আশা করি বাংলাদেশ দল তাদের ভুল গুলো শুধরে নিবে

শুধু বাংলাদেশ নয়, এর পূর্বে উপমহাদেশ থেকে সফর করা দল গুলোর কেউই নিউজিল্যান্ডে ভালো পারফর্ম করতে পারেনি। আমরা যদি সুযোগ পেয়েও কাজে লাগাতে ব্যর্থ হই, তাহলে অতীতে সফরকারী উপমহাদেশের দল গুলো ও তেমনটি করেছে।

বাংলাদেশ একদিনের সিরিজ ৩-০ তে হেরেছে। কিন্তু এতে বাংলাদেশের বিশাল কোন ক্ষতি হয়ে যায়নি। এখান থেকে অনেক কিছু শেখার আছে। নিজের হুশ হারিয়ে, রেগে গিয়ে সমালোচনা করলে পজিটিভ দিক এবং ভুল গুলো চোখে পড়বে না।

ব্যাটিং, বোলিং এবং ফিল্ডিং-এ বাংলাদেশের সমন্বয়ের অভাব ছিলো। প্রথম একদিনের ম্যাচে ভালো ব্যাটিং হয়েছে কিন্তু দ্বিতীয়টাতে বোলিং ভালো হয়েছে। এটার পেছনে ক্রিকেটীয় কারন আছে এবং সেটি হলো, পীচের আচরন।

এই পীচ গুলোতে – সেটা যতই ফ্ল্যাট হোক না কেন – বাউন্স এবং মুভমেন্ট একটা ফ্যাক্টর হয়ে দাঁড়ায়। উপমহাদেশের পীচ গুলোর চেয়ে এখানে বাউন্স এবং মুভমেন্ট একটু বেশী থাকে। উপমহাদেশে যে বল ৫ সেন্টিমিটার লাফিয়ে উঠে, অস্ট্রেলিয়া কিংবা নিউজিল্যান্ডে সেটা ৯ সেন্টিমিটার পর্যন্ত লাফায়। আবার উপমহাদেশের যে বল গুলো ৩-৪ সেন্টিমিটার বাক খায়, ডাউনআন্ডারে সেটার বাকের পরিমান হয় ৬ থেকে ৭ সেন্টিমিটার পর্যন্ত।

এসব ব্যাপার গুলো কাউন্টার করতে হলে টেকনিক্যাল অ্যাবিলিটির সাথে, সাথে; এটার সাথে অভ্যস্ত হওয়াটা খুব মেজর একটি ফ্যাক্টর।

উপমহাদেশের ব্যাটসম্যানদের ট্রিগার মুভমেন্ট ব্যাকফুটে নয়, ফ্রন্ট ফুটে এবং তারা বাউন্সের ওপর সহজে যেতে পারে না। উপমহাদেশের উইকেটে ব্যাটিং করতে, করতে ফ্রন্ট ফুটে আসার অভ্যাসটা অটোম্যাটিক্যালি আমাদের মধ্যে এসে পড়ে যেটা একদিনে দূর করা সম্ভব নয়। ব্যাকফুট স্ট্রোক-প্লে কি এবং সেটার গুরুত্ব কতটা আমারা সেটার অনুধাবন করি বাইরে ট্যুর করার পর।

পেস বোলারেরা বাউন্স দেখে এত উৎসাহিত হয় যে তারা মনে করতে থাকে, বল শর্ট-অফ-লেন্থে ফেললেই কেল্লাফতে এবং সেজন্য শর্ট পীচ বোলিং করতে গিয়ে বল গুলো লং হপে বেশী পড়ে। কারন উপমহাদেশের বোলাররা এরকম কন্ডিশনে বোলিং করে অভ্যস্ত নয়। এক্সাইটমেন্টের কারনে তারা সঠিক লেন্থটি বুঝতে পারে না।

এসব কন্ডিশনে আইডিয়াল লেন্থ হলো – ১। নতুন বলে ফুল এবং থ্রি-কোয়ার্টার-লেন্থ টপ-অফ অফ-স্ট্যাম্প। পীচ-ইট-আপ কিন্তু নয়। পীচ-ইট-আপ উপমহাদেশের ভালো কাজ দেয়। এবং ২। বল পুরনো হলে, মিডল এবং অফ স্ট্যাম্প টার্গেট করে ফুল এবং স্ত্রেট – উইকেট-টু-উইকেট। এটা রান কমাতে এবং চাপ বাড়াতে সাহায্য করে। রান কমতে থাকলে চাপ বাড়বে এবং চাপ বাড়লে উইকেট পড়বে।

উপরের ব্যাপার গুলো সব কোচই তাদের দলকে বুঝিয়ে দেন কিন্তু অভ্যাস বলে একটা কথা আছে। এসব ব্যাপারে প্রেকটিক্যাল এক্সপ্রেরিয়েন্স না থাকলে, একদিনে ধাতস্থ হওয়া সম্ভব নয়। এবং এই ব্যাপার গুলোকে আয়ত্ত করতে হলে বিবিএল কিংবা সিপিএল নয়, কাউন্টি ক্রিকেট খেলাটা খুবই দরকারি।

