Pele: The King

How do you describe greatness in words? Well, this is the most difficult task for a great writer or a low profile blogger like me. Just an article or a blog or a vlog can never be able to pay the ideal tribute to someone who is regarded as an all-time great. And, when you sit down to write something on one of the greatest sporting icons in history - it becomes tougher. And, to pay tribute to Pele after knowing about his death - the fingers don't act properly on the keyboard, emotions tend to overshadow the thought process and eyes become misty. 

Football was played even before Pele arrived in the scene. Football gained sky-high popularity even the boy from Sao Paulo kicked the round object. But since, that 17-year-old kid - Pele emerged on the greatest show on earth in 1958 -football changed forever. The round object that unites the world, would be blessed by the touch of the Brazilian carnival - Samba, and charm people around the globe. 

Football became an art when Pele started running with the ball.  He brought the charm of the Brazilian beaches, the music of the Samba carnival, the smile of the Brazilian beauty, and the simplest of the joy of those middle and lower class Brazilian whose happiness depended on the feet of the Boys from Brazil. 

He was the epitome of Joga Bonito, while the rest followed his rhythmic display on the football pitch. 

The God blessed Pele with a blend of supreme athleticism, skill and tactical vision. He could run 100m in 11 seconds, shoot with either foot and outjump the tallest defenders. His sheer physicality and turn of speed were electrifying as he homed in on goal, outsprinting or simply charging through defences while managing to keep the ball under close control. 

Pele's excellent technique, balance, flair, agility, and dribbling skills enabled him to beat opponents with the ball, and frequently saw him use sudden changes of direction and elaborate feints in order to get past players, such as his trademark move, the dribble da vaca. Another one of his signature moves was the paradinha, or little stop.

But, unusually for such a prolific goalscorer, he could also be a team player - a marvelous playmaker, who could operate from the deep and pull the strings. His brilliant football senses allowed him to put the ball in the pockets of spaces, from such a tough angle or positions that it remained just a dream for the mortals.

His great secret was improvisation, which Pele did in one moment. He had an extraordinary perception of the game. He was simply flawless. And off the pitch, he is always smiling and upbeat. No one ever saw him as bad-tempered. Always humble and friendly. 

 Among the most successful and popular sports figures of the 20th century, Pele is one of the most lauded players in the history of football and has been frequently ranked the best player ever Following his emergence at the 1958 World Cup he was nicknamed O Rei - The King. And, he kept on justifying his nickname until he hang up his boots. 

Pele brought Brazil's football back on track after the national catastrophe in 1950 - he showed the Samba Boys how to take their game to the next level. It was Pele, who showed the rest of the generation, how football can be a beautiful game and how improvisation can bury traditions once and for all.  

Pele was a decisive player and his impact on the game dictated the success story of Brazil during his prime and still today, his legacy is intact. 

Thank You

Faisal Caesar 

Qatar deliver an outstanding FIFA World Cup, but the victory of Argentina remains dubious

First of all, let me congratulate Qatar for staging one of the finest FIFA World Cups in history. Despite all the pre-tournament negative propaganda — Qatar has answered the world about how a successful tournament could be arranged and how to fight against the mass negativity with action rather than words.

The Argentina unit of Lionel Messi won the tournament in a thrilling final that would easily go down as the greatest final in the history of the 92-year-old event — but in the end, the success of Messi and his boys remains dubious for me and that is the only chink in the armor of Qatar’s gift to the world this year.

I wouldn’t deny that I am a die-hard Brazil fan and like Cristiano Ronaldo a lot. And, for which, my opinion may not be accepted by the Argentinean fan base — but that hardly matters because I would give my opinion based on logic — obviously, bitter truths are always hard to digest, and thus, whether agree or not, the victory of Argentina in Qatar was very fishy.

 Let me show you.

 

Argentina started the tournament with a shocker against Saudi Arabia, but before digesting two goals, the first penalty they received raised immediate questions among the neutrals.

Take a close look at the image above where it can clearly be seen that Paredes pushed the Saudi Arabian player and they both fell afterward. So why did the referee award the penalty?

 Parades pulled the Saudi player towards him and fell down to make it look like a penalty.

 It’s a normal collision that happens many times in a game, and it didn’t affect the play.

 Well, Argentina were awarded a penalty, and Messi scored.

