One out of One 1/1 for Kevin Peterson

KP has finally lived up to his expectation and has succeeded in his first ever test match as Captain of the English team. He has led them to win in the end comprehensively against the South Africans after the shocking announcement from Micheal Vaughan to step down as England Captain.

So was there any difference between him and Vaughan or was it just pure luck? Lets see, KP first brought back Harmison and to his luck he paid off, and as they say; luck favors the brave.

Vaughan might have been a good captain and there is no doubt he was the best batsman before taking charge back in 2001 but his formed dipped as a batsman during his tenure. For KP, he has continued his form in as captain and did score the century in his first innings as Captain. This is called leading from the front. All said and done, it is way too early to say any thing that I have done already. Only time will tell about if he able to continue his magic with both bat and his brain to lead England to the heights that it deserves.

Sangakara Puts Srilanka in a strong position

Kumar Sangakara’s innings of 144, has put srilanka in a position from where it would be very difficult for India to defeat them considering Mendis and co would be coming at them with all their weapons.

Is that enough to praise a innings of class that Sangakara put on for show, Not Really! Sangakara started off as firmly as he does and got hold of the environment where his other colleagues were having trouble playing, he was finding the gaps with ease. His timing was at its perfects best, timing crisply as he has always done.

Leading from the front-KP

Kevin Peterson might have looked under pressure through the end of his innings but what ever the claim may be, he did his job to perfection. The free flowing nature of his batting was missing and there was an increase precaution in each of his shots. But that might just be temporarily, considering the fact that he was just a day old Captain. The extra pressure of leading the side did get to Kevin Peterson and there is no doubting but he came out of it as a winner.

He started his innings as he always does, it was the end that must have particularly worried most, an under pressure KP, mistiming his shots and taking precaution at each delivery making sure he reaches that century mark at any cost. That was very unlike KP, whose nature of batting is carefree but then as critics might criticize it, what matters most is that he did it and it was his sheer determination that got him there.

He could have gone onwards to make a much higher score but the century got to him and may be he got stuck in the joy of making the century in the first match as a Captain, No doubt a great achievement.

Thanks to KP, England now has a substantial lead, with South Africa trailing by a 100 odd runs. Considering the stats of the match, it’s a pretty good lead. It’s now going to be the test for KP to utilize the lead in his favor.

Mendis Again or is it another addition to Srilanka’s Armory

India might have been happy to have won the toss and bat. Their plan would have been to bat and pile up runs considering their strong batting line up and in the first hour or so; they wouldn’t have been so disappointed considering their openers did a pretty well job.

However what came ahead was not to be expected and it was Mendis again, at least that’s what you might have thought, had you just seen the scorecard at the end of the day.

But the story was much different, this time around it was another player, another place, but the result was same. A disaster for the Indian team yet again because of a new bee.

Prasad who made his debut in this test match, took his first wicket and that as well the prize wicket of the danger man Sehwag. But Prasad might have not ever thought of gobbling more wickets in the day because of the presence of THE WALL, but that was not to be, he first got Dravid LBW and then Mr. Tendulkar. What a start to the career, it was just time before Murlitharan and Mendis could have come into the act, and they did and when they did, it was all over for the Indians, Mendis was way too much for the tail enders and Murlitharan played his part in getting rid of another old timer, Ganguly.

But one thing is for sure, Murlitharan will now have to share his wickets with not just Vass anymore, he has Malinga, Prasad and the carom ball champion Mendis to do that with him.

A look into the History- Jawaid Miandad

Every now and then, I will be taking a player from history, at least the one I know and in his tribute for his services and contribution to Cricket, I will be blogging at this forum. I doubt if there is any cricket fan who doesn’t know about Jawaid Miandad, having said that some of you might not be knowing his true contribution to Pakistani Cricket both as a cricketer and as a Coach.

His contribution can be easily calculated from the last ball six against India which engineered many more wins for Pakistan in the years to come. His double hundred at crunch times made it possible for Pakistan to hold out as one of the best teams in the world. He along with Imran made the best couple on the cricketing field, with Miandad’s brain to Imran’s Rescue; it was a deadly combination which worked best for Pakistan Cricket. Of course, off the field they had a stern relationship.

Miandad’s quality was such that he used his cunning brain in playing his game of cricket, he batted that way, stealing singles, and making those singles in doubles which was missing at the time when he entered the International Arena. He used aggression, mind games and every possible thing to help him to overcome his opponent, a technique which is currently employed by the Australian cricket team successfully.

Miandad should be acknowledged for the brain child on which the Australian team success lies in.

He coached Pakistan thrice and got them to the world cup finals of 1999 (Miandad resigned a week before the World Cup, but he coached the team until it was ranked among the top 3 therefore the credit for the World Cup 99 should be given to him). An achievement matched by very little in Pakistan cricket, his coaching was same as his playing days.

Miandad is an Icon in the Pakistan’s cricket history and remains up until now as its Best batsman who have played for Pakistan.

Entering the Olympics, A million dollar Question?

Discussions are going on, cricketers are supporting it, Ganguly is in favor and Steve Waugh has just joined the band wagon. So what is it that we are discussing? It’s a simple one, should cricket be added into Olympics? And if yes, then why on earth didn’t it make to Olympics from the last several decades.