বাইরের ট্যুর গুলোতে ফিল্ডিং-এর লেভেল ২০০% হতে হয় কারন বল গুলো খুব দ্রুতে হাসে সেটার জন্য যে ধরনের ফোকাস এবং রিফেলক্স থাকতে হয়, সেটা এখনও বাংলাদেশের গড়ে ওঠেনি। আর সেজন্য আমাদের ফিলিং মানসম্মত হয়নি।

এখন কোচ কিংবা ক্রিকেটারদের সমালোচনা করার পূর্বে এসব ব্যাপার গুলো ভেবে নেওয়া উচিৎ। আবেগ দিয়ে ক্রিকেট হয় না। ধৈর্য ধরতে হবে।

সর্বোপরি, টিম সিলেকশনে বিপিএল ফ্রাঞ্চাইসদের কতটুকু আধিপত্য সেটা একবার ভেবে দেখা উচিৎ। এভারেজ প্লেয়ার গুলো মনে হয় না কোচের সিলেকশন বরঞ্চ বিপিএল মালিকদের প্রেশারে নেওয়া হয়েছে। এমনটা আমি মনে করি।

আমি সাংবাদিক নই। ক্রিকেট খেলোয়াড় ও নই। সামান্য একজন ক্রিকেট ভক্ত। হয়ত অনেক কিছু নাও বুঝতে পারি তবে কোনটা খারাপ এবং কোনটা ভালো, সেটা বোঝার ক্ষমতা কিছুটা হলেও আছে।

বাংলাদেশের এই পরাজয়ে আমি একটুও হতাশ নই এবং উগ্রভাবে সমালোচনা করতে ও রাজি নই। আমি দলের পাশে আছি এবং থাকবো। এই পরাজয় একটি শিক্ষা যেখান থেকে বাংলাদেশ দল তাদের ভুল গুলো শুধরে নিবে।

ধন্যবাদ 

ফয়সাল সিজার 

Australia v Pakistan, 2nd Test, Day 5 - Pakistan's mind-boggling display

An opening batsman scored a double ton in the first innings, a lower order batsman notched up a fifty and the captain declared the innings at MCG. A group of people highlighted such things so much, they forgot, the team is Pakistan and the opposition is Australia, who don’t sit back and bask in glories, but always try to seek the opportunities to win a Test match at any cost.

Misbah-ul-Haq went defensive and Australia simply took the upper hand over Pakistan in no time. How can a captain think of saving runs in Test cricket, I don’t have any idea. I could ‘learn’ it from Misbah and I guess his blind followers also learned this from their King.

Australia dominated Misbah’s strange strategy while setting the field for his wicket-taking bowlers and posted a big total.

When Pakistan came out to bat in the second innings, they transformed into cornered chickens. Anything can happen when Pakistan is around and when the captain is ultra-defensive, such things are bound to happen.

There is a difference between a King and Lion. A king might seek for defensive ways, but a Lion always attacks and wants to win.

Anyone can be a King, but not all can be a Lion.

I am happy that Australia won the Test match as Steve Smith needed this victory to boost his dented morale and I admire his intent to win a match no matter how tough it is. And this defeat should let Pakistan to think beyond Misbah.

Thank You

Faisal Caesar 

New Zealand v Bangladesh, 2nd ODI, Nelson, 2016 - Bangladesh botched a great opportunity

Bangladesh lost their last nine wickets for just 79 runs in the second one-day international against New Zeaalnd at Nelson. The story of such a pathetic and funny batting capitulation is nothing new for Bangladesh. But it has been a part and parcel of the Bangladesh limited-overs team since they started their journey as a Test nation.  The fans experienced such collapses two months back, two years ago and ten or fifteen years ago.

In the past, such collapses could have been avoided by dishing out excuses like “We are still learning” or “We have won the hearts”, but at present, such excuses seem lame and too funny. Especially, after tasting success for the last two years and winning against the top teams of the world, Bangladesh have reached the level where they are well aware of how to embrace opportunities when they come forward.

Apart from instilling fearlessness, self-belief and confidence, the Chandika-Mashrafe partnership helped Bangladesh to understand the value of utilizing the opportunities at its maximum best. Chandika and Masharfe made the boys to run for the slightest of visible chances, grab them and make the most of it. But, even the slightest of chances should not be wasted, no matter how much hard work is needed to put.

Perhaps, at Nelson, the Bangladeshi batsmen forgot this mantra.

Bangladesh’s bowling was better than Christchurch. Mashrafe Bin Mortaza pitched the new ball up and moved it in and away to set jitters in the New Zealand top order. Being inspired by their gutsy captain, Taskin Ahmed and the debutante, Subashis Roy, delivered the ideal spells to keep the home team’s batsmen under pressure.