 Thankfully, Saudi Arabia responded bravely, and perhaps, the plan of the hierarchy took the telling blow — for which, they decided that no such accidents happen in the future.

 The next match of Argentina was against Mexico — who are like Nigeria for the Alibiceleste — no matter where in the world, Argentina would meet them, Mexico would lose for sure, and in the World Cup — they have never beaten Argentina.

 The game was heading towards a stalemate until the referee interfered again.

 

Let’s take a look at Messi’s deadlock-breaker — one can clearly notice that the referee used all his might to dodge the ball coming at full speed on him just so Messi could have a clear shot at goal.

 The photo above indicates Julian Alvarez was blocking Ochoa’s view after the referee let Messi take the shot. Alvarez was on Ochoa’s face, blocking his entire field of view and he had to guess where Messi was going to shoot. Alvarez was offside as well and no free-kick was given. Ochoa did not complain because it was obvious that the referee was against them and favoring Argentina now. The fans were just blind to see it then.

In the match against Poland, where Argentina had to win, they were awarded a penalty and how logical was that decision remains a moot question.

Messi already headed the ball and it went out for a goal kick.

Szczęsny barely touched Messi’s face after he headed the ball.

Not a foul, and didn’t affect the play at all.

Because of his open goal miss, the referee had to do something to give Argentina momentum.

 So the referee awarded the penalty because Szczesny’s hand had by mistake touched Messi. The referee spotted the perfect opportunity to give Argentina the lead, but Messi missed it.

Argentinean went on to win the match courtesy of a strange display by Poland, whose lack of movement with or without the ball created doubts throughout the match.

 

In the first quarterfinal of the tournament, Brazil went out against Croatia courtesy of a tie-breaker and the interference of the referee who denied Brazil a clear-cut penalty, and then there were several fouls committed by the Croatian players that were never noticed by the referee.

Neymar gave Brazil the lead, but a lackluster defending by Marquinhos that led to the last-minute equalizer and missing the penalty by the same player — ensured Croatia another semifinal berth.

 

Don’t forget — Marquinhos plays for Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) and is a low-profile customer in comparison to Neymar, whose mistakes would be criticized but not come under the scanner.

With the most dangerous team of the tournament making a sad exit from the tournament — it was time for the hierarchy to give their everything to pull the collar of Argentina and ensure a spot in the semifinal.

 

The opponent of Messi and co in the quarterfinal was Holland, who was a hard nut to crack.

As usual, the match started with a penalty for Argentina. 

Check out the first penalty given on Acuna by rewatching the match.

 

We can clearly see he couldn’t even give a fake shot and dived inside the box with minor contact. Too soft to be a penalty, but the referee awarded a penalty.

You may think this is only a penalty right, but as always, it was the referee’s trick to give the entire momentum to Argentina, who grabbed with both hands.

 

But they nearly choked as the Dutch equalized like Tigers and all Argentina needed was to take the game to the penalty shootouts keeping in mind, that Holland are genuine choker in these shootouts and it worked in their favor.

Again, during regulation time — Messi intentionally handed the ball but went unnoticed — he should have been shown a red card.

Before this, he handed the ball as well but no action was taken, but in this tournament, Messi was meant to be supported wholeheartedly.

 

Then there was a forceful shoot at the opponent’s dugout — sadly, no action was taken.

Later on, Frenkie de Jong said, “Messi takes the ball with his hand and the referee just lets it go. He was really scandalous.”

In the semifinal, Croatia wished to dish out their fighting spirit against Argentina, but very quickly they realized that the story was different — no matter how much they decided to fight, all their efforts would be in vain.

Again, the referee gifted Argentina the momentum.

Alvarez clearly missed his shot really badly and then tried to make contact and dive so that he could at least get the penalty. He executed it perfectly.

Luka Modric, later on, said, “I want to congratulate Argentina, I don’t want to take credit away from them. They deserve to be in the final. But that first penalty wasn’t a penalty and it destroyed us.”

 “There’s no way that’s a penalty,” said Gary Neville at the TV show. “They didn’t even check the VAR. I’ve no idea why. It’s not a penalty,” said Ian Wright and Roy Keane said, “I agree with the lads, that’s not a penalty for me.”

 “The goalkeeper’s feet are always on the floor, he never tripped him. The contact is inevitable. Not a penalty, “said former referee of FIFA Felipe Ramos Rizo, and Iker Casillas said, “Totally Agree with Felipe.”

