A daring answer from the unpredictable species

Team Pakistan has the ingredients of the Brazilian and German soccer team. Like the Brazilians they can dazzle, delight and demolish the oppositions with a wonderful demonstration of power cricket – a connoisseur’s joy indeed. But the paradox is that it can falter, flounder and fall like a pack of cards. Whereas, like the Germans they can pull the match out of the fire with an excellent display of unpredictability.

In a sense the men in green are rare species in the universe of cricket. They can leave you rejoicing, leave you in tears and can trigger a fatal heart attack by cranking up the tension at its extreme point. To witness these notorious species one needs to have a very, very healthy Cardiovascular system as accidents might occur any time.

This evening, in the Super Eight clash against the mighty Proteas, Pakistanis were found at bay while chasing a tricky total. At 76-7 even the most optimistic person will not put his/her money on Pakistan. But with Pakistan you just can’t predict anything. They tend to change their colour any time, any moment. Suddenly the ‘Guldozer’ Umar Gul became the daring hero and took a drastic measure in a drastic situation. It was not his yorkers but the wild swing of his willow shattered the South Africans hopes. At the other end the ever impulsive Umar Akmal executed a controlled aggression to notch up a critical 49-run stand with Gul and inflicted a demoralizing defeat for the Proteas.

When the going is tough, the toughest only dare to challenge the adversities with a daring approach. And today, at the Premadasa stadium, there were two gutsy hero who brushed away composure and measuring approaches to the wilderness and stood tall to punch the opposition with the Mojo of Mohammad Ali and made the Proteas understand why they are regarded as chokers.One might have all the fire power but if the person doesn’t dare to finish in style then he/she can never reach the shore safely – they’ll choke.

Big stage requires big performers and none can be as versatile and charismatic as Pakistan to dance the wolf dance when the occasions are big. Cricket is simply more colourful and dramatic as because it has Pakistan who time and again gifts us magic - World T20 has become more colourful after today's epic encounter.

Thank You

Faisal Caesar

Cricket has the power to unite nations

Cricket writers and critics are up to give their opinions regarding the best sight in cricket. I am privileged to read some of the best write-ups by the best writers in the business, and these writers do have magic in their pens. I have read some beautiful descriptions of yorkers, cover-drives, hook shots and slip catches - surely the most exciting and romantic sight in cricket. But if these are sights which unite a nation, then there are sights which unite people with divided opinions.

Nothing is as touching and joyous as the emotional expressions of players and teams on the cricket field. A winning team celebrating after winning a match or tournament and doing a victory lap around the stadium can unite an entire. When that same loses and the players break into tears, that same nation cries along with them. It is amazing how sport can unite people.

When Bangladesh's Hasibul Hossain hit the winning run against Kenya in the ICC Trophy final in 1997 and sprinted wildly towards the dressing room, his bat elevated in the air, Bangladeshis were forced onto the streets in celebration. It did not matter who was Muslim or Hindu or which were BNP or Awami League followers - they were all Bangladeshis.

Scenes like this have played out in India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and other countries. Teams celebrating deliriously make for the most emphatic sights; they are not just celebrations but ingredients to unite nations. A yorker can generate an adrenaline rush, a cover-drive can evoke pleasant murmurs, a hook shot can portray a player's dare-doing and a catch in the slip cordon can draw plenty of overawed applause - but can they unite a nation?

Cricket has sung the song of diplomacy with such expressions on many occasions. Over the years such emotional expressions have been instrumental in bringing nations together. Time and again, for a single moment, they have turned enemies into friends and make them dance to a tune of unity which politicians can only dream of.

A lap of honour from Pakistan can bring a smile to the faces of President Zardari, Nawaz Sharif and Imran Khan. Wild celebrations from India can make Sonia Gandhi and LK Advani clap together. A dance of victory from Bangladesh can make Sheikh Hasina and Khaleda Zia cheer together.

How electric, magnetic and diplomatic an expression it can be. That is the beauty and power of sport.

Thank You 

Faisal Caesar

Note: This post has been published today at cricketnext.com

Cricket has the power to unite nations

Oh the rain God! Please don't smile!

So, the World Twenty20 has entered into the Super 8 stage. Eight top class teams will battle on cricket’s newest format’s biggest extravaganza to prove a point. Till now there has not been the kind of spark which a World Cup usually possesses. So far, the spectators have been treated to mediocre performances, except few, and obviously the interference of the rain has been an absolute irritation.

