Asian Test Championship

Rana,

I am not sure if your friend may be able to help me here in Chicago.

Anyways, give me his phone number and I will talk to him and try and figure everything out in time for the final at Dhaka.

Afrasiyab

I guess we may be confusing a couple of things.

First there is the DISH (aka Echostar1 & echostar3) network. This is one of the competing satellite (Digital Braodcast system) DBS systems. Others are DSS, Primestar, etc.

Now Kelly Broadcasting Systems has gotten the rights to show the WC99 in North America. KBS (ww.kbs-tv.com) provides Cricket matches via Pay-per-view to other DBS providers. Currently they adverstise that they provide it on the Dish Network. This includes all Cricket matches (Tests for $50 /month, ODIs 14.99/month)
You can check out KBS web-site and follow links for the WC99. They still say they will provide this. And as far as I know they will be providing all the matches on pay-per-view.

Now when you buy the Dish Network you subscribe to certain services like American Top100 (which can replace your exiting cable), TVAsia, ZeeTV (both for $25 / month). Also the DISH network provides 2 types of dishes. Single (does not show regular cable but shows KBS- Cricket, TVASIA, ZeeTV) and DUAL (which shows American Top 100 in addition to others). TO replace your cable you need to get the DUAL DISH system.

So what I did was this. I live in NYC (Manhattan) and I got the SINGLE DISH through a friend of mine who runs this business. For the matches so far (Test matches) I got the service from KBS. You just have to call them up and they activate it on Channel 546. I don`t have any other services. I don`t really watch TV so cable did not matter.

However, for the upcoming ODI`s even ZeeTV is showing it. SO I will get ZeeTV for a month or so and NOT get the pay-per-view from KBS. For the WC99 I am not sure who all are showing it. I suspect even your local cable operator may provide it as pay-per-view.

I am not sure what number I gave you (DBS provider or KBS) but I think KBS will be showing all matches pay-per-view. there web site says so.

Also, I am told, the DUAL dish system is too large and cumbersome and will be replaced soon by the an integrated ONE DISH system. Murdoch has just bought into DISH network and these services will get integrated.

Sorry, this is all so confusing. If you would like to speak to my friend I can give you his number. I think he does installations in the NYC, NY, Connecticut area.

regards

Ranaji,

I am moving soon and I was wondering if I should opt for that dish instead of the cable service I have.

I called them at that number you had provided and they say that they will only cover test matches and they are not sure if they will cover the world cup.

I am in Chicago.

Do you know if they offer different services to different areas. I was curious as to where you live since you mentioned that you will be getting all the matches.

RanaRansher:

Dravid versus Ganguly. You do have a point.

R Dravid [29 Tests, 2375 Runs and average of 55.23 with 4 100`s and 17 50`s]

SC Ganguly [27 Tests, 1903 Runs and average of 48.49 with with 6 100`s and 7 50`s]

But... Ganguly is more aggressive.

re: SS
Trimurti - interesting. I agree that SRT should be left alone, `cause he is like an artist and should not be burdened with captaincy and such. Dravid - Vengsarkar is also a very good comparison. I personally don`t think Ganguly is capable of being captain, yet I frankly expected more from him in terms of personal performances in the recent Test series and the on-going ATC. He does however, show the grit and determination to battle it out.
But that brings us to the MAIN reason Azhar is captain. There really is no other clear choice. I am a big Azhar fan, I just think he is nearing the end of his long illustrious career.

Regarding what the selectors will do. Well, they have already sprung one surprise. Srinath is injured and as his replacement they have sprung up a Ashish Nehra from Delhi, out of nowhere.

I think the selectors were so enamoured by Akrams left arm mastery over the ball that they said, ``HaaN... left arm seamer honaa chahiye``

re: Saad
I played in a similar league in College in the US. Desi atmosphere, excessive appealing, dodgy umpires all ring a bell. To top that we also had a lot pangaas over the batting order. Especially when you had fielded and bowled out the opposing team for a small score and wanted to get your batting in before it was all over :-)
In fact, we even lost a match trying to give every body THEIR batting.

Saad:

Check out today`s www.rediff.com. Prem Panicker wrote on Azhar`s captaincy.

Fellow Cricket Lovers,

Can anyone mail a videotape of the Calcutta Test highlights to Boston ? You can name your price. You can respond here or write to saad@chowk.com.

Many thanks,
Saad

Let cricket be what it is - the game of glorious uncertainties. And let`s not allow politics come in the game, atleast not in the negative sense. Pakistan`s fightback was tremendous, no doubt and full marks to them. But this is not the first time that they have won, or nearly lost, for that matter. The team that does better at the time wins it and deserves all the kudos.

I say this: let there be more and more matches and opportunities and we will eventually learn to respect the game for what it is worth - a sporting glance!

Let cricket be the winner!

I think Afridi is from Karachi. I think...

Re: RanaRansher.

``I am not trying to get into a penis contest over India Pakistan cricket.``

I was getting a little worked up reading your response, but this statement completely defused the tension :-) :-). OK, I admit it, I was out to needle you. So, my dear friend, I am guilty as charged. Your points about non-politicization are beyond reproach.

As I said, I have been genuinely impressed by the integration of Muslims into the Indian team - it does seem religion-free. Perhaps, as you say, I am letting my Muslim persecution-complex (for I do have one!) get the better of me. And perhaps had we remained one, the Indian cricket team would be 40% Muslim.

In the early 90s, when I was in graduate school at Duke in Durham, North Carolina, the university`s cricket team was essentially all engineering students from India. I played with them for 3 summers and loved every game. I also got to captain several games and never felt an outsider. Really. Our opponents used to be other teams in the area, including UNC-Chapel Hill, NC State and Northern Telecom, all Indian-dominated of course with a smattering of Pakistanis and the rare gora or West Indian. The atmosphere was standard desi: intense and keenly fought, with excessive appealing and approximately one obviously biased umpiring decision per match. There was the occasional person who wanted to bring religion into it, but it never succeeded. One time, this rather inspired Pakistani friend of mine insisted we put together an India versus Pakistan match at Duke, and I felt embarassed to even bring it up - there was the unnecessary parochialization of course, but I also knew the Indians would beat the daylights out of us :-).