So, according to the plan — the Argentinian advanced to the final and met the best team of the tournament — defending champions France, who, despite all the setbacks due to injury performed outstandingly and deserved to win the tournament for the second consecutive time.

But……yet again, robbery under the floodlights took place.

Yet again, and yes — yet again, Argentina were awarded a penalty and the decision raised eyebrows.

Angel Di Maria kicked himself and fell down? A tackle from behind? Where was the physical contact? — how on earth could this be a penalty?

 

But the referee awarded a penalty and Argentina received the momentum.

 Now, moving on to disprove claims “If it was rigged for Argentina, why did France get two penalties?”

 The two penalties France got were 100% clear-cut.

The referee could never have ignored them.

 Rewatch the match and judge by yourself.

Counter argument:

“But that 2nd penalty for France should have been a free kick to Argentina because the French player handballed it before Mbappe got the ball!”

 Totally wrong!

 He headed it backward to Mbappe. No handball.

 When Messi scored the third goal for Argentina, it should have been disallowed as the substitutes of Argentina entered the field.

FIFA’S OFFICIAL RULES ON PEOPLE ON THE PITCH

 Here’s the official FIFA rulebook:

 If, after a goal is scored, the referee realizes, before play restarts, that there was an extra person on the field of play when the goal was scored:

 The referee must disallow the goal if:

 

1. The extra person was an outside agent and he interfered with the play.

2. The extra person was a player, substitute, substituted player, or team official associated with the team that scored the goal.

 

The referee must allow the goal if:

1. The extra person was an outside agent who did not interfere with the play.

2. The extra person was a player, substitute, substituted player, or team official associated with the team that conceded the goal.

Referee Szymon Marciniak and the officials deliberately ignored the incident and so the goal stood.

In theory, France could have filed a complaint but it would almost certainly not change the outcome of the match.

The match went to penalties and Argentia are immortals in shootouts — Martinez exhibited hypnotic antics that were racial but none would point a finger as they all are biased towards Messi.

Argentina won another World Cup under controversial circumstances.

Thank You

Faisal Caesar 

 

 

ENG v SA: Two days of crazy cricket

No chance to take a breath

What was I following at the Oval? 

No chance for instant-hit lovers 

It seemed that the days of uncovered pitches have returned during the era of bat vs bat clash and circus shows. 

But wait, the deck at the Oval dried up after two days, and when the match commenced, it was good for batting. 

Well, when the skill of the bowlers is sound and the opposite in the case of the instant-hit lovers, the scenario turns out to be the days of uncovered pitches. 

17 wickets had fallen when the match progressed and obviously, the batters lacked patience and technique to counter against the high-quality seam and swing bowling - you cannot bat like a clown of Twenty20 cricket.     

The scenario

The first day of the third Test between England and South Africa was washed out. On Day 2, the match was postponed due to the death of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. So, whatever the outcome of the match would be, it should come within the remaining 3 days with the English Cricket Board thinking of an extended day. But two of the sharpest bowling attacks in world cricket at present decided to make the first two days not only a frenetic one but one of the most memorable ever. 

Crazy Day number 1

Day 3 commenced with the national anthems - movingly without musical accompaniment by Laura Wright - including the first rendition of "God Save the King" at a sporting event since 1952. 

As I said, the deck had lost its life! 

Guess what, even if the deck had lost enough juice, the English pacers kept the line and length accurate enough according to the demand of the situation, and the red cherry, looking like a fresh apple fetched from the orchard, moved in and out to test the visiting batters. 

There were hardly any options to breathe and this is test cricket and no Twenty20 - you must have a sound technique. 

South Africa lost five wickets inside the first hour, three of them to Robinson and one each to Stuart Broad - who extracted plenty of movement in both directions to trouble the batters relentlessly - and James Anderson.

It was the lines and lengths of the three England seamers that did the damage early on. 

Robinson took 5 for 49, including 4 for 21 before lunch in an impressive eight-over spell with the new ball, and Broad took four to contain South Africa to a paltry first-innings 118.

South Africa decided to shake up the team by powering up the batting lineup which hardly cut a satisfactory figure because these days the Rainbow Nation is more interested in being a clown in the circus shows that are also supported by the paid media.

