Alas. It was the start of the World Cup, Pakistan had been facing adversity for the last few months, and as they took the field against the West Indies, my hopes were high. My mind was lofted in heights thinking about how the team was going to come through and defy all expectations and show themselves as the team we all know in our hearts for them to be. Yet, to be a fan of Pakistani cricket is to set yourself up to be taken to the pinnacle of faith and hope, and then to be left stranded with no way to get down!
The number of things that one can find fault with are legion. Why was the tail so horribly long, when all-rounders like Azhar Mahmood and Yasir Arafat were taken to address that issue? Why did Yousuf and Inzamam play at 3 and 4 in the warm-ups, and revert to their old positions when the match started? When Pakistan were bowling, why did the fast bowlers bowl almost 30 overs on the trot before the spinners were brought in, leaving the spinners to be annihilated in the last 20 overs?
These aren't just questions for second guessing, but each of these decisions had a direct effect on the outcome of the game. When Shoaib Malik was left at the crease, with Kamran Akmal the only batsmen of any calibre left, wouldn't it have helped to have a bat at #8 or 9? If Yousuf or Inzy had batted higher up the order, wouldn't that have given the innings a stability which Younis, Hafeez and Nazir could not provide it? Would it not have helped if Umar Gul or Rana Naved or Iftikhar had more overs left to bowl at the death, to further restrict the WI score?
Lets be honest. The bowling was supposed to be the weakness. It wasn't. To restrict a batting side to a score of 240 odd is an accomplishment in today's ODIs. An inability to reach such a target speaks to nothing except a certain inability to apply themselves on a wicket that was only getting easier to bat on. Almost every batsman fell to an ill-advised shot, placed in an unsuitable location. Yet, despite all of this negativity, Pakistan, as they always are, were one innings away from pulling this particular rabbit of a hat. If this doesn't speak to this teams ability, then I don't know what does.
It wasn't all negatives though. Yousuf and Inzamam displayed consistency. Shoaib Malik displayed his class again, and one just hopes he learns over time to marshal the tail in a more dominating and effective way. And Iftikhar, wow. I now know why Woolmer has been a fan of his for such a long time. Effective bowling, stellar control. I think his selection for every match in this tournament is a lead pipe cinch.
Lets hope the matches against Ireland and Zimbabwe aren't made as exciting as only Pakistan can make such matches against sub-standard opposition.
Ending Thoughts:
1. Isn't it a great story that the WI won the opening match of the first World Cup in the West Indies, in Jamaica? This will truly give the rest of the World Cup, specially when the WI play some great atmosphere.
2. I think Pakistan's performance in the field made it absolutely clear why Danish Kaneria has not played more ODIs. Would the Kaneria fans like to speak to that please? I can't wait to see Afridi back in the squad.
3. What happened to those awesomely hot uniforms the guys were wearing in practice? Where is the yellow sash across the bottom? What happened!
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2 comments:
yayy! we can comment! heh - i should probably write more next time!
If bringing Afridi back, means getting rid of Kaneria, then so be it. I will wholeheartedly support it.
I thought our bowling was awesome in the first 20 overs. We had them. But there were times, when Kaneria was being whipped, when I wished Inzi would utilize his meager resources well. We NEED another pace bowler. Razzak's presence in the team stabilized the balance of spin vs pace. Bring back Azhar.
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