Saad

PS: You have aged me pefectly. The first series I followed properly was Pakistan versus New Zealand in 1976-77, when the Prince made his debut. I saw him make 206 in Karachi in his 3rd Test. Who could not love cricket after that ?

re: Saad

Apalling. I am sorry, but the proverbial Muslim persecution complex, in this case, is getting ridiculous.
You wonder why at any given time India does not have more than 1 or 2 Muslims in the team. Maybe this has something to do with India being made up of 80% Hindus. And just by chance the composition of the team reflects that. Muslims have been captains of India, very succesful ones at that. If partition never happened you would have had 40 -50 % Muslims and a team with 50% Muslims would have been quite natural.
Could you on the other hand dare to explain why Pakistans team is made up of all Punjabis while only 1 or 2 `others` are included. And where does Bangladesh fit into all this ?
In India, we have never looked at cricketeres as Hindus or Muslims or whatever else. Like all other things this is in sharp contrast to teams who have Non-Muslims in their team, yet they need to join in in all the religious overtones that come with being in a Muslim team as opposed to just a team. (Youhana)
Even today in the domestic circuit in India there are Muslims from EVERY state/zone who are in the wings. I could also provide you with stats on pre-partition and post-partition teams but what is the point. You can`t really explain secularism to somebody who doesn`t appreciate it at all.
My post meant to say, ``Thank GOD for partition, cause at least this religious bigotry doesn`t surface in Team selection``. It still is limited only to regional bigotry.
I used to play in the Delhi club scene. Jadeja and Saba Karim were both in the team. I remember having this discussion with Saba Karim. He mentioned that while playing any team in the world he never felt as uncomfortable as playing against Pakistan. Simply because Pakistan was always a Muslim team playing against Hindus. From his point of view, it was perversion of the game by religion. Some Indian fans would even question his loyalty when playing Pakistan just as some paticipant here claims, `Azhar dropped some key catches for the sake of Muslim unity`.

Pathetic, really. And no it is not Cricket.

regaring the supposed domination of Indo-Pak cricket by pakistan. I wouldn`t call it that at all. Up until the late 70s and 80s (Zaheer, Imran, Miandad, Mudassar - you seem to be from that era) it was quite the opposite if not evenly matched. In the 90s, with Azhar at the helm (and SRT, Dravid, Srinath, Ganguly) the team has again reversed its fortunes. If you look at the record (India pakistan have only played ODIs in that period) it tells a different story.
The recent 2 Test series and ATC is beginning of yet another great series of clashes. I just hope the politics don`t get to it and stop it. But alas.....

I am not trying to get into a penis contest over India Pakistan cricket. I am instead trying to point out that the game should not be politicised along religion. IMHO, if one good thing came out of partition it is that we do not have to put up with the kind of religous persecution stories you are conjuring up, with regards to Indian cricket. That sir, is not cricket.
Elsewhere on chowk.forum there are Pakis claiming genetic (??????) superiority over Hindus because of the recent 46 run loss. ANd then go on to say, ``First Calcutta then kashmir`` .
What next ? And where does this kind of thinking start ?

Re: Temporal # 111

A faster, more direct address is:

www.thefridaytimes.com

Re: RanaRansher.

India has had some outstanding Muslim players (Pataudi, Abid Ali, Abbas Ali Baig, Kirmani, Azharuddin) and I have always been impressed by how well-integrated they seem to be in the Indian team. I tend to agree with you that there is no overt religion quota in the Indian cricket team. However, I don`t remember every seeing more than 1 or at most 2 Muslim players in the team at any one time (please correct me if I`m wrong).

I would have expected to see more. If you look at Indian first-class cricket before partition, Muslims were never dominant. Indeed, except for the famous 1-wicket win in 1944, the Muslims versus Hindus Bombay Pentangular final was always won by the Hindus. I am not sure of the religious make-up of pre-partition Indian teams, but I wouldn`t be surprised if it was the same as today.

Following partition along religious lines, however, Pakistan has consistently dominated India in cricket. This begs an explanation. Is it that Muslims used to lack (and continue to lack) opportunities to fully develop their cricket potential in India, or could it be that there is (and always has been) a religion quota, but in the reverse direction (ie, max 1 or 2 Muslims) ?

If one goes by recent cricket evidence, a joint Indo-Pak XI would be at least half-Muslim. But somehow I don`t feel we would have seen this break-up were we still one nation.

Saad

Apologise for the typo.

The address s/b

www.tft-vanguardbooks.com

To all die-hard fans:

There is an interesting article on Saqlain Mushtaq in the latest issue of the Friday Times. )

web address: www.tft-vanguardbooks,com. And then click on Friday Times and finally, Profile.

regards

On the region issue:

It is all a hogwash.

I say if Peshawar can produce an Afridi then let them have a shot at all 11 positions.

I say if Punjab can produce Imran, Akram, Waqar, Mushtaq, Saqlain, ... then let them have the glory.

I say if Karachi can produce Miandad and Saeed Anwar and ...

What are we complaining about here?

Agreed that some players get a raw deal - but being left out for regional reasons? Nah! The Pakistan team has been the ``almost best`` team in the world for almost 20 years. I doubt that there was a ``genius`` cricketer who could have made Pakistan the world champion but because he was green and spoke Martianese he was not selected. NO. Did not happen. Most evidence is anecdotal.

RanaRansher:

Acknowledged. We are on the same page but on different sides of the border. Sorry if I momentarily misunderstood. It is amazing how we live by the seat of our pants.

On Dravid. I stand by my opinion. Ganguly the captain, SRT the star and Dravid the backbone - call it creator, destroyer and sustainer :=). hmm, trimurti of some sort. Still, not enough to win tests but enough to start drawing matches in Australia and West Indies. Adding bowlers in this mix will only lead to good things for India.

Dravid as captain is not too different from Vegsarkar as captain. SRT should be left alone. He will be the central figure regardless of who wears the official mantle.

Lets see what the jokers do.

re: SS reply #108

You are completely missing my point. I spared the details thinking you would understand what I am implying. But let me elaborate.
Currently, the Indian selection has a quota system which is based on region NOT religion. THis does not affect already established players but definitely makes it very hard for some up and coming players who are not picked because the quota from their zone is complete. This gets ugly as regional politics take over the selection committee. In India, the team slection so far has NOT been affected by religion.

Pakistan has its own share of problems. With Punjab vs the rest. And within Punjab, having the Majid camps and other camps.

WHat I am saying is: to add to all this. We would have an additional Hindu/Muslim quota. What an ugly proposition ?

re: Azhar
For your information, Azhar is NOT the team captain because of any Muslim quota. That doesn`t exist. WHen he debuted in `83 he had made it in on the South Zone quota, but he quickly made his mark.
Azhar is India`s winningest captain, regardless of what his critics say. As a captain, he has only turned aggressive in the last 2 years, pretty much after his second coming as skipper. Even now he is the best man for the job. He has brought about a lot of team unity and involves a lot of the players in making `team decisions`, something his critics call him a NON-leader for.
His batting skills are impeccable, although he has ALWAYS been suspect against quality pace bowling. He is, however, getting old. At 36 he is the oldest member of the team by a big margin. Till now it did not really matter because he was still the fittest. But he has been slipping in that department also. In this contest, for once, I did not see the Azhar of yore at the crease. THe pressure was getting to him.. 3 times (out of 6) he got out to very bad balls and played rather casual shots to them.
I really believe he will voluntarily retire after WC99

re: batting giants
After SRT, the other great is Dravid. he has a tremendous record outside India and against quality pace bowling. Even in this contest, it was a delight to watch him battle Wasim.
Ganguly, contrary to what you believe, has ways to go. He has temperament and talent. But he does not seem captain material. First off, I think he plays like an individual and is a little too concerned with his average. He was not seen taking singles to shield the tali enders. He would get into arguments with them over these.
A case could be made that he is too good to waste him at number 6. But then he should either swith with Azhar or come out to open. In this series he only played 2 innings worth mentioning. I would not say that about Dravid.