Well, the test of technique and temperament was not over yet! 

It was time for the South African pacers to breathe fire. 

Both England openers fell cheaply to Jansen - also South Africa's top-scorer - who fired a fuller ball into the top of Alex Lees' middle stump and then had Zak Crawley out lbw for a laboured 5 off 33 balls, the batter's decision to review reeking of desperation as replays showed he was plumb.

Jansen also removed Joe Root and debutant Harry Brook either side of a half-hour rain delay before England got their noses in front, only to lose Stokes and Pope in contrasting innings.

Stokes was gone in single figures edging Anrich Nortje to Sarel Erwee at first slip while Pope defied the run of play with a doughty 67 before giving an expensive Kagiso Rabada his first wicket, caught behind. Pope was assertive, compiling his score with 13 fours before he went fishing outside off-stump as Rabada, who conceded 78 runs for his two wickets, finally found his line.

Rabada also had Broad caught behind by Kyle Verreynne, who clung onto a late-wobbling edge to send England seven wickets down shortly before the players left the field for bad light. 

Crazy Day number 2

 The morning session belonged to South Africa, with Jansen completing his maiden Test five-wicket haul as England lost their final three wickets inside the first 16 deliveries of the day.

Then it was time for Stuart Broad and James Anderson to display their skillsets - high-quality seam and swing bowling that you can sit back and watch the whole day. 

Dean Elgar had dug in to turn England's 40-run advantage in the first innings into a 30-run deficit by lunch. But, resuming after the break on 35, he added just one more to his score before he has adjudged lbw by umpire Nitin Menon off Broad in the third over back. Elgar, the South Africa captain, walked off, apparently giving no thought to a review, which would have seen the decision overturned with replays showing the ball was missing the leg stump by some way.

The wicket took Broad past, Glenn McGrath, to fifth on the all-time Test wicket-takers list with 564 and second among seamers behind Anderson, who moved his tally to 666 a short time later.

Anderson set up Keegan Petersen beautifully with an over's worth of inswingers before dragging his length back slightly on a wide outswinger with the third ball of his next over which Petersen guided to Ollie Pope at fourth slip.

The veteran duo kept a tight lid on South Africa's scoring thereafter, Ryan Rickelton's four off Broad through cover the only runs to come off 18 balls before Broad trapped Rickelton playing across an outswinger that straightened and crashed into the back pad low and in line with off stump.

Khaya Zondo and Wiaan Mulder, two batters rejoining the South Africa side for the first time since April as the tourists looked to shore up their batting in the absence of Rassie van der Dussen (finger injury) and Aiden Markram (omitted), batted 87 balls for their 25-run stand.

Robinson broke the union a short time later though, claiming his 50th wicket in just his 11th Test when Mulder edged one that shaped back into him onto his stumps. Robinson then removed Zondo with an inswinger that struck the front thigh with the third ball of his next over.

Then, Stokes uprooted Jansen's leg stump with a stunning inswinger that sent the visitors to tea seven men down.

Stokes had made the breakthrough before lunch, striking within three balls of bringing himself into the attack with a late outswinger which Sarel Erwee steered towards slip, where Root took a strong catch diving forward.

Stokes showed courage and determination n spite of a long-term knee injury that was clearly causing him discomfort, and bagged three crucial wickets. 

England needed 130 runs for the series victory and it ended without drama in the shortest Test match at the Oval since 1912.

Thank You

Faisal Caesar 

ENG v SA: England bounce back at Manchester

When you are watching a Test match where a team plays with the intent to play a 5-day match the way it should be played and give it more importance - no matter how much the cash-hungry blokes bark around them, they tend to dish out something captivating and intensifying which instills the motto of a vibes-driven play throughout the days. 

Brendon McCullum sounded confident despite the defeat in the first Test and no matter what, he would stick to the strategy and allow his men to play with more freedom and go for the kill and when you notice that the opposition decided to play according to your strength, you can just let yourself relax and watch the show. 

Surprise choice by Elgar, England cash in 

I am not sure what made Dean Elgar think of choosing to bat first on a juicy deck, but still, he followed his gut feeling, perhaps, yes, perhaps! 

The ball was shining like a fresh apple as if brought from the orchard and James Anderson and Ollie Robinson could not but let the apple move around on the juicy deck - really, the batters of the visiting team could not find an answer to the questions asked by Anderson and Broad. 