New Zealand were all out for 251 in 50 overs and on such a good batting wicket, Bangladesh were expected to chase this total down without making the weather heavy.

Bangladesh collpased in a mind-boggling manner at Nelson

A rush of blood ended Tamim Iqbal’s stay at the wicket. Imrul Kayes and Sabbir Rahman were resolute enough and grafted a 75-run partnership for the second-wicket. In the last ball of 23rd over, disaster struck as an ugly mix up in the middle of the pitch resulted in a comical run out of Sabbir Rahman.

A full-and-fast yorker on the offstump by Lockie Ferguson added more woes to Mahmudullah’s back-to-back failures in the innings and entered Kane Williamson into the scene, whose part-time, gentle offspin bowling was not expected to pose a threat to this Bangladeshi batting line-up, engulfed wickets at regular intervals to surprise even his ardent followers.

Kane must thank the poor shot selection of the Bangladesh batsmen who seemed to have come under pressure for no reasons.

Shakib Al Hasan, the most experienced and consistent performer in the Bangladesh team, executed a loose shot against a half-tracker as if he was playing gully cricket and Mosaddek Hossain attempted to clear mid-off unnecessarily and scripted a catch to the point fielder as if he was about to catch a train.

From nowhere Bangladesh were five wickets down in a quick succession and then, Imrul Kayes, the set batsman,chased a widish length ball and skewed a catch to gully to complete the story of an absolute comically ugly collapse.       

At 105 for 1, Bangladesh were crusing. Rather than getting panicked, the visitors were needed to rotate the strike more. Attempting big shots before getting set at the wicket hardly can bring anything good. While chasing totals on any surfaces, maneuvering the strike matters very much. Investing time and energy on big shots work as a catalyst to dish out collapses.      

The stability of Mushfiqur Rahim was missed heavily at Nelson in the second ODI. His injury had been a big blow for Bangladesh and it is understandable, replacing Mushfiq’s batting expertise will not be easy. But that doesn’t mean, Bangladesh don’t have the players to take the responsibility with utmost importance whenever a senior player gets injured.

Sense and sensibility should have prevailed among the senior and junior members while batting.

Bangladesh squandered a golden opportunity at Nelson.

According to Milton Berle, “If opportunity doesn’t knock, build a door” and when opportunity knocks at your doors, never let fears hold you back, but open the door and hug the opportunity that has come forth.  Be it in life or sports, everyday and every game is the place of a new opportunity. The best way to utilize the opportunities, is by getting better and take well-thought measures so that they don’t go wasted.

But not everyone can’t recognize the opportunities which come ahead, while some, simply waste them in the most disgusting manner. Opportunities are lost either by sheer ignorance, idleness or stupidity. The way, Bangladesh batsmen blew away the opportunity at Nelson to level the series, was nothing but an exhibition of brain-freeze and, it seems, Bangladesh start to feel the pressure whenever they discover themselves in a better position.

A victory would have been helpful to boost the morale of the team, but such defeats should not create self-doubts. Otherwise, it will not take time to lose the achieved momentum and confidence for a brief period.

Thank You

Faisal Caesar 

Tony Greig: The friendly voice which is still missed a lot

In 1977, the cricketing world was taken upside down. The champion cricketers of that era shunned their national duties and flew Downunder to participate in a colourful and gorgeous show named World Series Cricket. From Lord’s to Bridge Town to Lahore – an angry reaction came out, but it hardly mattered for the man behind the event.

Kerry Packer, who wanted to be the ruler of television, saw cricket as the medium to achieve his goals. But he was denied such rights by the Australian cricket establishment which hurt Kerry’s ego badly. This led him to bust the cricketing establishment, not only in Australia, but across the world with a detonator, and the blast still resonates.

To recruit the best players from the world was not an easy task. Kerry required some smart and influential people to achieve the goals for him. Thankfully, Tony Greig and Asif Iqbal were there for him. While Asif Iqbal influenced the most important and charismatic Pakistani cricketers, the persuasive Tony Greig was able to polish off the cream of English cricketers.

Given the plight of Australian cricketers, their connivance was hardly a problem. The full of South African team, who were out of international cricket for decades did not think twice and flew in Australia. Meanwhile, Clive Lloyd enriched Packer's show by surfacing the major West Indian cricketers.

When the news of World Series Cricket broke out, one man became a villain. Tony Greig was portrayed as a traitor by the English establishment, but it didn’t deter him from working with Kerry and establish a long-lasting partnership which proved purposeful in a seismic shifting of modern cricket.

The glamour and financial success which the present day cricketers enjoy, they owe a lot to Kerry’s World Series Cricket and of course, Tony’s loyalty, brain and influence aided him a lot. Their unlikely friendship let the cricketing hierarchy realize the importance of branding cricket and its loyal students in a world which was changing and a tight hug with the so-called tradition won’t bring anything good for the game.