The minnows of the tournament were frustrating. Except Afghanistan none could live up to the expectations of their respective fans and critics. The Zimbabweans were down and dusted, the Irish seemed to have lost their Mojo and Bangladesh still remains the underachiever despite showing a lot of promises.

In the first round the World Cup seem to have caught fire when Gayle, Samuels and Watson were on a murderous mood. The West Indian target was given a gutsy threat by the Australian superman Watson but sadly the rain showed up and poured boredom all over the electric environment – dullness prevailed. The rain made the clash between South Africa and Sri Lanka a total joke. Seven over a side doesn’t make any sense. I wondered whether a cricket match was going on at Hambantota or not.

No matter how many times the ICC is going to defend its logic behind organizing such a major tournament during the monsoon season, in my opinion it should’ve been arranged other than the monsoon season. Yes, we don’t have any control over the weather, but there’s no point in organizing a major tournament in such a month where there are risks of abandonments.

The tournament got a fair bit of momentum when the Pakistanis kicked off their mission. They are just a versatile unit who are born to entertain. There were flashy batting, magical bowling and obviously comic fielding display to make the tournament spicy. Pakistan’s neighbours, India followed their footsteps and dished out an extraordinary performance to pummel England in the most shameful manner. Thankfully, on both the matches, the rain god didn’t smile and also two evenly matched sides do script some good contests.

 

In the Super Eights the teams are all evenly matched and there will be definitely some close shaves to take a permanent place in our memory banks forever. The most exciting and nerve-jangling match would be the clash between India and Pakistan on September 30 and not to forget the battle between the Proteas and Kangaroos. Undoubtedly mouth watering stuff! The Super Eights have all the materials to let this tournament catch fire and burn dullness.

But my optimisms must not get buried by the smile of the Rain God.

The Monsoon rain of blessing, sadly, is the only thing that will keep the dullness intact.

Thank You

Faisal Caesar

Give Afghanistan more matches

So far in the ICC World Twenty20, the performances of the minnows have been utterly frustrating. Zimbabwe were down and dusted by the guile of the Sri Lankan and South African bowlers while the Irish had no clue against Shane Watson and Co. But on Wednesday night one team's spirit and enthusiasm brought enough joy amongst the spectators who were bored with the foregone conclusion regarding the minnows' outings.

Afghanistan were the flavor of Wednesday night against India. About most of the time the Afghans kept India jolted, never letting them dominate, but in turn made the Indians work hard for their victory.

With Shapoor Zardan, Afghanistan delivered a strong breeze in Colombo - the first ball he bowled was dug short and in the course of time he increased pace which hassled the Indian openers and he was rewarded with the scalps of both Virender Sehwag and Gautam Gambhir. Had the catches not been dropped and had Virat Kohli not been there then India would've found themselves in all sorts of trouble.

In response to India's total the Afghanistan batsmen sent chills down the Indians spine with a spirited batting display. Mohammad Shahzad's helicopter shot was the sign of their guts while the brave fightback by Nawroz Mongol and Mohammad Nabi hinted the fighting spirit of this war-ravaged nation. But in the end they just could not bear the weight of the world. Each of their efforts were cheered, each of the cheers were simply a rich tribute towards their fighting spirit.

The Afghans were brilliant and they have the spark in them to make things bigger, but the tendency to explode all of a sudden undermines their fine efforts which offer so much promise. To transform this spark into something productive teams like Afghanistan need more exposure to international cricket against the quality oppositions. Without playing against quality teams on a regular basis these gritty little teams can't develop themselves for the future.

At one time the Kenyans offered plenty of promise. They had some very good competitive players who used to notch up spirited performances. But due to lack of matches on a regular basis a cricket culture never developed amongst them. And for which as time progressed the Kenyans' cricket enthusiasm has gone into hibernation. They are not that good side of the past.

Like Kenya, Afghanistan's zest for the game will vanish if they are not exposed to international cricket regularly. To develop a cricket culture in Afghanistan they must be given adequate international exposure. Cricket enthusiasm is bubbling in Afghanistan and the energy their cricket team provides in every match they play is praiseworthy. To give the world cricket a new dimension Afghanistan's emergence is necessary and again the cricket power houses along with the ICC must come forward to help and encourage the Afghan's spirit which never got lost despite their country's fragile political condition.

