Shahid Afridi & his cricket farewell

When you think about Shahid Afridi, it's often about taking aerial route to smash sixes and boundaries or may be bowling quick leg spin deliveries offering little room to batsmen. You can also imagine him giving on-field motivational support to his teammates on every delivery and the first one to hug every bowler when he gets wicket. Even if he is in dressing room you would find him sitting in a front row verbally lapping batsmen on crease, always in loud words. In short, if he is in team you would never miss him in the game, as he is every time in the play till the end. He is such a complete and ideal package of a team player, always required in the squad. 

I do not know the numbers how many times I met him and to be honest I do not want to remember that because I always have desired to watch him in action, in play and in grounds. He is one of such persons whose actions speak louder than word, so I am aware when he is sitting among his friends he is always more with his cricket rather them. In spite he is the friend of friends.

In recent days he is not with the national team, which is almost a settled squad at least in limited overs formats and to do not require the services of Boom Boom anymore. But we can’t be deprived from to remember and miss him playing in Green shirt. And, as reported he was tired, not retired, which was the reason he is not in the national team.

 Despite he is still in action in the game and his performance in the Bangladesh Premier League is as usually praiseworthy. Leading the Rangpur Riders in the BPL 2016-17 season his 17 wickets in 11 matches at 14.94 include him among the top five bowlers of the event. While in batting again his 119 runs in total are attained with an astonishing strike rate of almost 142 with the help of 7 sixes and equal number of boundaries.

Arguably, it’s not the performance but the quality of the League which raise meager credentials for him to convince selectors for getting him into the national team, where one ideally desires to bid farewell his international cricket. And, it is onto selectors whether they find him suitable enough for national outfit or not. But the Pakistan Cricket Board will have to do more in this regard and they must devise a stage-farewell where cricketing greats like Shahid Afridi can see off the international cricket honorably and nobly. Perhaps the platform of the Pakistan Super League 2017 be a perfect podium to farewell him, which can appease all the stakeholders associated with this issue and more importantly the fans (including me) of Shahid Khan Afridi.     

By Naseem Rajput

naseemrajput@hotmail.com

Super Expert Lahore Qalandars Anchor Naseem Rajput.8/17/2016

YEH HAI CRICKET PAKISTAN 7/29/2016 Part.3

Dead wickets leading Pakistan cricket to death

At the end of the second day of the first Test match at Brisbane, Pakistan was at 97 runs for 8 wickets in reply to Australia’ 429 runs. Clearly, Pakistan is in deep trouble in the match and as usually Pakistani batsmen seemed incapable to bat on fast and bouncy wickets while bowlers were lacking experience to generate spark and rhythm in their bowling. The big question is why always the same happens? The answer lies in a famous quote “Man is what he eats”. And, the interpretation is what Pakistani cricketers sow on dead wickets in their domestic cricket at home cannot reap fruits on the deadly wickets abroad.

One of the best and latest examples is the recently concluded Grade 1 final of the Qaid  e Azam  Trophy -- the Pakistan premier domestic event – between WAPDA and HBL, which ended after three days of boring cricket as drawn, yet resulting in the triumph of WAPDA as the domestic champion on dubious rule of first inning lead. HBL despite giving WAPDA an almost impossible target of 444 runs to chase lost the match just because WAPDA had slender advantage of first inning lead of 42 runs. What is more noticeable, around 1200 runs scored in the match with the fall of 24 wickets. More disappointing was during the last two and half days only 4 wickets were fallen down, proving the pitch as “the graveyard of bowlers” yet again.         

It is generally happened that wickets everywhere help batsmen during first two or three days and later when the cracks developed in the pitch they begin to assist bowlers. But here in Karachi’ decisive match of the season, bowlers were helpless in the last three days and it was very depressing the way the final of our premier domestic event was concluded.  In the end, the barren National Stadium of Karachi was really in mourning on the dead cricket of Pakistan. 

 Five centuries were scored in total during the final match including two by Salman Butt in each innings and young Imam ul Haq’ 200 not out. Fakhar Zaman scored 170 while Ahmed Shahzad also scored 104 runs. While at the end of the season Kamran Akmal emerged as the leading batsman of the season with 1035 runs.