Modification of the so-called traditions doesn’t insult them, but it works as a major driving force to adjust to the new world and advance forward to create a brave new change.

Tony, a fearless and great thinker of the game, realized such things and thus, he gave Kerry the logistic support. Still, the traditionalists in England failed to realize the pulse of the changing world and kept on criticising him. He was sacked as the captain of England and though it hurt Tony, he was not devastated.

He said, "Obviously I am disappointed that my reign as England Captain has come to an end just as we were beginning to put things together. From a personal point of view, the only redeeming factor is that I have sacrificed cricket's most coveted job for a cause which I believe could be in the best interests of cricketers the world over."

Indeed, his sacrifice was for a bigger cause and it didn’t go waste. Kerry’s financial power, shrewd business brain and Tony’s ability to handle the situation and convince the best players to be a part of this change gave cricket a new identity, the benefits of which, world cricket is still enjoying.

Kerry Packer's son James said, “Greig stood shoulder to shoulder with my father at times when it was not always fashionable. Together with the backing of other key players and supporters, they forged a brave new age for both cricketers and spectators alike. For that alone, every fan of the game is in Tony Greig's debt. But he was much more than that. Our cricket enemy turned our mate.”

World Series Cricket dented Tony’s international cricket career forever, but for whom cricket was like a religion and passion, it was hard for Tony to stay away from the action.

Tony sat behind the microphone and his voice became a part and parcel of our day to day life. His voice became the darling of the young fans of the 80s and 90s and it seemed he knew what the young generation of fans wnated to listen. His impulsive, but friendly voice with a touch of flirtness, grabbed the imagination of the cricket fans all around the world.

On some occasions, Tony’s presence at the commentary box became a must. Like when Sachin Tendulkar used to bat, it didn’t become a matter of youthful joy until and unless Tony’s voice was heard. He took Tendulkar’s batting expertise to a new level for those who watched the little master in action on television.

On the other hand, his legendary but friendly on-air banters with Bill Lawry made cricket commentary a subject of great interest and fun during the Australian summer.

On December 29, 2012, Tony’s voice stopped forever. His adventurous journey in this world ended once and for all. Tony, the courageous fighter could not win the battle against lung cancer. All of a sudden, the magic of listening to cricket commentary vanished.

Of course, Harsha Bhogle and Mark Nicholas do give the fans the kind of flavour like Tony Greig at times, but still today, a cricket fan, who grew up listening to Tony’s commentary, keeps on searching for the voice which welcomed him warmly and became a part of his emotions.

As a cricketer, Grieg was a fearsome competitor. He hated to lose and never stepped back from attacking. Orthodox thinking was never his way of approaching his game and life.  And for which, he was able to create a long lasting impact on the game.Four years ago, on this day, world cricket lost its friendliest of voices and sharp thinkers.

He will forever be missed.

Note: This article has been published at Sportskeeda on 29/12/2016 Tony Greig: The friendly voice which is still missed a lot

Thank You

Faisal Caesar 

Australia v Pakistan, 2nd Test, MCG, Day 2 - Brilliant technique and temperament from Azhar Ali

Josh Hazlewood had been the hard nut to crack at MCG so far. He bowled a remarkable spell of 26-11-33-2 as his line-and-length was similar to Glenn McGrath – nagging and incisive. Josh hit that three-quarter length outside the line of offstump, targeting the top of off consistently. Such sort of testing stuffs had always been handy for the batters who’re always tentative to poke outside off.

Either patience and solid defense or controlled aggression is needed to deal with such stuffs.

Still not an easy task.

Azhar Ali decided to dig deep and exhibited the test of technique and temperament against such a tight bowling. What I noticed was his improvement in technique outside the offstump. He kept his head still and bat close to his body and for which, the balls which were leaving him outside off, hardly posed a threat to kiss the edge and fly towards the slip cordon. Of course, he never went hard at the ball.

Steve Smith kept one fielder at long leg and the rest on the offside, but Azhar’s defense and concentration could not be deterred via landing the ball regularly in that corridor of uncertainty. Defensively boring batting exhibition, but to arrest a collapse and instill stability, such stuffs reap a rich harvest.

From an entertainment point of view, well, the battle between the bowler, opposition captain, fielders and the resolve of the batsmen are a treat to watch if you love to watch Test cricket. 

Thank You

Faisal Caesar 

Shakib Al Hasan showed how to play short-balls with authority

The bounce of the wicket at Hagley Oval was nice and true. It was a typical limited-overs track which makes cricket worth watching Downunder. Pitching the ball on back of a length by targeting the top of off stump would test the skill and temperament of the batsmen, while the batters were needed to get on top of the bounce by getting behind the line of the ball and playing close to the body with soft hands.

Pitching the ball too short and playing the ball with hard hands won’t fetch any productive results.

The New Zealand batsmen are well-equipped to exploit their home conditions and went into business from the word go after winning the toss. Bangladeshi bowlers did pick wickets and tried to dent the acceleration, but inconsistency in maintaining the right length led to a game-changing partnership between Tom Latham and Colin Munro which took the match away from the visitors.