re: SS and the myths
I wouldn`t jump to any such conclusions.
Pakistans bowling line-up has always been the best ever for Pakistan. THe reason most Pakistanis don`t realize this is because in Pakistan cricketing heroes are made when they perform against India. With no Indo-Pak cricket for the last 12 years the current crop hasn`t proved themselves against India. Akram has a better record than any other pak bowler, despite not being played for a good two years, in which he wreaked havoc in COunty games in England. Between W & W they have 700 plus wickets. No bolwing pair in the world can boast of this. Saqlain at 23, is picking up wickets at an alarming rate.
Even otherwise when they have not been performing as a team, it is mainly because of the all the problems within. Team spirit can be seen when you see the fielding lift itself up to aid the bowlers. This is an important aspect which is not captured by any statistics.
Indian middle order, in my opinion, is still one of the best in the world along with Australia. Very technically correct. The contest was always between the Indian middle order and pakistani bowling. THe pakistani bowling came up on top on more occasions.
One the other hand a fairly mediocre Indian bowling line-up wreaked havoc, at times, with the pak batsman. Face it. THe Indian bowling consists of two bowlers and their forte is accuracy !!!!
Can you imagine the pakistani bowling their own batsman out ?

re: shafqat Indo-Pak 11

BTW all throughout my childhood I always made similar Indo-Pak XIs, for no apparent reason. Now being older and understanding the legacy of dirty politics a little more I would refrain from doing any such thing. Can you imagine the already dodgy management dealing with keeping the quota of Hindu and Muslim cricketers the same ?
Also how would the Pak team justify their sajdas of the pitch after the game, and the not-so-secular team slogans ;-)

On a different note, I would drop Azharuddin. He definitely is getting old. His reflexes are not the same. He will probably retire voluntarily after the WC99. India has a lot of good middle order batsman waiting in the wings. THey ought to get a chance. Batsman like Amol Majummdar, Waseem Jaffer, Amol Khurasiya, Devang Gandhi are hungry and raring to go.

re: sunask
THe more I read your reply the more it perturbs me. You are no different than the Calcutta crowd. And you obvioulsy have not followed a whole lot of this series. The umpiring decision noise started after the second Test match by you know who to save his you know what from angry fans. It is the oldest trick in the book.
WHen, in fact, in Chennai there were decisions that completely changed the game. Ganguly`s 2 (or even 3 !) bounce catch by Moin reducing India to 82/5. Now you see Akram complaining about an appeal (that wasn`t even given) against Malik.

This is all balderdash !! THese players need to accept the rules of the game as is. There are procedures to address shortcomings in the rules and those should be respected.

THe game has changed a lot since the `80s when you would see captains recalling players. It is more compettive and no one should be expected to call back players. The decision, afterall, good or bad, belongs to the umpire.
However, it should be noted, that Akram would have become a legend had he done that.

If there was an Indo-Pak XI to be chosen on the basis of the last 3 tests, who would make it ? Let`s assume nothing is known about ground conditions and the opposition - we need to choose the side that maximizes the chances of winning. My selection:

Saeed Anwar
Sadagoppan Ramesh
Mohammad Azharuddin
Sachin Tendulkar
Rahul Dravid
Yousuf Youhana
Moin Khan
Wasim Akram (captain)
Shoaib Akhtar
Saqlian Mushtaq
Javagal Srinath

Saad

re: All
Great game. Congratulations to the Pakistani team.
The game marred once again by the filthy politics. Calcutta should never get a game of any sort anymore. Disgusting behaviour. Unfortunately, I even expected it.

What surprises me is the same politics seen even here on chowk discussions. Pick some other game to politicize. There is hockey. Womens cricket which was cancelled (I bet not too many people even know about this). Leave this one alone. pleaaseeeeee. You are all proving Bal Thakrey right !!!!!

re: Umpiring decisions.
THis entire series has been affected by incompetent umpriring. No doubt, the umpiring could have arguably made or broken careers. It is unfortunate that the Indian and Pakistani press (including Pakistani players !) highlighted this in a very bad light. It is not about Neutral umpires, but competent umpires. Umpiring decisions have to be taken as is. Those are the laws of the game. It is a tough job, evidently in need of some assistance, what with TV replays providing such conclusive detail after the fact. It won`t be long before the `aerial umpire` (check out article on CrickInfo) is used. Blaming the umpire is the easiest thing to do. However, luck, when it comes to favourable umpiring decisions is very much PART of the game.

re: sunask
The referrees need to get more strict with dissention. However, SRT`s behaviour was thouroughly professional and in fact, the Calcutta crowd ought to take a lesson from it. He knew he had grounded his bat and was telling Dravid this mid-pitch while the 3rd umpire was busy deciding. When he was given out. He showed no dissent and just walked off. He then went and appealed to the match referee and showed him the clause in the ICC rule book and how the 3rd umpire had obviously gotten it wrong. That is the right procedure to follow per ICC rules.
In contrast to this a lot of other players showed dissent on the pitch, often by paying tribute to mothers and sisters of the world, cursing the umpire right on his face. The referees let this go.

RanaRansher[106]:

You say - [``Can you imagine the already dodgy management dealing with keeping the quota of Hindu and Muslim cricketers the same ?``]

I know this is sensitive territory BUT - Azhar there because of quota is not what you want to say, RIGHT? How about exploring the North-South problem, the Mumbai-Non-Mumbai problem - the Hindu, Muslim issue in cricket is way down in the proverbial heap.

Come`on RanaRansher, et tu...

RanaRansher [106]:

You reflected on the bowling attack of Pakistan. There was no myth there - they are good, home and abroad, individually, collectively, record wise, hype wise. I was simply trying to explore the ``greatest batting line-up,`` many players with batting averages above 50, etc. etc. In my considered opinion there needs to be a candid re-examination of the these batting giants (SRT excluded, INMHO]. I would also go on the limb and say that if these batsmen were really that much better than the Kirsten`s, Waugh`s, and so on, of the world then India would be drawing test matches abroad and winning more often at home. I say, give Ganguly the team and let it be run with instinctive fighting spirit that he brings, let SRT be the ring-master (akin to Miandad] and see what comes out of it.

Saad:

I would not play Azhar. In my opinion Ganguly is the player to have in a team.

Saeed Anwar (1)

Sadagoppan Ramesh (2)

Mohammad Azharuddin ----)) Ganguly (5)

Sachin Tendulkar (4)

Rahul Dravid (3)

Yousuf Youhana (6)

Moin Khan (7)

Wasim Akram (captain)

Shoaib Akhtar (9)

Saqlain Mushtaq (10)

Javagal Srinath (11)

Afridi (12)

RanaRansher:

Thanks. When indulging in ``cricketspeak`` it is hard to keep rationality. But we must. Check out the new survey, I think it goes to the heart of the matter ...