The answer could be very simple, Cricket is known through out the globe as a game that takes way too much time and they usually ponder on to the point of the game whose results could be draw even after 5 days of intense game. Weird rite? But then that’s what excites cricket fans. However it was this fact of longevity that had kept cricket out of the Olympics arena for so very long.

The invention of One day cricket didn’t help the matters either, since spending a day at each game was still way too long, comparing the fact that it took seconds to finish a 100m race. However, the popularity of 20/20 cricket has changed all this, with 20/20 cricket in place, cricket matches can be completed in 3 hours, which means 2 games can be completed at the same venue and considering different venues are used, the tournament could be a week or two to max.

The question now is, should it enter the Olympics, which basically defines sports. The support is huge, the players are willing, it is now up to the boards and the ICC to decide on the matters.

Considering all the matters, ICC has a very good matter to propose in front of Olympics Committee when if ever they meet up. For Cricket, it will be history in the making, and an opportunity to show the world, why in some parts of the world, the game has become like a prayer.

England appoints KP as their Captain

After the sudden announcement, from Vaughan and Collingwood to step down as the captains of English team. The England’s selectors had little choice but to choose their best player to replace the outgoing captain. Kevin Peterson, now would take charge of the English in both forms of cricket and even the third one of 20/20 when the time comes.

Known as KP, Kevin Peterson has energized the game of cricket with his breathtaking strokes, one of which was so controversial that it had to be referred back to the cricket law book. His aggression and style of batting has made millions of fans to adore his style of batting. And there is no doubt, his record speaks for it self. With an average of over 45 in both forms of the game, it is hardly any thing to say of his talents. But numbers speak less of his enthusiasm towards the game that made him to leave the country where he was born to England.

However, all this cricketing talents do not speak a single word towards his type of leadership, he has hardly any past experience as a captain. This goes largely against him as the best players of cricket have faulted when the extra pressure of captaincy is put over them. The best example is Sachin Tendulkar of India who failed to retain his form at each stint as a captain.

But as always, KP can do the impossible, a reverse sweep off Murli. An incredible achievement in itself! And just like that, he may be able to turn the tables around for England. How far he can succeed? Only time will tell. For now, we can just sit back and watch him play.

Vaughan Steps down as Captain

This news may not be a surprise for some, but for me it was shocking, Vaughan was the best possible choice that England could have had in the test arena. Vaughan who took over in 2003 as England’s captain after Nasser Hussein stepped down.

His biggest achievement would be to secure the Ashes after a period of 16 years, but this was not the only one, he drew a series against the South African in 2003 and was able to take England to win their first ever win against the West Indians in 2004.

However, after the Ashes win, his form dipped as a captain and after coming back from his injury he was never the same. He lost the series against the Indians and losses against New-Zealand also hammered his reputation.

He finally gave up to the captaincy after the series loss against the South Africa. This decision of his would greatly affect England side, which in my opinion had the best chance to succeed under his captaincy. Who can replace him as a successor is still to be answered. It probably could be Kevin Peterson but only time will tell.

Day 1- India Vs Sri-lanka

A review.

India did bounce back to some respect after the shameful defeat from Srilanka in the first test match. However, it was not a team performance, only Virender Sehwag could stand the ground and his performance was worthy of praise as he belted the Srilankan attack as if playing against a club side while his colleagues found it difficult to even put the bat to ball.

His 201 was yet another prove of his talent to score big and quickly, he now has a two triple centuries to his name and few double hundreds. An achievement that is much better than any Indian batsman. Whether the Indian performance with the bat was satisfactory or was Virender Sehwag performance with the bat any helpful to the Indian side, only time will tell.

On the other side was the Srilankan team, which also had a star performer, a young bowler who has a peculiar way of bowling. Yes, I am referring to Ajantha Mendis, his first 6 wicket hauls has been overwhelming and has outclassed the other master spinner, Murlitharan.

The bad news is for Murlitharan, since he will now have to share his wickets with Mendis, which might affect his overall tally of wickets.

As of day 2, Srilanka will have to bat really well, and gain a lead and force the match in their favor to try and win it. For India, they will have to take wickets frequently to put some pressure on the Srilankan side.

Resurgence of Andrew Flintoff

Andrew Flintoff made a bang to international cricket with his performance against the mighty Australians in 2005 Ashes, however he was no small before that either. He was the best England player, if not the world’s best, however after the ashes he had proved to the world that he was among the worlds best.

His enthralling performances with both the bat and ball gave England the edge in the ashes and in the tournaments to follow. But then his form dipped, he couldn’t score at the depth of the innings, which has always been his quality and was unable to show the batsman the way to pavilion.

And then he finally got unfit. It was a big loss for the England team as the balance of the team was largely affected. Thus allowing his critics to state that his prime days were over. However he made his return to International Cricket with the series against the South Africans, which is currently underway. He started of slowly but showing glimpses of his greatness that has most of the time eluded him in the past.