At 158 for 4 in the 29th over, it seemed, Bangladesh might be able to keep the score below three hundred, but the next eighteen overs witnessed some eye-popping power-hitting from Latham and Munro which would have made Brendon McCullum a proud man. But, one cannot deny, how below-par the Bangladeshi bowlers had been.

Latham and Munro were fed with a good amount of very short balls and half-volleys regularly, which were plundered all along the ground in the most ruthless fashion. Bad bowling deserves to be treated brutally and the Kiwis never bothered to show any mercy towards the visitors.

Bangladesh required 342 runs to win from 50 overs and the kind of display the visitors exhibited for the last two years, on this wonderful track, the optimistic cricket fans didn’t lose hope. What Bangladesh needed the most was a good start, big partnerships and not lose too many wickets early.

Those who could not wake up at 4 am and follow the bowling of Tigers, switched on the television set at 9:30 am and discovered Bangladesh were in tatters at 48 for 3.

The menace were the short balls which the home team pacers well-directed towards the head of Bangladeshi top-order batters by landing them in the right area and pitching it rather full to extract enough movement from the new ball. The Bangladeshi innings lost its momentum before it could get into the groove and give the home team a fighting reply.

The short-balls proved to be a nemesis, but one man showed how to deal them with authority and he was Shakib Al Hasan.

When Shakib emerged onto the scene, Tamim Iqbal was at the crease pondering how quickly the Bangladesh batting is facing an ugly collapse. The tearaway fast bowler Lockie Ferguson and Trent Boult were too hot to handle while the medium-pacer Jimmy Neesham was making the scoring of runs tough with a nagging line and incisive length.

Shakib remained unfazed by the pressure. He knew it was his time to step up and boost the confidence of his team by remaining composed and brave. If the challenge was a stifling one, he has the technique and temperament to travel through this tough passage of play.

The sight of the best allrounder in the world surely would have charged Ferguson up to bang the ball short and knock him out. But if a batsman possesses the right technique against the short-balls, he won’t sweat.

Shakib handled the fury of Ferguson bravely. 

The 29-year-old was fed with a barrage of bouncers, but his stay at the wicket was not short-lived. His initial trigger movement was on the back foot, which helped him to get behind the line of the ball quickly than his other colleagues. His focus was not disturbed by the heat of the bouncer-display and thus, picked the length quickly to fetch runs.

Shakib’s balance on the back foot was better. It aided him to execute the pull and hook shots nicely by keeping the ball on the ground. His first boundary against Neesham was a perfect example of how to execute the pull shot via maintaining the balance on the back foot and achieve pristine timing by letting the ball come in the middle part of the bat.

There was no real power behind that shot, but a superb technique allowed the ball to travel the distance. Of course, Shakib never went hard at the ball, but fetched runs with soft hands, playing it later and getting on top of the bounce.

Technically, Shakib was very perfect and like him, Mushfiq was also showing immense maturity while dealing the short-pitched stuff. An injury dented Mushfiq’s stay at the crease. Otherwise, the Shakib-Mushfiq partnership might have given New Zealand a scare.

Shakib’s stay at the crease was the perfect example of how score runs against high-quality pace-bowling and thus should help Bangladesh in instilling the confidence of dealing with short-pitched stuff.

Note: This article has been published at Sportskeeda on 27/12/2016 Shakib Al Hasan showed how to play short-balls with authority

Thank You

Faisal Caesar

A consistent Asad Shafiq can be one of the best in the business

Asad Shafiq entered the Pakistan team on the tail end of the Pakistan cricket fraternity going into a frenzy regarding the potential of Umer Akmal. Critics and fans always expected big from Umer. But consistently, he failed to recreate the magic like his debut year and till now remained as a puzzle which Pakistan cricket could not decipher.

Amid the buzz and aura of Umer, Shafiq worked harder and gradually emerged as one of the most important members of the team. Neither did he hog the limelight nor did he attract the critics and media for support. He worked silently and remained steady despite failures. And now his sincerity and patience are reaping a rich harvest.

Pakistan in tatters

Mohammad Amir’s bowling was incandescent in the first innings. He found movement with the new ball and pitched on the right line and length. His comeback spell after suffering an injury while fielding in the outfield on Day 1, was even livelier.

The ball bounced from a length, beat the bat with movement and kept Steve Smith and his partner quiet. Sadly, Amir lacked the support from the other end as Australia posted a challenging total in the first innings.

Pakistan’s response to Australia’s first innings was bizarre and comical. From 43 for 1, Pakistan collapsed to 67 for 8. The pink ball moved, but the idea of playing away from the body and executing shots with hard hands didn’t bring anything good. The Pakistani top and middle-order failed to get behind the line of the ball more and thus; disaster was evident.

A lower-order resistance from Sarfraz Ahmed and Amir helped Pakistan to escape the absolute shamble of getting bundled out below hundred. 

