no more than 4 international players per team has worked for them.

Like it or not T20 has come to stay. The T20 that started in Karachi due to paucity of grounds caught up in Saudi Arabia. Jeddah, Riyadh, Yanbu and other towns have at least three leagues in excess of 150 teams. It is unfortunate there is no mechanism by which those boys can show off their talent internationally.

T20 is entertainment par excellence. I only hope it does not kill ultimate form of the game The Test. But if people like Tendulkar keep playing till they drop dead unlike Gilchrist, Lara and Hayden who left at peak, the chances are test will face challenging times.