Any one out there with a post-mortem report?

Specifically, any myths that were shattered?

1. India has the greatest batting line-up in the world

2. Azhar is a good captain

3. Pakistan team is in a slump

4. ...

(1) In my opinion, Indian batting has been suspect against quality bowling forever. Not to mention they cannot perform outside India. Period.

(2) Ganguly is the rightful heir NOT Tendulkar. I have seen Gangu talk and play, he is the man.

(3) Pakistan team is back. This is only the beginning. Hopefully, Majid will not get his contract renewed on March 31. The betting enquiry will die a natural death and the ``boys`` will become heroes - the betting issue will die a natural death unless new evidence/witness comes in.

Suresh Reply #99,

I hope you are joking.

What do you have to say about the bad performance from Tendu throughout the series except for that one inning in Chenai.

Suresh,

India lost as a team. Azhar or Tendu or any other one person is not responsible for this. A team of 11 play in cricket except ofcoarse if Miandad is playing then its a different story;-)

I would like to comment/complement some points as I saw the 4th day of the match live in Troy,NY.

First of all, after having seen a cricket game live after 3 years it was a shock to see the rules of the no ball changed. Can anyone comment as to when the rules have changed: any run taken on a noball by a batman PLUS one is added to the scorecard? hence if a batsman hits a 4 , 5 runs are added to the score card!!

Few comments on some of the pakistani perfomances:

the commentators were repeatedly commenting on how hard working shoaib akhtar was during the day. indeed it was amazing. this guy has a run up longer than that of waqar. he is totally drained after the over and yet inthe field he was seen as diving and jumping at the ball showing no affects of him being tired. that is impressive. he is a very intense cricketer

although I am stating the obvious but it was remarkable in seeing akram and saqlain keep their nerves when they constantly dodging the bat. akram in paticular was making azhar look silly and towards the end of the day saqi did not exhaust the gems he threw at ganguly.

next is that run out fiasco. I was reading a report by prem paniker (www.rediffindia.com) about how when SRT found that he was out, he ran to the third umpires room and pleaded his side of the story. thats the reason why when azhar was batting , the replay of the runout was shown on tv so many times since SRT wanted to make a point. Now, is it just me or is this the worst case of dissention that you would ever encounter. ramesh got a suspended match sentence in this match just because he told the umpire that he had played the ball for the lbw decision--tv replays however showed otherwise. srt goes to the box and argues with the umpire and then the indian referee says that since azhar is already batting nothing could be done (Daily hindu report)--is this the right thing to say rather than ``Icannot discuss the decision with u, what we have decided remains`` Just like the MoM awards for 1st and 3rd test I think indian ``feelings`` were taken a lot into consideration througout the series.

akram himself was pissed when he commented that noone has the right to expect him to call SRT back. he got out fairly and if the indian newspapers wanted to right about dishonorable acts then they should have written about Ganguly who took the catch of Salim malik on a bounce and appealed for it. even mongia got repremanted officially for excessive appealing.

apart for the reception at chennai, it seems very little has changed in terms of spectator attitude for ind-pak matches. i agree with mofeez that the establishment must be responsible. in this case they opted for the worst case scenario during the 5th day riots to drive every one out. although pakistani fans have been guilty at times for similar offenses a decade ago, i hope we set an example for every one to follow. at least we never

threw bottles when we lost the wc semis in lahore.

i feel bad for the cricketing fans of calcutta, even on the 4th day some fans had placards that said ``we are sorry --calcutta`` after and during the riots. riots at two high profile matches (wc semis and asian test championship) has put this stadium into disrepute.

This is because Azhar deliberately dropped important catches throughout the tests.

Suresh:

long live Muslim unity.

Ok, now tell me, how is this related to cricket.

Suresh:

Hmm. Poor Indian cricket team. No wonder the team cannot win. With fans who think like this the match is lost before it begins.

Take a deep breath and think before expressing such drivel.

In fact without contribution from mian-bhai Azhar who dropped afridi and then Anwar, no century would have come from Pak. In fact I doubt if Afridi will ever score a test century again. long live Muslim unity.

I think Calcutta crowd had a reason to get angry. Laxman give caught when bat did not touch (well, pakis talk of saqlain mistake, but no. 1 is not the same as no.8, and in this case night watchman), ramesh LBW to a ball going down leg and the controvercial Sachin. Sachin has been unlucky before given LBW by Jayaprakash when he was not. Read description of it by Mofeez. How he handles Jayaprakash with kid gloves and how he handles when Jayaprakash gives decision on Afridi. Talk of neutral reports.

Re: Ferozk (Reply 93)

Exactly! If you read my post carefully, I was actually quoting ZZ. Personally, I`d put my money on SA.

Re: Random #91

Pakistan wins WC `99....yeah, right! Better chances for a messiah to come than Pakidiots winning!

Thanks to Mofeez for a superb stream of reports. This has without a doubt been the best site for following the game on the web.

The obvious reasons for Pakistan`s victory have been noted. I would add that deciding to bat after winning the toss was perhaps the most critical decision that ensured victory for Pakistan. Pakistan cannot chase a 4th innings target. If Pakistan had need 50 runs to win, they would`ve been bundled out for 25. Miandad knows this better than anyone, and I would guess he made this call.

Also, Moin Khan`s 70 in the first innings, scored after Pakistan were tottering at 26 for 6, was absolutely key.

Luck seemed to be on Pakistan`s side more often than may be explained by chance. Azharuddin`s dropping Saeed Anwar early in his innings and Sachin`s freak run-out sealed the fate of the game. Sachin`s departure, and the crowd disturbance that followed, completely deflated the initiative given by Ramesh and Laxman. By the end of day the tail was showing, and we all know Wasim Akram eats tail-enders for lunch.

The Calcutta crowd behaved badly, but I think I can see where they are coming from. Calcutta is a hard city to live in and this was probably a form of release for many of the people who went wild. In the end, the majority suffered for the errors of the few as everyone was expelled from the stands. For future matches, perhaps some netting can be hung over the stands to prevent the unhinged from hurling debris onto the play area.

Saad

Re: ZZ (Reply 87)

``Pak will win the WC if their batting improves a bit.``

The team in the best form AND hungry for it, is South Africa.

First of all, WELL DONE again Mofeez. And we
hope to continue to read more from you about
ALL Cricket games from now on especially those
between India and Pakistan.

Now to the game. This victory is, does and will
always belong to Saeed Anwar and the undefeated
188 he contributed to it. And next to our bowlers
who also came through.
From 26/6 in the first inning to a match victory
is indeed quite a journey. But my hats off to the
Indian side for their best behavior both on and off the field, something that the Calcutta crowd
should learn from.