But at that point of time, Pakistan’s hopes of coming back into this Test match were dented and when Australia gave Pakistan the target of 490 to chase, the possibility of another disgraceful display was on the cards.

One of the most significant facets of Pakistan cricket is, when you think, they will get mauled, they tend to surprise you by putting up an eye-popping performance.

The cricket culture of Pakistan is built upon its unpredictable nature, and it reflects on their players as well. At times they are comical, at times they are fighters of high pedigree.

Pakistan fight back

When Amir came out to bat, Pakistan were 220 for 6. Azhar Ali, Younis Khan, Misbah-ul-Haq and Sarfraz Ahmed departed and the end of Pakistan’s second innings was just a mere formality.

Amir’s partner Asad Shafiq’s form had been wretched since the England tour -  58 runs from his previous seven innings including three ducks. None would have invested their faith in Shafiq to pull the match out of the fire and give Australia a fitting reply.

All of a sudden, the scenario of the Test match started to change as Pakistan decided to change its colour in a hopeless situation.

Shafiq stitched two of the most significant partnerships with Amir and Wahab Riaz for the seventh and eighth wicket which transformed the Test from a one-way-traffic to an evenly balanced one.

After surviving some nervous moments at the start and being dropped twice in 58 and 72 – he rode his luck to score a hundred and with that, he broke the 42-year old record held by the legendary Sir Garfield Sobers.

The Pakistani batsman went past Sobers’ tally of eight Test centuries from the number six position and registered his name in the history books.

Shafiq’s gallant effort helped Pakistan to end the fourth day at 382 for 8, and he continued his fight on the final day as well, but a delivery from Mitchell Starc ended his epic vigil and shattered Pakistan’s dreams of a memorable win.

Australia have taken a 1-0 lead, but Pakistan won the hearts of everyone.  Especially, Asad Shafiq’s fantastic knock earned accolades from the greats of the game.

A new name on the rise?

Shafiq hails from Karachi, a place which is chaotic by nature and over the years, have produced some of cricket’s grittiest characters – Hanif Mohammad, Mushtaq Mohammad, Javed Miandad and Mohammad Yousuf’s fighting exhibitions are well known among the followers of the game.

Such role models have enlightened the next generation to strengthen character more than technique which proves worthy enough at times to survive in the topsy-turvy world of international cricket.

Hanif’s defence defied the ferocity of the Wes Halls, Roy Gilchrists and John Snows. Mushtaq’s aggression melted the Andy Roberts, Dennis Lillees and Jeff Thompsons. And Javed’s ultra-aggression, super-confidence gave Pakistan the extra edge against the very best during the 80s while Yousuf’s artistically poetic aggression always gave Pakistan hope and sheer joy.

Cricketers from Karachi are pretty noisy and being aggressive is something of a matter of pride for them. Hanif was different, but the others did things by making weather pretty dramatic and chaotic both on and off the field.

Shafiq has the grit and fighting qualities of a Karachi street fighter, but he loves to do things quietly rather than being too aggressive like his predecessors. Again, he lacks the rush-of-adrenaline of a typical batsman from Karachi is devoid of velvet in his wrists like his role model Yousuf.

He can drive the ball and cut it at will, but when it comes to eye-catching batsmanship, Shafiq is not one of those willow-wielders for which one would spend his money to watch. 

I am not sure why Mickey Arthur tagged him as Sachin Tendulkar, but in my opinion, he is more like a modern day Steve Waugh.

Like Waugh, Shafiq is blooming late, and his development is evident through deeds rather than creating hype. Shafiq is not a God gifted talent like Tendulkar, but more of a symbol of grit who, like Waugh, has the nag to achieve things through sheer hard work and will power.  

From a technical point of view, Shafiq is better than his colleagues. Especially, against quality fast bowlers, time and again, he has proved his worth. Be it at Newlands or Lord’s or Brisbane, Shafiq has shown the habit of using the feet rightly and playing the ball late by getting behind the line and executing strokes with soft hands.

He accumulates runs by finding the gaps smartly, and his batting philosophy is built more on manoeuvring the strike rather than boundary-based stroke-play. One might get annoyed by his quiet nature at the crease as the modern day fans want to witness adventurous batting, but his occupying the crease and un-romantic-nature of fetching runs help to arrest collapses and build critical partnerships.

At number six, Shafiq is the stabiliser

Temperamentally, in my opinion, Shafiq has been already a revolution in the Pakistani batting order.  His brave nature to counterattack silently is giving Pakistan cricket hope as at any moment, Pakistan cricket would be moving on without their two most obedient servants, Younis and Misbah, and to fill the vacuum, Shafiq is there.

But to achieve greatness, Shafiq must learn to be more consistent, and I think, he can be a consistent run-getter as because, he is patient, passionate and hardworking by nature.