Despite his key contributions to the Lord's win, Erwee was never allowed to settle as Anderson and Robinson hounded him in a probing new-ball pairing, and after playing and missing relentlessly in an unconvincing 12-ball stay, Anderson found his inside edge to carve an opening in the fifth over of the day.

This was the first time since the Cape Town Test of 2009-10 that he and Anderson had not shared the new ball when playing together.

After taking 16 balls to get off the mark, Elgar had been limited to a solitary punched boundary through long-off when after an hour, Stuart Broad entered the attack - hit a good length outside off with a hint of away movement. Jonny Bairstow at third slip stooped low to gather, and South Africa's captain was gone for 12. Then he cut short the stay of Keegan Peterson - courtesy of a stiffer bounce from the good length that kissed Peterson's edge. 

Ben Stokes then showed how hungry he was with the ball as he induced an error with a ranked long-hop against Aiden Markram. Rassie van der Dussen then followed and after the break, Anderson struck gold with two in two deliveries, and then Broad had his third. The tail of South Africa but it was not enough to salvage something significant. 

Stokes and Foakes show

It had to be Stokes at the center of everything. 

After a brilliant display with the ball on Day 1, he revived the English hopes with the bat. 

His magnificent innings of 103 from 163 balls - his 12th Test century, and his first since the tour of the West Indies in March - came in the midst of a game-seizing stand of 173 for the sixth wicket with Ben Foakes, who went on to top-score with an unbeaten 113, his second England hundred after a memorable debut against Sri Lanka in 2018.

In the early part of the partnership, it was all about the basics - Stokes and Foakes had ticked along at a very similar tempo, but whereas Stokes saw the chance to put his foot down after reaching his half-century, Foakes recognized his role as the sheet-anchor.

Twin hundreds not only entertained the crowd and viewers but it had taken the game away from the visitors.  

South Africa's wrong choice 

England were 147 for 5 at one point and guess what, Elgar and South Africa's choice to include the second spinner Simon Harmer in place of the left-arm pace of Marco Jansen, thinking that the Manchester track would turn, later on, backfired and South Africa lacked the options to break the stand between Stokes and Foakes. 

South Africa done and dusted 

Anderson, never gets old, does he? 

He was bowling from the Anderson end and let the ball do all the talking - it jagged back in. Moved away. Bounced stiffly and then nipped back in like a rocket to send the stumps of Elgar cartwheeling. Wickets kept falling until Van der Dussen and Petersen stitched a partnership of 87 for the fourth wicket in 42.2 overs to essay a turnaround. 

Stokes ended the partnership and then came England's second new ball, and Anderson and Robinson polished off the other batters to bag an innings victory. 

The takeaways 

England have proven effective with the ball this summer when they are bowling first. They immediately put the opposition on the back foot with all the crafts they have under their belt and exploit the condition better. Most importantly, their ability to take wickets in the crucial juncture of a partnership has been one of the key features - the length tends to vary from short t back and then fuller. And, of course, with the Bazball around, you would not want them to bat second, which has enriched them this summer. 

Thank You

Faisal Caesar 

Manchester United outweigh Liverpool with better tactics

It has been two weeks now that the new Football season in Europe has commenced amid the global crisis. If anything that helps the people across the globe forgets about the ongoing crisis then it is nothing but football - the game of the people.  In La Liga, Italia Serie A, and Bundesliga; the matches have been vibrant - without a little shocking outcome whereas no one cares about what is happening in Ligue 1. 

In the Premier League, it has been a wild ride - Manchester United was outclassed by Brighton and Brentford, Leeds United thrashed Chelsea, Newcastle United went neck to neck against the defending champions Manchester City, and Liverpool dropped points in consecutive matches - well, the weekend ended with Jurgen Klopp losing against the arch-rivals Manchester United, who opened their accounts for the first time this season. 

How a team trounced 4-0 at Brentford last time out could outfight, out-skill, and outrun an opponent who defeated them 9-0 on aggregate last term remains a matter of deep study for Klopp, who and his men are reeling at the moment. 

On a night where the latest anti-Glazer protests had up to 10,000 marching to Old Trafford and introduced the newly signed Casemiro from Real Madrid to the crown, Manchester United were a picture of bravery and quality from David de Gea in goal to Marcus Rashford at number 9, his second-half strike bookending Jadon Sancho’s early opener.