Thank You

Faisal Caesar

Note: This article has been published in CricketNext.com on 21/09/2012

Give Afghanistan more matches

Saeed Ajmal: The modern day magician who keeps boredom away

  “Saeed Ajmal with his charismatic mystical bowling has given new energy to cricket by sparking creativity and has kept boredom at bay”

With a serious look, he will slide up to the wicket, stop for a bit and then will deliver the ball with a thrilling forearm flip. One of his delivery will leave the batsmen leaving them baffled, another one will zip in with an extreme pace to rip apart the batsmen’s heart, while another one will make the batsmen assume that it will turn a lot but it does not turn at all and thus trapping them in the world of mystery. After each delivery, the bowler will respond with a sweet smile –  the sweetest smiles always have unknown secrets behind them.

The name of the bowler is Saeed Ajmal.

Perhaps cricket is the only game that offers us a mystery. We don’t have a mysterious soccer player, a mysterious sprinter, a mysterious hockey player, or a mysterious tennis player. But cricket has its mysterious students. These students don’t whack the ball hard, they don’t terrorize with pace but they cast a magical spell with the spin-web. Yes, it’s the spinners who are the mysterious students and cricket is not merely an awesome and a ferocious display of pace bowling; it also involves the subtle guile of spin.

Legspinners have always captured the imagination of the cricket romantics. Though cricket has always been enriched with some fantastic offspinners, it’s the leg-spin bowling that has always been considered the most lethal and artistic. The emergence of Muralitharan and Saqlain Mushtaq did a lot to attract the eyeballs of the cricket critics and romantics, but as soon as they left the scene an emptiness gripped everyone – off-spin bowling was left in the cold. But from Faisalabad, a bubbly chap stepped up to rekindle the lost art of Murali and Saqlain and in a very short time, he has claimed himself as one of the kings of off-spin bowling in the world cricket at present.

Saeed Ajmal offers us a bag of tricks. Since last year, his bowling has earned enough spices to trigger a joy amongst the spectators. With subtle changes in flight and speed, Ajmal has total authority over all of his deliveries – the traditional offspinners, the doosra, and the teesra. Many offspinners tend to change their line while bowling the doosra, but Ajmal is quite different from them. He tends to bowl the Doosra from around the same line,  on or just outside the off stump, which makes it tougher for the batsmen to pick him up. And his teesras, deliveries that don’t turn after landing but gives the feeling that they will turn, have simply been a weapon of destruction. Even the best in the business in tackling the spinners have found themselves at bay while facing Ajmal.

Saeed Ajmal with his charismatic mystical bowling has given new energy to cricket by sparking creativity and has kept boredom at bay. Like Muralitharan, Ajmal is showing that greatness is by no means incommensurate with unorthodoxy. Like his mentor, Saqlain Mushtaq, the street had been the school for Ajmal. The unorthodox killer weapons of Ajmal originated on gravel or concrete or rough matting wickets and not from scholarly fields. And how well he exploits them on the cricket field is well known by the opposition batsmen, especially the English and Australians.

There is a lot of hue and cry after his omission from the ICC’s award list. But can Ajmal be judged by an award? Or, can he be judged by the statistics? Magician Ajmal is beyond an award. He is the champion of the people. Like a fast bowler, he generates a humongous roar amongst the crowd, like a magnet he attracts the crowd in the stadium and he is still conveying the message that without an Eastern magician world cricket’s spin department can’t get a mystical or magical flavor.

The World Twenty20 is going on in Sri Lanka. T20 cricket means the over pouring of boundaries and sixes – So monotonous! But don’t worry as Saeed Ajmal will be there to deliver us the magical falvour. Life is great when you have magic here and there, and due to Ajmal, there will be magics apart from the monotonous domination of the bat.

Note: This article has been posted at Cricketsoccer  on 19/09/2012 Saeed Ajmal: The modern day magician who keeps boredom away

Thank You

Faisal Caesar

Let's hear it for the World Twenty20 carnival

The cricket World Cup, be it the 50-over or 20-over format, is a stage where the best players in the world accumulate for a ferocious battle. In doing so, they deliver to fans a joy which knows no bound. It's the stage where epics are written, history is created and thrillers are exhibited to leave the world spellbound. And for all these, the stars of the teams are responsible because they are instrumental in triggering all the drama.

In a sense, the World Cup is a hijacker. It's not like the traditional hijackers who are habituated to commit crimes, but a hijacker who steals the stars from the entire cow corners of the world and gathers them in one platform to tune into the music of sportsmanship. There are the sweet sounds of bat on ball, raining of boundaries and sixes, disturbance of the batsmen's timber by some quality bowling and so on. World Cups are carnivals to enjoy.