Note: This article was published at Sportskeeda on 19/12/2016 A consistent Asad Shafiq can be one of the best in the business 

Thank You

Faisal Caesar  

Pakistan need to be disciplined to fare well in Australia

Pakistan toured Australia for the first time in 1964. It was a one-off eight-ball-over Test match where Hanif Mohammad’s men returned home after earning a respectable draw. It was a series where batsmen from both sides scored runs on the Melbourne track.

Hanif scored a hundred followed by a ninety while Barry Shepherd, Bob Cowper, Brian Booth and Tom Vievers notched up half-centuries. Graham Mckenzie and Neil Hawk bowled well and it was Ian Chappell’s debut Test where he managed to fetch just eleven runs. 

Pakistan returned to Australia in the 1972-73 season. Overall, it was a disastrous tour. The poor temperament of the Pakistan batsmen ensured a 3-0 whitewash. But the next two tours were praiseworthy enough for the visitors as the charismatic bowling displays of Imran Khan and Sarfraz Nawaz enabled them to notch-up 1-1 draws.

Dismal record Down Under

Since the 80s until now, the story of an Australian tour has been a sad one for the men in green. During 1989-90 and 1999-00, Imran Khan and Wasim Akram’s men set foot on Australian soil with high hopes, but on both occasions, their hopes were shattered.

Even though Pakistan’s success in limited-overs cricket is good, in Test matches, it’s a completely different story. The last time Pakistan won a Test match in Australia was twenty-one years ago and overall, they have won just four Test matches Down Under which is pretty dismal.

Slumping against New Zealand

Misbah-ul-Haq’s men earned the status of being the best Test team in the world after winning the final Test at the Oval, but their stay at the top didn’t last long after being humiliated against New Zealand who had just returned home after completing a torrid tour of India. Pakistan had not lost a Test series in New Zealand since 1984-85, but that record was breached last month in a very humiliating fashion.

The Test series against New Zealand was supposed to be a great opportunity to boost the confidence for the tough assignment against the Kangaroos. Sadly, the Pakistani batting failed to act according to the situation and surrendered meekly which was quite unexpected.

The approach of the Pakistani batsmen in New Zealand was very negative. They decided to switch to an ultra-defensive mode and in each session, the scoring rate was so sluggish, it automatically created huge pressure on the remaining batsmen and when they tried to come out of their shells, they all succumbed. In the second Test, Pakistan lost ten wickets for 99 runs and it all happened due to one of the worst displays of ultra-defensive batting.

Keys to success

The wait-and-watch game or the ultra-defensive mode won’t fetch runs consistently in Australia. To succeed as a batsman on tracks like Brisbane or Melbourne, a batsman should be able to create scoring opportunities. There are very few loose balls that show up, and hence, it is very important to utilise the proper technique to score runs against those balls that are slightly over-pitched or short.

If one notices Pakistan’s most successful tours in Australia during the 1976-77 and 1978-79 seasons, it was the positive batting of Majid Khan and Asif Iqbal which set the tone for the rest of the sessions and gave Imran and Sarfraz the boost to go for the kill.

Pakistan’s success in Australia will depend on how they bat and it will be the duty of Younis Khan and Misbah to show this young team how to withstand the pace and bounce hard f the Australian wickets.

Pakistan’s bowling line-up has always been good, but seldom have they created an impact Down Under, except for Imran and Sarfraz. Wasim Akram, Waqar Younis and Shoaib Akhtar were inconsistent performers – the five-wicket hauls came, but they were few and far between and hardly mattered in the long run.     

 Bowling in Australia in Test matches is not just about pace and aggression, but discipline. A fast bowler must be able to bowl six balls out of six at a deceptive pace on a length short enough to prevent the batsmen from playing forward, yet full enough to gain late movement through the air and off the wicket and by swing, curve, angle or cut find the edge of the bat.

Mohammad Amir, Wahab Riaz, Rahat Ali, Sohail Khan and Imran Khan junior are good pace bowlers, but they are not consistent. The best way to handle such pacers is by using them in short spells and rotate them smartly. Misbah must bear in mind, his strike bowler is Yasir Shah, who can be extremely useful on Australian pitches like Mushtaq Ahmed and thus, he needs to fit the right pacer to bowl in tandem with him so that the pressure is never released. 

Again, Pakistan cannot afford to drop catches or exhibit sloppy fielding. Amir will definitely give Pakistan the opportunity with the new ball, but if the slip cordon fails to grasp the chances, it won’t help the side at all.

Misbah sounded confident about doing well in Australia, but deep down he is well aware of how tough it will be to fulfil his dreams as, after the defeat against South Africa, Steve Smith and his men will be looking to bounce back and pummel the opposition into submission. They showed their intentions against New Zealand in the Chappell-Hadlee trophy and they look to be charged up and ready to go against a country that has a dismal record in Australia.

Surely Misbah’s task won’t be easy and to win in Australia, he needs to constantly attack.  