Tendulkar was robbed as was India with a bad call.
But such a problem is not new in Cricket. We can
only hope that he is back in form soon because
he could possibly become the Bradman of the future.

I am happy that Pakistan won. Now let us see what
we can do against Sri Lanka too and of course
in the upcoming World Cup.

I am fully hopeful that Pakistan can win the cup
again, but if not then my next choice will be that the cup remain with a South Asian team.

Ras

A wonderful win for Pakistanis. What impresses me is that Pakistanis secure this win against several odds: violent crowd and 26/6 in first innings to name the few. It seems that Pakistanis can handle pressures of the game better than before. But, on the other hand, it might be just once in a while miracle.

One thing I can say with certainty:

Toe crushing

reverse swinging

yorkers

Zindabad!

Great effort by the Pakmen! Even though this is the first match of the ATC, both sides were looking for release after the faeces-stuck-in-the-colon 1-1 result for the series.

I was getting frustrated last night (stayed up till early AM) by slow reloads on www-ind.cricket.org, finally gave in and called a friend in India. He`s a cricket fanatic, so was justifiably rueful on the impending defeat, but disgusted with the crowd, which I feel reflects the majority public opinion in India. He felt Pak deserved to win and they (Indians) should learn how to take defeat in stride. More later, on our collective ability to handle defeat.

The extreme political and emotional overtones to every Ind-Pak encounter invariably mar the enjoyment of an elegant, peaceful, gentleman`s game. But is it really that anymore? Ind-Pak cricket really is a safety valve for pressures that build up between the two countries over extended periods of bickering. These pressures have been further exacerbated by the huge hiatus of 12 years for cricketing exchanges on domestic soil. The waning fortunes of Bal T notwithstanding, there are many exchanges currently in progress between Ind and Pak. A thespian troupe which recently toured India received warm welcomes; the Parliamentarians powwow in I`bad; ongoing NGO exchanges; and the dramay-baz bus trip. The significance of a standing ovation at Chennai was not lost on anyone, and did more for Ind-Pak relations than any series result can ever achieve. What a difference a venue makes. Will refrain from drawing conclusions about Madrasis vs. Bengalis. Anyway, I would have to say the cric tour has been a success, and would have been so even if we had lost - yet handled it with poise and elan. Victory on Indian soil always reinforces the larger than life image of Pakistanis in the minds of Indians, but that is an insecurity they must deal with. As a smaller country we always need to show up India in these `even-playing-field` scenarios, to compensate for our own real weaknesses. Anyway, better leather missiles than nuclear ones. Lets not fool ourselves, cricket is war!

As for gracefully accepting athletic defeat, in a politically charged atmosphere, this is always easier to pontificate on from the comfort of a keyboard, half a world away. I`m sure if I was in the stadium, the whole `shughal mela` scene would have sucked me in too. People come for a spectacle, whether its to crush arch enemies Pak, or to manufacture their own. They want it on their terms. Top it off with a legacy of top down indigenous jagirdari autocracy, and a dollop of colonization, and its not tough to fathom why desis have no respect for the rules. Who`s rules are these anyway? Why has the rule been made in such a way? Why did it deprive the Indians of their star batsman in such a freak manner? Triggers misplaced emotions, lubricated by `desi tharra`, and you get: Bhai hum tau naa khailein gay aur na khelnain dein gay!

I think the only way to put the demonic dichotomies to rest is by taking some mithai for my Indian friends ---- NOT!

Random (bring on the Lankans) Gekko

Rather a sorry situation. The people of Calcutta have decided to do themselves what the Indian team could not do: stop Pakistan.

If the crowd trouble persists, the match will have to go down as abandoned. Pakistan cannot be awarded the match, as in theory India could still win. But what a moral victory for Pakistan!

We may meet again in Dhaka. The crowd over there probably hates India and Pakistan equally - at least they wouldn`t care who wins.

Saad

I was just wondering what will happen if the match is abandoned. What will be the points position in that case.

Is there anything in the rules for that situation.

I would like to be a graceful loser but loosing hurts........

oh, well there`s always tomorrow....

india, always below potential....

Incidently, will Bal Thackeray be appointed as the new Indian Cricket Captin ?

Just Wondering.

Well the solution to the crowd trouble just like the World Cup Semi final should be the same.

I.E THE MATCH SHOULD BE AWARDED TO PAKISTAN if play cannot resume. Or, the entire crowd should be evicted from the stadium, since the game is basically over, and play should resume immediately thereafter and the formality of Pakistan taking the 10th wicket should be observed.

Pakistan 2

India 1

GAME, SET, MATCH!

GO PAKISTAN !!!

Pakistan just won. Being a Pakistani and a fanatical cricket fan, my joy is boundless. But please let us show some grace at this moment of triumph. I was pained to see some over-zealous hurrahs by some of my compatriots (without naming names). The victory speaks for itself. Immature taunts and snide comments on the losing side are just simply not on. Moments like these show strength of character. Well done Pakistan! Now let us not behave like the partisan Calcutta crowd. And so let us also not forget how well some of the Indians esp Srinath played.

Yes,

Pakistan won by 47 runs.

India Runs Required: 48

Wickets Remaining: 1

Calcutta crowd showing that they are no good. World Cup semi-final and now this Match State: Match temporarily stopped due to crowd trouble

Re : the dismissal of SRT - tough s..t India!

Re: Dubious dismissal of Ramesh or was it laxman off saqlain for bat/pad w/o bat, well, in Delhi India managed to bag 3 Pakistani batsmen`s scalps dubiously thanks to the 12th man on their team, so frankly, if Pakistan got a break or two in this match and were to win because of it, all i can say is that what goes around comes around. But unlike Delhi we had neutral umpires here in Eden Gardens, so India can`t really complain. Those are the breaks.

A Prediction!

India wins - whole of Pakistan commits mass suicide and no more problem!

RE: FerozK

Pakistan will be the winner and this will lead to riots in India-yesterday was just a brief show at Calcutta-and annihilation of the ``natural hegemon`` providing a sigh of relief to small, respectful neighbouring countries.

RE:all

The great game of cricket will bring the two neighbours close no matter who is the winner. Hopefully problems between Pakistan and India will be solved amicably.

Abdul Nadir

Re: RanaRansher.

Hausla rakh, javaan! India is not the only team capable of snatching defeat from the jaws of victory :-). Pakistan is pretty good at this, too (I suppose that`s what makes the anticipation for tonight so delicious). Kumble and Ganguly are going to hang on to their wickets like a drowning man hangs on to a lifesaver. I agree with ZZ that the odds are with Pakistan, but probably more like 70-30.

Saad

PS: What a tremendous 3 Tests these have been! More than enough cricket joy to last a lifetime.

THe game is actually over. And yes India have yet again snatched defeat from the jaws of victory. 4 wickets (really only 2!) remaining, Ganguly NOT a good runner between the wickets, and will not be able to shield the tail-ender for long. Of course, Srinath did have that 100 run stand with Ganguly in Delhi. And Kumble is known to wield the bat in the domestic circuit. Kumble needs to come up with obdurate defense while Ganguly attempts to overhaul the deficit on the other. That really is the only way.