Erik ten Hag hinted at playing with players who would ensure more energy, better communication, and attitude at Old Trafford - that might have resulted in benching Cristiano Ronaldo and Harry Maguire. Ten Hag went with a new central defensive pair - Raphael Varane and Lisandro Martinez, Tyrell Malacia and Diogo Dalot paired on the wing-back positions. 

Scott McTominay and Christian Eriksen formed the pivot and playmaker pair respectively at the central midfield, Bruno Fernandes joined the central attacking midfield, operating behind Marcus Rashford, with Anthony Elanga and Jadon Sancho operating on both the flanks. 

 Erik ten hag was quick to notice the weakness of Liverpool and which was the left side and at the center-back position, where Virgil van Dijk and Joel Gomez looked shaky.

In the first phase, in the previous matches against Brighton and Brentford, the Red Devils were seen struggling to move the ball forward after completing the short passes during ball-receiving from De Gea and opting for the longer ones at the center of the final third and flanks - but everything started to work since the ball started rolling.

The short passes on their own half during receiving the ball from David de Gea were limited and the long balls fell on the right paths. 

De Gea and the United backline had targeted Gomez and TAA with the long balls because neither of them was great in the air. Their vulnerability, left Harvey Elliot and Mohamed Salah to guard the right flank and Henderson was shielding the center-back position, where Gomez was shaking.  

On the left side of Liverpool, Diaz was trying to cut back but was neutralized by Lisandro and the pivot McTominay and when Andy Robertson moved to aid more fuel the area was congested because United were compact and Liverpool failed to move freely. McTominay partnered with Eriksen very well and complemented each other by moving up and down - well, the midfield of United was running like a beast as if already the presence of Casemiro had an impact on them.  

What followed was a sweet back-to-front sequence that finished with United scoring. Raphaël Varane made a superb intervention, taking the ball from Roberto Firmino’s toes in the area. Those in red moved upfield, before Elanga found Sancho, who feinted, left James Milner on his backside, and coolly beat Alisson.

James Milner gave Van Dijk a telling-off about something, and Klopp was thinking of his techinal moves. Klopp had 10 players unavailable including several injured A-listers: Thiago Alcântara, Diogo Jota and Naby Keïta, plus the suspended Darwin Núñez. The manager’s preference for the functional 36-year-old Milner instead of Fabinho, a natural holding player whose legs were the best part of a decade younger, was a head-scratcher.

So far so good for Manchester United, a pattern that continued when Elanga turned Trent Alexander-Arnold and drew a foul. This time Eriksen’s free-kick was tipped over by Alisson.

Liverpool displayed some resurgence when Alexander-Arnold’s cross was stabbed away by Varane and Harvey Elliott’s shot had to be stopped. 

Klopp’s charges rued their ill luck, however, when Milner headed a corner and Fernandes crashed the ball towards his own goal only to be saved by Lisandro Martinez who blocked on the line and hacked away - another bright side last night was the Argentine defender. 

After the break, Henderson failed to control one, and Anthony Martial, on for Elanga at the break, steered the ball to Rashford. Bursting in, the maligned forward beat Alisson with a sweet finish for a first league strike since January. 

Liverpool could reduce the deficit - but the night belonged to Manchester United. 

Thank You

Faisal Caesar 

ENG v SA: Bazball proved handy for England

 

England were batting first on Day 1 for the first time this summer and at Lord's the surface under the grey sky had enough juice to encourage the South African pacers who came out all guns blazing.

On a literal and figurative stormy day, with thunderbolts sent down from the four quicks of the Proteas, it was the 24-year-old Ollie Pope who weathered it out. 

Surviving and thriving as the senior trio of Joe Root, Jonny Bairstow, and Ben Stokes together managed just 28.

Of the 69 deliveries that made up his first 51 runs, 32 percent drew false shots, according to CricViz, including a skew through gully when on 43 - a flavor of Bazball - but to be honest it is backfired. 

Last year, KL Rahul and Rohit Sharma shared stands of 83, 126, and 97 on last year's tour. Those starts set India up for totals of 466, 364, and 278, and they weren't beaten in any of those encounters. 

This indicates that stitching a composed opening stand is very important in England, especially, if you're batting first and the Proteas openers followed the prescription with a stand of 85 that laid the foundation. 