After the 50-over bonanza in 2011, another cricket carnival is going to take place in Sri Lanka, the ICC World Twenty20. Riding on the carnival-ship, traveling the sea of time, the tournament is here to keep our hectic minds busy with the thrills and chills of fast-paced cricket. Twenty20 cricket has, in the course of time, become the flavor of the modern world. It offers not just a too-fast-too-furious atmosphere but also a dazzling glamour which creates the best cocktail one could ever imagine.

The music can already be heard all around the subcontinent and the stage is set for the nerve-wrecking and heart-pulsating action. All a cricket fan wishes from such carnivals is a show without any unusual controversies. The name of spot-fixing and sex scandals are running in parallel with Twenty20 cricket. 

Cricket lovers all around the world only wish to enjoy cricket without any unnecessary occurrences.

Fans only want to see a Virat Kohli-driven chase, Lasith Malinga's yorkers, Shahid Afridi's delirious celebrations, Dale Steyn's supreme pace and the Warner-Watson air show. That's how a World Cup should be, and that's what we want.

Thank You

Faisal Caesar

Note: This article has been published in CricketNext.com on 14/09/2012

http://cricketnext.in.com/live/blogs/faisalcaesar/3379/63901/lets-hear-it-for-the-world-twenty20-carnival.html

Can West Indies tune into the Calypso beat again?

I have grown up watching the might of West Indies. The kind of aura they used to trigger while playing was so effective that they scripted the results before the match had started. Whether with the bat or with the ball, they were merciless. Their batsmen used to beat the bowlers with a rare disdain to leave them clueless, while their bowlers scripted terror to put shivers down the opposition batsmen's spine. West Indies of the late 70's and 80's were the undisputed champions of world cricket. They were the 'Wonder Windies'.

But as time progressed, Caribbean cricket had started to lose its brightness. West Indian batsmen didn't spread the magic of the past and their bowlers didn't pose any threat. In the course of time, West Indian cricket had hit rock bottom. Whether in a home series or in an away series heavy defeats were always on the cards for once mighty West Indies. And petty quarrels with the players and the cricket board made the West Indies a sorry figure in world cricket. For almost two decades the world has almost forgotten the Calypso music.

But it seems things have started to change for West Indies. It seems that Caribbean cricket is likely to turn around again after suffering an ugly transition. In the recent series against New Zealand the world witnessed the West Indian players in a different mood. They dished out inspiring performances on a consistent basis to outclass the Kiwis in grand style and torched the light of hope amongst their fans.

The end of the dispute between Chris Gayle and the WICB has done a world of good for the Caribbean. Gayle's injection in the side has given an ideal balance to the side while the reincarnation of Marlon Samuels has boosted morale immensely. Youngsters like Sunil Narine, Narsingh Deonarine, Kieron Pollard, Darren Bravo, Adrian Barath and Andre Russell provide the flavor of youthful exuberance while Kemar Roach, Tino Best and Co have started to bowl with raw pace and ferocious intensity to rekindle the glory of the past. Their captain Darren Sammy, though under-rated, is doing a fantastic job to keep things organized to maintain the harmony of the team.

This West Indies team has the talent, power, grace, skill and inner-fire to rule the rooster in world cricket again. But the big question is - can they live up to their potential? Can they produce performances on a regular basis? Does West Indies realize their potential?

To produce results on a consistent basis a team's players must realize their own potential very well. Until and unless self-realization doesn't come within a team they can't script results consistently. For almost two decades the once rulers of world cricket failed to maintain their authority due to lack of consistency in their performance and the culprit had been their inability to realize their own potentials. The talent was there but they just didn't realize it, they didn't know how to use them. The tussle between the WICB and its players also existed during the reign of Lloyd and Richards, but still their team used to win on a regular basis only because of the use of the use players' talents according to their merit - they had the self-realization about their own potentials and knew how to use them.

So, if Sammy and his men wish to switch on the Calypso music again and make the world dance then it is very important that they use their potential fully.

The encouraging victory over New Zealand might turn into another distant memory if the West Indians don't hit the target on a consistent basis and for which self-realization is a must, as when self-realization is achieved no bigger a calamity can stop further progress.

Thank You

Faisal Caesar

Note: The article has been published in CricketNext.comon 7/09/2012

Can West Indies tune into the Calypso beat?