I frankly did not know that absurd ICC rule. SRT`s bat was grounded and in. Shoaib was running in to back up the throw, there was a collision between the two as they were both looking at the throw coming in. This caused SRT`s bat to be out of the crease when the throw did hit the stumps. According to ICC rules, if the collision was UNINTENTIONAL then the batsman is ruled out.

I wonder how baseball handles this. A lot of the Baseball rules have been more progressive in these kind of grey areas.

My mourning has already started. More than the players, the security has a big job ahead of it tomorrow. Calcutta bhadra lok are quick to let you know they are not really enjoying the game !!! Yes, this is the same venue that was set on fire following WC semi-final rout at the hands of SriLanka.

re: Old ball v/s new ball
Akram will continue with the old ball. THe Pak bolwers are good with the old ball and get a lot of reverse swing. Plus Saqlain can operate from the other end. If within the firts 5 - 10 overs the match is not over, then Akram will happily go for the new ball.
A win win situation for the Pak captain really.

Re Rana,

``And yes India have yet again snatched defeat from the jaws of victory.``

100 % agreement.

CLIFF HANGER !!!!!!!!!

Can the Indian Batsmen or Pakistani bowlers
hang on better?

We`ll find out tonight.

Ras

Omar1974,

I have to take issue with your post about accusing Miandad of dragging his feet in the betting scandal.

He can do nothing. Nothing at all.

He is simply the coach of the team. It is the entire Pakistan Cricket Board and I think Akram has, infact, clearly neamed people including Majid Khan, who have personal axes to grind.

With India nedding 65 to win at close on the 4th day, with 4 wickets in hand, and Saqlain beating the bat on one end and Wasim & Shoaib on the other, Pakistan are faced with a gamble. Take the new ball after 4 overs, and the dilemma on not having Waqar reemerges. Wasim & Shoaib spelled each other. Pakistan for all practical purposes was playing with 3 bowlers, since A.M is not expected to be able to take wickets. If they take the new ball, and cannot bowl India out within 10 overs (about as long as Shoaib lasts at max pace), Saqlain won`t find the ball as helpful. On the other hand, if India have not won in 14 overs they will have been bowled out in all liklihood.

Still, money on India, although odds have narrowed to 1:1.

As exciting as it gets. One moment you are losing hopes and then suddenly one crucial wicket falls down reviving your hopes. India batting at 194/6. Target is withing sight but only tail enders left to fight. Pakistani bowlers are getting tired too. It`s 5`o clock in Calcutta and shadows are growing longer. It`s time for Shoaib and Akram to fire up some bouncers and shatter the lower order. Akram knows well how to get rid of tail enders. I am sure that whole Pakistan is missing Waqar in this match. A very bad call by team selection comittee. Which way this match goes from here? Still unpredictable. Will the local hero(Ganguly) turn the odds in favour of India or the speedsters/spin doctor combo will snatch another victory for Pakistan? One has to see. Good luck to..........

p.s. Omar1974: O bhai thora kam jazbaati ho. posting per posting laga raha hei. Haath hola rakh puttar.

With India needing 89 to win and the departure of Azhar, young Ganguly must be reeling under the most intense pressure of his life if front of a packed Eden Garden stadium.

Time to rip thru the tail.

A..Oh !!
SRT just got run out. 134 runs away from victory. Looks like India may snatch defeat from the jaws of victory again.
Meanwhile the crowd is misbehaving. Calcutta can be quite a jungly crowd. Lets hope noihing bad happens.

Ganguly & Azharuddin must be feeling the heat, 116 runs required for Victory, and they are both playing and missing and being beaten by both Wasim Akram & Shoaib Akhtar. The question is how much stamina do Pakistan`s pace duo have to keep up this full scale onslaught. My money is still on India though. One edge to a slip fielder or Moin Khan is what Pakistan are looking for.

With SRT gone and India 145 for 3 an Indian win is not a certainty. In fact, I expect the ball to move around after tea and Akram to pick up a few wickets very quickly [it could be Shoaib too].

It would be ironic that India`s biggest win [if that happens] will have no contribution from SRT.

Well time to move onto the little matter of team selection for the next test match in Karachi.

My guess is the following:

1)Saeed Anwar (no brainer there)

2)Wajahatullah Wasti (unfortunately very likely)

3)Inzamam Ul Haq

4)Yousuf Youhana

5)Saleem Malik/Ijaz Ahmed/Aamer Sohail (which one gets this slot depending solely upon PCB`s mood of Charitability and because its a home game)

6)Moin Khan

7)Wasim Akram

8)Mushtaq (recalled if recovered from injury)

9)Saqlain

10)Waqar Younis

11)Shoaib Akhtar

As Pakistanis gulp down the bitter dregs of defeat, one should also not forget some other people in apportioning the blame for losing the match, in addition to those i listed in my previous post. W.W, Wasim Akram (for playing A.M & leaving out Waqar) & Inzamam (for being a great big oaf and injuring himself, and thus being unavilable for selection, leading to the unfortunate test capping of W.W).

Finally, the PCB & Miandad for prolonging the betting controversy w/o any real evidence, based upon rumour, conjecture and mere innuendo.

Turn off the T.V set now. With India at 134/1, and the wicket not doing much to help Pakistan,it is clear that Pakistan have lost the match. Send floral wreaths to Ijaz, Salim & Azhar Mahmood + Afridi with kind regards for this loss. We couldn`t have lost without `em.

As India coast to victory with 10 wickets in hand

at lunch ka waqfa, is this just the calm before the storm ? They have lost matches in which they were similarly coasting to victory. Anything can happen. If Pakistan lose, it won`t come as a surprise. If India lose, it will.

Betting odds in favor of India are now 5-1. I suggest that Salim Malik & Ijaz Ahmed place their bets on India now, with whatever they have saved thru their test careers to supplement their retirement funds, cause they won`t be playing any more international cricket barring an act of

G-D.

Need Tips on how to place a bet with a Bombay bookie? Just ask Javed Miandad, he seems to know exactly how others do it.

For tips on how to smuggle drugs, just call up Qasim Umar & that Younis chap who played on Pakistan`s last tour of India, under Imran.

India off to a good start this morning. 57/0 and having seen off the opening spells of Shoaib Akhtar & Wasim Akram without loss. Waqar, Waqar, Waqar! It would have been nice to have him as first change ....

Re: Rana Ransher

Hate to disagree with you, but yaar cricket is not the beautiful game....now if you want to talk about a beautiful game, shall we discuss croquet?
Now that is a civilized game and if you know the rules of the game, you`ll know what I am talking about!

Still looking forward to our little tete a tete on cricket once this on-going non-sense ends! On a sarcastic note, I hope that whoever wins, there is a little destruction afterwards and something gets burned or killed!