England took the left side of the road by investing more in Bazball that should be done when your foundation is solid rather than throwing the bat, entertaining like jokers of circus shows, and leaving your team in the middle of the ocean without a single crew to steer the ship. 

The Englishmen came in. They wanted to have fun. Got dismissed. Smiled. Walked back towards the pavilion. Bazball was ending up with eggs on its face. 

An innings defeat was inevitable.

Thank You 

Faisal Caesar 

Casemiro will be missed in Real Madrid

 

The Castilla days 

Once upon a time, there was a school of thought going around the footballing world that the best way to the Real Madrid first XI is not via the Castilla, rather, Barcelona breed them and Florentino Perez used to buy them. 

Courtesy of Real Madrid's Galacticos, mind-warping revenue figures, Florentino Perez and the rivalling La Masia, such a perception has persisted, regardless of its accuracy. 

But the 2013-13 Castilla was bursting the myth that had been established. 

From the 2012-13 academy batch, Jese, Nacho, Denis Cheryshev, Lucas Vazquez and Casemiro have all found their way into Rafa Benitez's Real Madrid squad, and one of the boys named Casemiro would experience a short period in Santiago Bernabeu under Benitez. 

Casemiro was loaned to FC Porto in 2014, in a season-long loan.

He totalled 41 games overall for the Portuguese side, scoring four goals, including a free-kick in 2015 in a 4–0 home win over FC Basel in the last 16 of the UEFA Champions League. 

Three months later he returned to Real Madrid and scored his first competitive goal for the Merengues, heading home an 89th-minute corner kick by Jese in a 2–1 victory at UD Las Palmas.

Change of fortune

By then, Real Madrid, the champions of 2013-14, were a total mess in 2014-15 and with half the season gone, Benitez and his tactics came under severe criticism with Perez being forced to sack him and appoint Zinedine Zidane on an experimental basis for the rest of 2015-16 season. 

Zidane organized the midfield by injecting Casemiro along with Luka Modric and Toni Kroos. 

 Zidane fully realised that the collapse of the galacticos began with Claudio Makelele’s departure and their mention of him has Casemiro beaming. 

“Makelele is one who invented this position,” Casemirio staed in an interview with the Guardian. 

“Him, Mauro Silva, Dunga. Gilberto Silva was another. There was a period teams played with two, but it’s mostly one pivot again now. I watch videos of them: they developed this position. Zidane is a specialist: he knows every player’s importance. But Makelele wouldn’t have been as important without Zidane. Or me without Toni [Kroos] or Luka [Modric]. Fede [Federico Valverde] now, or Isco.”

In the El Clasico of 2015-16 - Zidane put Casemiro in front of the defence as a pure pivot and mark the dynamic Lionel Messi. On that night, Casemiro had put Messi in his pocket and in the coming years, Messi would not be able to overcome the sharpness and quality of Casemiro, who would establish himself as the best defensive midfielder in the world. 

And since then, in 22 games vs Messi: 4 goals (only two from open play). Last 12 games 0 G/A for Messi. 

In the meantime, the trio of Luka Modric, Toni Kroos and Casemiro developed as one of the best midfield trio in the history of football - The Burmuda Triangle had started together in 10 finals for Real Madrid - and Real Madrid won all 10, which is a staggering achievement. 

Talk about impact, Casemiro had the most at the centre of the park that was vital to the glory of the Los Blancos. 

The Tank was comfortable defending near his box and was crucial in covering his teammates and recovering with excellent timing. 

When he had the ball, Casemiro never complicated himself and did what was needed to do - pass it fine or keep it safe - delivering to Modric or Kroos was the solution and let the match move forward. 

Zidane asked Casemiro to go forward when required, taking the role of an offensive midfielder, equalling his best goalscoring efforts last season. 

“That’s Zizou. He’s very insistent; he always, always says: ‘Case, you can do more: arrive from the second line, feed midfielders, bring the ball out cleanly.’ This (2019-20) year, maybe I’ve had more protagonism with the ball, but I still know my job: rob the ball, give it to my teammates. But Zizou is pesado, heavy going: always talking to me, wanting more. He says: ‘I’m not asking you to do something you can’t do; I’m asking you to do something you can.’ He trusts me a lot.”