But what happened yesterday (31-07-08) was a proof that FLINTOFF IS BACK yet again. Against Jacque Kallis, he bowled an inspirational over filled with aggression, quality, speed and of course skill. The over left Kallis with no answers and was bogged down in the next over with a beautiful swinging Yorker. Kallis left the field shaking his head, however deep inside he must be grateful to Flintoff to end his misery.

Will Flintoff be able to carry on his form and reclaim his position as the world best all rounder, which he fully deserves, is yet to be seen?

Only Time will tell!

Is using Technology in Cricket worth it?

If you watched the first test match between India and Srilanka, you may have noticed the umpires referring to the third umpire for decisions that they were not allowed before. This brought about the downfall of a lot of Indian batsman who in the mind of the field umpire were Not Out, However the third umpire thought other wise.

The question now is, is it worth to spend this much time? Lets see, on one side of the coin, we can justify it by saying that cricket would become free of controversies, which have been marked previously over umpiring decisions. Fans have blamed umpires for their poor decisions and cricket boards have been involved in influencing the ICC to remove umpires from particular series. But umpires are not to be blamed, because they too are humans and humans are imperfect. They do make mistakes.

The other side of the coin is about the interest that arises when such wrong decisions are made and the scope of the game changes because of a wrong umpiring decision. This has been witnessed at countless matches. In addition to this, third umpires take a substantial amount of time in make their decision that reduces the amount of interest in the game for fans.

Is it worth it? You can make it up by your self.

Is it the end of Conventional Cricket?

The popularity of IPL has shown that 20/20 cricket has been rising in its stature as a cricketing format to reckon with and in the fast moving world, cricket fans love the fast pace cricket with loads of excitement. But does that mean we stop playing Test cricket?

Certainly Not!

The beauty of test cricket is much different from the “Too Fast. Too Furious”, cricketing format. Skill, Patience and experience is what it requires to excel at this format. Without it, you are deemed to fail. Perfectionists like Rahul Dravid are difficult to dislodge until and unless a genius like Ajantha Mendis comes up with a beauty (In the Recent Test Match) or Shoib Aktar at his lethal best bowling out Sachin Tendulkar or Flintof defying the mighty Australians to give them their Ashes in years or Brian Lara scoring a quadruple or Murlitharan taking 700 odd wickets or the magic ball of Shane Warne.

All this can be only noticed in Test cricket, a true test of one’s talent.

Does all this make sense to you? No! then I shall say, “Beauty lies in the eyes of the beholder” and Test cricket is no different.

What's Next for Pakistan Cricket?

For Now, it seems Pakistan cricket is at least back on track. Not because four of its players have passed the dope test but because it has been allowed to host the Champions Trophy.

The question now is, Is Pakistan really safe for playing Cricket? A question which would definitely be answered once the champions trophy takes place. Still though for now, Pakistan Cricket has a positive mark on its side by safely hosting a few series and a tournament consisting of 3 biggies of Asian Cricket. Therefore Pakistan is safe to host and The ICC accepts that, all the Cricket Boards accept it, Still though, "FEW" players have shown their concern and have also blamed ICC for being "IRRESPONSIBLE"

Who is it at fault? In my opinion it is still the Pakistan Cricket Board. I would surely be the first one to stand up and clap for their achievement of convincing all the boards but there is still a huge cry among "FEW" players. Because these same "FEW" would have no issues going to Srilanka, which has been affected by the same suicidal attacks for a while now;India, which has been rocked by bomb attacks in the last few days; or else for that matter Britain; which was also rocked by bomb attacks in 2005.

Keeping in view all the facts, it would be justified to say that PCB's past attitude of canceling tours has led the players to believe that PCB would back down when put under pressure.
It would now be a test of time for PCB to make sure that they carry on with the plan of hosting the Champions Trophy in any circumstances without coming under any pressure from any board or player. If it is able to do that, PCB would not only be on the right track but speeding on it like a racing bullet.

N.B: For those of you, who may say that the decision of hosting the champions trophy has been already been finalized. Let me remind you, Until its done, its not done yet...

Srilanka's unfolds new Weapon

If at all, it was not enough, Srilanka has now come up with another weapon and that too is a "Freak". The guy goes with the name Mendis who has already sensationalized the world of cricket with his carom ball as his coach calls it.

Srilanka's ability to produce such cricketers has been no new thing, it first came up in 1996 with Jayasuria and Kaluwitharana, both of these cricketers smashed the ball around as if it was a party going on. Then came the legend Murlitharan, with his weird action, he has taken over a 1000 wickets and has already been declared as the best bowler in the history of mankind.

And just when the world was praying that it has had enough of Murli magic. Mr. Pocket rocket (Malinga) came in with a bang with his slide action, which has been more dangerous for umpires, let alone the batsman.

Wasn't this enough? Well may be not for Srilanka, they have now introduced Ajantha Mendis, who with a peculiar style of bowling delivery have confused the best in business. Recent show of his magic was seen in the Asia cup, and in the first Test match against India. If you have any doubts, ask the Indian Wall, Rahul Dravid who was bold out by a Mendis Beauty. I would say he was "Mendisized"...

So for people who were pleading god to get rid of Murlitharan, hold on guys, he may not be the only threat any more!