Well the stage is set for a thriller. It`s going to be a nerve wrecking day in India and Pakistan and very exciting night here in USA. Cricket fans with weak heart and high blood pressure are advised to stay away from thier computer and TV screens:-) A true batsman can not do better than what Saeed Anwar did yesterday. He deserved a double yesterday but ran out of partners. Some highly irresponsible batting by Pakistani middle order and late order batsmen but by now Pakistani fans are quite used to it so no big surprise. IMHO I guess it is time that we say good bye to Ijaz and Malik. Both have been given enough chances and both have jeopardized Pakistan`s batting more than enough.

As far as situation at hand is concerned now it all depends upon pace duo and spin doctor. No doubt that Dravid, Azhar and Tendulkar are poised to win this match but the main hurdle is Ramesh. This guy is a fine opener and in good form. If Pakistan gets rid of both openers in first session(depends if Wasim and Shoaib take advantages of overnight dew and morning breeze) then Pakistan can definitely win this match. This match is very important for India because it will be the last test they will be playing in front of home crowd for a while. Even if they win this match, rest of the championship matches they will play in front of a hostile crowd (SL & Bangladesh).

As far as we fans go we can keep our fingers crossed and utter tthe words ``May the best team win`` just for the sportsmanship sake:-) Good luck.

There is heroism, and then there is cricket heroism.

The genius of batting is craftsmanship as much as attitude. In Pakistan, the story is told of Saeed Anwar, a debonair left-hander who once carried his bat for 188 in Calcutta when the chips were down. With this he joined the ranks of the great Pakistanis - Hanif Mohammed, Asif Iqbal and Javed Miandad among them - who have wielded a bat to beat the odds. His memory inspires and elevates us.

Oh, and you all remember what eventually happened in that match, don`t you ? If not, tune in tonight :-).

Saad

PS: Rehan, yaar ... sorry. Tum muddat say ghaib thay iss leeay `RR` daikh kar tumhari taraf dehan nahiN gaya.

Besides Saeed Anwar and Yousuf Youhana, a really
pathetic batting effort by the Pakistani side.
They could not even wait for Saeed to get his double century.
India should have been chasing at least 50
more runs to win.
Afridi and Azhar`s ducks and the (again) pathetic
1`s by Shoib and Captain Wasim Akram need to be
highlighted here. Let us hope that these guys
can contribute now in the bowling and fielding
arena to tilt the game in Pakistan`s favor.
And let us also hope that like Saeed, Tendu does
not suddenly re-discover his batting skills.

Ras

Re: ALL

1. Saeed Anwar`s century...did I call it or did I call it?

2. Enough of this Afridi crap..this guy has zero temprament. They need to kick him out for a couple of years, and while they are at it lets get rid of this new WW guy, Ijaz and Malik.

Re: Rana Ransher

Still have a feeling Tendulkar is going down early tomorrow.

Re: Rehan

tussee kham kha ee sanjeeda horay ho, I was exaggerating.

Faraz

sud afsos, I could not even see the game today. Where did Saeed Anwar score runs? Were a lot of them in the slip area? Did he give any chances or this was unblemished. Anwar is a good strokes player,but to be honest I feel that he is also not very dependable, and has the tendency to play across earlier in his innings. Nevertheless, yesterday he played a big innings for Pakistan.

Very difficult to say who is going to win. Believe that Pakistan has an edge because India will be chasing a 273 runs total on the fourth innings. Pakistan will miss Waqar Younus a lot.

Waseem and the young fast bowler will share 5 wickets a piece. It is really a big tukka.

Hope to see the game today.

Nadir

@nd Innings!!!!
Pakistan all out for 316.
Saeed Anwar not out 188.
We certainly have quite a game here.
Too bad Afridi had to follow Tendulkar`s
duck.
Saeed need not be present for us to honor
him. He can send his shoes on tour to various
US cities.
We know that India CAN win this game. The
question is CAN they do this tomorrow?

Ras

Oh God
Srinath just missung a hat-trick. Ganguly coming down too slow and taking that one bounCe.

With Pakistan all out and India set a target of 279, the game in definitely open for both sides to win. However, I have to agree with Mofeez that Wasim Akram must be sorely regretting leaving the third genuine quickie, Waqar, out for Mahmood. As things turned out, this wicket is helping the fast bowlers who have a little extra in their arsnel,but stock bowlers like A.Mahmood & Prasad are not taking wickets. And the Allrounder Mr. A.M who replaced the specialist Waqar, managed to score 2 ducks in the match. Could Waqar have done worse?

Pakistani batsmen with the exception of S.Anwar ofcourse, were PATHETIC. They made Srinath look UNPLAYABLE.

Well, the awaited irresponsible display of batting

by Pakistan has begun. Srinath strikes again as both Y.Y & Shahid Afridi squander Pakistan`s commanding position by losing their wickets to irresponsible shots. Afridi is an opener who can`t face fast bowlers ! Needs to grow up and learn to play first class cricket for a few years more. Totally immature.

Y.Y heard my prayers and answered them after the tea interval and picked up the pace. India just took the new ball, but these 2 are looking set at 51 & 150 each, even though Saeed Anwar has slowed down his rate of scoring.

Tea interval, day 3. Yousuf Youhana is on 16 after 71 balls faced. Making about 1 run in the last hour. This guy is suppose to be a stroke player! While the need to bottle up one end is completely understandable, since Saeed is scoring the runs at the other, its frustrating to watch Y.Y. He needs to open and play some shots. He should be comfie by now at the crease, and with Laxman & Ramesh on Pakistan should pick up the pace. Sirinath will be bowling again in another 10 overs, and is fairly likely to take wickets with the new ball. The time to score some runs is now.

Ijaz gone, Saeed Anwar on 97 * - another great 2nd innings effort by Saeed Anwar - lead 110 and 7 wickets in hand. Folks, we have a game and Pakistan is poised to win it :=) Saad`s theory will hold and Akram, Shoaib, Azhar, Saqlain and Afridi will be handful. I give Akram 3 and Shoaib 5!!

It is interesting that all 3 wickets were caught behind and pakistan is at a 3 run per over rate. Saeed has a strike rate of 71. Not bad.

Pakistan lead by 75 runs at lunch, with 2 wickets down. Cricket is an unpredictable enough game that things can come apart at any moment given the recent fragile look of the Pakistani batting on the current tour of India. So even while Pakistan look like they are coasting with Saeed Anwar at the crease, all it takes are a few irresponsible shots, and India will be back in the driving seat. Pakistani batsmen have proved themselves more than capable of playing irresponsibly within recent memory. With the way the wicket seems to have eased off somewhat, i think Pakistan needs to put up a total of at least 350 runs on the board in their second innings to put India under serious pressure. And, they need to bat thru till at least the afternoon of the 4th day`s play.

comments ?