With these results and batting performances if tried and tested cricketers Salman Butt, Kamran Akmal and Ahmed Shahzad are called back in the national team, the national selection committee under their head Inzamam ul Haq will really be doing nothing but repeating, time and again, the same mistake.

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And, would the young and promising Imam ul Haq be given chance to show his potential at international cricket for his 200 not out in the final? One of my friends jokingly declared that the dead wicket in the final was deliberately made batting-friendly, only to make ease for chief selector Inzamam ul Haq’ nephew, who using this podium make his double ton as a credential to knock the door in the national team. But, I doubt in such credentials as performers on dead wickets are often proved dead fish on result-oriented tracks.    

By Naseem Rajput

naseemrajput@hotmail.com

Red Card to the new Cricket Law

The recent development in cricketing laws definitely has its pros and cons. Player are usually penalized for misconduct in terms of warning,  cut in match fees or any other monetary form but to eject them from the field has some concerns.

“As Guardian of laws” Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) has been playing a significant role in development of cricket and the MCC World Cricket Committee remained vital in shaping up the rules and regulations of the game. Therefore “to cover the most extreme cases of violence on the pitch”, the committee seek to empower umpires at all level to eject or send off players from the field over act of violence and threats to anyone in the field.

 Though the idea of sending off cricketer from field for inappropriate behavior or misconduct is not new in the game, as in 2001 talks were surface of a football-style card system for infield over-exaggeration and again in 2007 most of the ICC’ elite panel umpires publicly showed their dissent for the introduction of red card system in cricket. However it is the first time in 229-year cricket history that the idea has got any legal recommendation to seek amendments in laws for the subsequent rule effected from October 2017.

It has been suggested that “threatening an umpire, physically assaulting another player, umpire, official or spectator; or any other act of violence” will be considered a sending-off offence and result in a team being reduced to ten players for the remainder of the match. Mike Brearley, who chaired last week the committee’s two-day meeting in Mumbai says “we had a survey of umpires and 40% said they’d considered giving up because of abuse and anecdotal evidence from league cricket is that behaviour has got a lot worse. Umpires have to be respected and given the best possible chance of doing their jobs.”

                                                      

Although, the technical aspects of how the law will be implemented are yet to be decided – a red card or introduction of any new umpiring signal – to send off player, but the main thing is does the idea is beneficial or suitable enough in cricket to eradicate the menace of sledging and misconduct from the game? The obvious answer wouldn’t be a definite “yes”.

It is therefore hoped the International Cricket Council (ICC) would see the recommendation judiciously. As the MCC can be the custodians of the laws but it is the ICC, who has the prerogative to legislate for every contingency which might arise in the international game.

But it must be noted that the ICC cannot rely only on the Spirit of Cricket to sort these things out. The game demands complete impartiality and sensibility on behalf of cricket governing body for that.

Therefore rather than sending-off any player it is wiser and more appropriate if the ICC judiciously comes to  implement the ICC Code of Ethics in letter and spirit.

By Naseem Rajput

naseemrajput@hotmail.com

Naseem Rajput' Sports Blog: Baist Ali; always a controversial figure?

Naseem Rajput' Sports Blog: Baist Ali; always a controversial figure?: Once again former Test cricketer in Pakistan cricket team coach Basit Ali has become controversial in women cricket team. According to ...

Baist Ali; always a controversial figure?

Once again former Test cricketer and coach Basit Ali has become controversial in national women cricket team. According to reliable sources of women  cricket team management Basit Ali had heated arguments with the national cricket team captain over team selection matters during which the coach used abusive language against of females. Also, some players of the national women cricket team thought that Basit Ali attitude was not up to the standard of a national team coach.

It must be noted that as a Pakistan Women cricket team coach Basit Ali is having his second stint and like in the past women cricketers have criticized him on his behaviors and attitude again this time.  

The recent women cricket team' tour to New Zealand was totally flop where the team lost all their matches and even thereafter Pakistan lost twice in recently concluded Asia Cup when it lost final against arch rival India, 

Besides being the coach of national women cricket team , Basit Ali is also the chairman of Junior selection committee and coach of the SNGPL team. Neither anybody can perform all such duties and responsibilities at a time nor Basit Ali should be asked to perform all of them judiciously.

By Naseem Rajput

naseemrajpu@hotmail.com