Note: This article has been published at Sportskeeda on 14/02/2016 Pakistan need to be disciplined to fare well in Australia

Thank You

Faisal Caesar 

India vs England 2016: Alastair Cook must lead from the front and rediscover resolve to bounce back

Alastair Cook was looking composed enough at Mumbai. He was timing the ball well and used his feet to get into the pitch of the ball while defended the good ones on a track which offered turn and bounce pretty early. He was providing the perfect foil to debutant Keaton Jenning’s fluency and for a while, it seemed, Cook had finally found back his lost rhythm.

With the opening partnership one-run shy of a hundred, Cook attempted a cross-batted shot against Ravindra Jadeja and was stumped to frustrate the English dressing rooms and his critics. Yet again, Cook has failed to convert good starts into big hundreds and day by day, the pressure upon him is mounting tremendously.   

When England arrived in India four years ago, they were disturbed by the events on and off the field. The Kevin Pietersen saga led to a divided house while losing the home series against Graeme Smith’s South Africa shattered the confidence of the team to a great extent. Meanwhile, the retirement of Andrew Strauss, under whom England brought home the Ashes from Australia after 24 years, created a vacuum which triggered a headache among the English hierarchy.

It was never going to be an easy task to find the worthy replacement of Strauss and very few expected Cook to turn things around very soon.

The 2012 Indian series

England’s next assignment was a tough one – the Indian tour. Playing a Test series in India is one of the most challenging tasks for the touring sides. The Indian team was a well-balanced side. The batting was oozing with talent and experience while the bowling attack boasted with the likes of Zaheer Khan, Harbhajan Singh and new emerging talents – Ravi Ashwin and Pragyan Ojha.

England were not considered to put even a fight on the rank-turners against such an excellent team.

But to the astonishment of all, England triumphed under Cook, who transformed into a lighthouse for his men throughout the series. They started with a defeat in Ahmedabad, but Cook’s brilliant knock in the second innings of the first Test helped to boost the confidence among his men and made them believe, batting is not an impossible task on such turning tracks.

The English team regrouped under Cook in the following Test matches. At Mumbai and Kolkata, England outclassed India to win the Test series and a lot of credit went to Cook, whose absolute purple patch with the bat inspired others to dish out match-winning performances.  

Moreover, Cook’s outstanding form with the bat helped England to rediscover resolve which is always an important ingredient to conquer adversity.

Cook’s current form adding to the English’s woes

Sadly, during the ongoing Indian tour, Cook is just the shadow of the past. He started off well in Rajkot and, it seemed, he had buried the ghost of Mirpur. But in the following two Test matches, he failed miserably. Being the captain and most experienced campaigner of his team, it was very important for Cook to marshall the batting order whose middle-order is fragile and score enough runs consistently to keep the spirit of the team going. 

Cook’s lean patch reflected on his captaincy as well. In the critical last session at Mohali on day 1,  a defensive captaincy let India to recover from a hiccup.  

In my opinion, Cook should not have taken the new ball, but persisted with the older one as scoring runs were pretty tough with the old ball. Moreover, as the English pacers are well-equipped to make the old move late and pitch it on those areas where the bounce is low, taking the new ball didn’t seem to me a wise decision.

The Indian tail wagged leaving Cook and his men frustrated.

Meek tactics by Cook doesn’t help the English cause

While in the second Test at Vizag, how justified it was to engage Zafar Ansari during the crucial passage of play when Cheteshwar Pujara and Virat Kohli were not yet set at the crease and India were two down pretty early. Ansari came into bowl and released the pressure and gain the advantage. Pujara and Kohli stitched a big partnership which dented England’s good efforts in the early part of the game. Cook should have used the new ball more rather than bringing on the spinners early as because, pace bowlers are England’s main strength and when the team doesn’t have quality spinners like Graeme Swann and Monty Panesar, how justified is it to play three spinners and rely more on them remains a moot question.

 Again, Cook dropped two simplest of chances to come England’s way this series.       

At the other end, Cook’s counterpart, Virat Kohli’s sublime form with the bat and aggressive intent have proved worthy enough for India. Virat’s ability to motor the innings has been helping India to surpass the critical periods and thus, never let the confidence of his team to get dented, while his faith in his strike bowlers and rotating his options with merit, proved instrumental to come back into the game whenever it was required. Especially, his attacking mindset is so contagious that his pace bowlers didn’t shy away from bowling the short balls on spinning tracks to surprise the opposition batsmen.  

That’s how a captain’s good form and aggressive intent can galvanize a unit.      

Right now, England are 2-0 down. A herculian effort will be needed to script a memorable comeback. And to essay a great turnaround, Cook must score runs and change his approach while leading his men on the field.

He must not forget, it was his brilliant form led to a great recovery four years back and he has a bunch of talented players under his belt who are needed to be utilized with a lot more aggressive and positive intent to force a productive outcome.

Note: This article has been published at Sportskeeda on 08/12/2016 India vs England 2016: Alastair Cook must lead from the front and rediscover resolve to bounce back

Thank You

Faisal Caesar