The same team that was 26 for 6 is now running at
103 for 2. Saeed holding steady and could possibly
achieve a century.
The ideal ending almost never happens in Cricket.
Pakistan need to score in the 300`s for this
match to become really interesting.
Would love to see a Friday night finish with both
teams scoring in the high 200`s to get a win
at the very least.

Ras

re: RR
Bhraaji tusi chill maarin

It takes all kinds of fans to make the beautiful game what it is. You may like being a `cheer leader` I like being an `Expert Commentator`. I like reading match reports expert comments, predictions, superstitious predictions, outbursts, even emotionally charged outbursts. I like being involved in everything from the pitch reading, toss, team selection, batting order, bowling changes, field placing, etc. for EVERY team. And this includes sharing expert comments with OTHER expert commentators participating, no make that contributing here !!!! Criticism, appreciation, bashing (as you call it), amazement is all included. Hey this is our stage !
Thats the way a lot of people like watching cricket.
Come on, haven`t you enjoyed the commentators BSing when the game is aired. They always work in pairs. And lately they`ve started expert commentators from opposing teams and even one `neutral` commentator. Its great listening to these guys, getting different views on the same balls, strokes offered, field placement, etc. Of course, they have their team loyalties. And that makes it all the more interesting.
Also there are a lot of pessimistic superstitious fans. Hey if you keep your expectations low, then the result is always that much more sweeter (that was a DEEEEEP thought, so think about it ;-) Plus phir nazar bhi ni lagti team ko.

re: Faraz
Nahi Faraz nahi. Tendulkar is dying to prove a point here. He RARELY fails like this (yes one century is failure for him). It only makes him hungry for more runs. I place my bet on a big score for him in the 2nd innings. He is a player who thrives on competition. He loves it !!

Dear Mofeez,

I like your commentary, but you mentioned that somebody got Mongia, i think you meant to say he was run out taking chances needlessly, in the same state of panic that got Wasim Akram out in Pakistan`s first innings, the fear of running out of partners.

regards,

Omar

Re: Faraz

InnaN ghussa na karo chohrry saab...it makes you seem like one of those fellas they were showing in Nightline last couple of nights. Physical or not, you seem to have the similar tolerance for your cricketers for ``dishonoring`` you against India. What gives?

Re: RanaRansher

24hr cricket! Yaar vaddi sohNri deal hay Rana saab. I`ll definitely need to get it for the WC99. And yes folks, fill out the survey and vote for Orlando, it`s double maza for the same price: vacation in Florida and you get to watch the best of cricket.

---Rehan

re: RR

As a Pakistani citizen it is my God given right to bash any and all members of the cricket team if they screw up even once....especially if its against India! I`m sure this right to bash (in a nonphysical manner)is in the constitution..and if it is not, then that is an ammendent worth fighting for!

re: saatish and predictions

If I were you I wouldn`t think Chennai, Tendu gets caught behind on one of the first three balls he faces....from Shoaib Akhtar!

Oh and Saeed Anwar hits a century tomorrow...

Faraz

Re: All Pakistani fans

What`s wrong with you guys? Ghari main tola, ghari main masha...I`m really disappointed here people. I mean, so what if the batsmen are not performing well in one series. Considering what PCB is doing to them, it`s a miracle that they actually defeated India in India for cryin` out loud. Just imagine if the employees of a company were constantly threatened with pink slip, were constantly hounded by the managment for alleged scandals and yet there was no end to it in sight? What would happen to their productivity if the same employees were assigned to do the critical projects?

This is a simple management concept: remove the uncertainty by either dropping the charges and clearing their name or showing them the exit door for good. This current situation is not only hurting the morale of the team but is proving to be a real hinderance in Miandad`s work of motivating them to do their best. HIS name is getting a bad rap because of this. And then there`s that charya Majid whose personal vendettas seem to have no end.

How can you expect the players to perform when the host country`s papers are publishing stories about their alleged misconduct? Who leaked the details of the case proceedings and why? Isn`t that in itself a scandal? We can learn a thing or two from the Western countries about it. Australians covered up their players misconduct. In politics, Clinton`s impeachment was put on hold by his staunch opponents in congress to let him do the bombings. And he was finally acquitted not because he didn`t do it, but due to broader national interest.

And if the leaders of the ruling and opposition parties in Pakistan, who have been repeatedly dismissed for corruption and misconduct, have no shame in staying in power and if people can tolerate them by re-electing them again and again, why not treat the players with the same courtesy and let them do what they do best: play cricket? At least they are good at what they do most of the time.

Bad patches happen to every player and sometimes to even entire teams. Look at WI in SA. Bad performance alone should not the reason to start bashing them like you guys are doing. These players have showed what they can do over the years and they have the ability to continue to do so provided our people show them the support when they really need it. It`s time we show a little maturity and go beyond zindabad for playing good and murdabad for playing bad. They`re our team and when they are playing good. And they`re still our team when they are not. Teams win and teams lose. It`s not that you get knocked down, it`s whether you can get up. That`s the sportsman spirit and if anything cricket has taught us is to show civility, courtesy and sportsmanship at all times.

Enjoy the rest of the game guys!

---Rehan

P.S. Saad, Inzi is not playing. And RR stands for Rehan Rizvi :-)

OK, here it is, in black-and-white:

Pakistan have won this game. Reason: Pakistan are a terrible 4th innings team, but a pretty solid 3rd innings team. They can`t chase a target, but they can sure set it up. Akram`s decision to bat first was actually a good one, the 26 for 6 notwithstanding.

There will be some heroics tonight. Look for Saqlain as nightwatchman to go past 50, perhaps well past. I think Inzamam will also click. Pakistan will set India 213 to win. India will fall just short.

Saad

PS: RanaRansher, thanks for acknowledging - I`ll happily take half-credit :-)

PPS: Afrasiyab, my friend, ``Aangan Terha`` underestimates the dynamic. I am far more miskeen than Shakeel, magar Anita to Bushra Ansari ki bhi maaN hai :-)

Excellent, essayistic reporting by Mofeez. I think that a target of 200-225 will be a tough one for India to get, not because the pitch is playing truant, but due to presence of an incisive Pak. bowling attack and the relentless pressure it exerts on batsmen. One of the Indian batsman not only has to get a big score, but more importantly stick around at the wicket if they want to make a match of it. I cannot imagine the pressure on Sachin when he walks out to bat the second time. Now, why am I thinking of Chennai?

Dead even so far.
Even in terms of points. India needed to cross the 225 mark (missed by 3 runs) to get another batting point. THere are no points for the second innings, just 12 points for the outright win.
India squandered a great start. Dravid and SRT fell to two dream deliveries, but bulaaady hell Azhar and Ganguly dabaaoed too much mishti dahi at tea.

The pitch had nothing in it for the Pakistani bowlers. THe first hour that offered them anything was not capitalized on. THey were too wayward and erratic (a lot of extras!). However, in the afternoon they came back with `pace in the air` and incredible reverse late swing. The wry smile and gentle nod by SRT to Shoaib immediately after being bowled said it all.