Casemiro has powerful shooting abilities and is a great header of the ball - Real reaped a rich harvest for those qualities. 

Casemiro is a footballer who is a different breed

He once told Jorge Valdano that he fights for every ball as if it were “a plate of food.”

Casemiro’s mother Magda, a cleaner, brought him, his sister Bianca and his brother Lucas up alone. 

They were poor, there wasn’t always enough food and their tiny home was cramped, forcing him to spend nights with his grandparents or stay with teammates to sleep properly before playing. 

Casemiro recalls Nilton Moreira, who ran the club a six-mile walk away, paying fees he couldn’t: about €3. Being given boots and food. And how joining São Paulo meant finally getting fed properly. “Football,” he says, “is an escape valve, a way of achieving something in life.”

“That’s especially true in Brazil where maybe we have more difficulties in education and culture,” he says, “but it’s not only there.”

“Everything I am is because of my mum, because of football. I was fortunate to find a way thanks to football: my friends didn’t have that luck. Knowing how hard it was is why I do everything from the heart, 200%.”

“Casemiro does the work others won’t,” Sevilla’s Brazilian midfielder Fernando told El País. 

The Guardian reports: ”There’s the hyperbaric oxygen chamber, electric recovery boots, extreme abstinence, and morning sessions before training – teammate Rodrygo says Casemiro is always dragging him to the gym – together with constant videos and analysis: good decisions are not guesswork, nor are they all intuition.”

Rafa Benítez called him a “listener.”

Julen Lopetegui describes him as “a joy to coach”, whose “secret is the desire to improve, his willingness to adapt”. It is born perhaps of awareness that he may not be a natural virtuoso, some sense maybe that his place is at the service of others: he describes his role as “filling gaps, helping teammates”. 

It is manifest in his performances. When he arrived in Madrid, he didn’t look that good. He didn’t look this good, anyway.”

“I love to learn. I watch back, see the errors, and evaluate. I love that. People say I think like a coach. I always try to read the game, the other team’s mind, their coach, and what they’re trying to do. Often the smallest details – a metre either way – change everything. I have [football analytics platform] Wyscout and watch everything, from China or anywhere. My wife gets annoyed. It’s my work. There’s a time for everything but it’s my job. And I love it. My life is football. I have to think permanently about football,” said Casemiro. 

“It’s not the legs, it’s the mind that’s in charge. You have to be strong, and aggressive: I like challenges, and contact. But you play with your head; I always thought the key was thinking: being better positioned, seeing the move before it happens.”

The midfield and defence of Real Madrid always had breathed easy when Casemiro had been around. 

His decision to part ways with Real Madrid will be a blow for the Los Blancos who might have Fede Valverde, Camavinga and Aurelien Tchouameni; but it would take time for them to fill the gap of Casemiro.  

With less quality around him in the Brazilian midfield, he had to put a lot more effort to be influential and his absence literally killed Brazil at Kazan. 

That could be a problem with Manchester United when faced with teams that press higher and if Casemiro is expected to drive with the ball and becomes the key figure bringing the ball forward - lack of quality in the midfield and back. 

With the World Cup in Qatar knocking at the door, this move might strain the preparations a bit for Brazil because of the heavy workload for a club that is in tatters, but the show must go on. 

Thank You

Faisal Caesar 

The memorable night at Bordeaux in 1994

Both France and Algeria considered Zinedine Yazid Zidane as their citizen, but the maestro would shine in the Blue Shirt for France and of course, back in Spain, he is a treasure for Real Madrid. On the field, he has always been about a footballer blessed with the ability to script incredible things. 

And, on August 17, 1994, in his international debut during the friendly against the Czech Republic, Zidane hinted at what was to come in the next twelve years. 

The French team was going through a transition period because the heydays of the 80s were over and the next generation failed to deliver anything at the top competitions - they were absent in World Cup in Italy and USA and cut a sorry figure in the Euros as well. The coach decided to build on defence rather than flair because, as a matter of fact, the French did not have the talent like the 80s. 

Laurent Blanc, Lilian Thuram, Marcel Desailly, and Bruno N’Gotty all played as Jacquet packed his team full of center-backs, hoping to stifle the Czechs, who still had not lost the reputation of displaying attacking football. 

What little flair was provided by Eric Cantona, David Ginola and Christophe Dugarry hadn't ignited. 

The unthinkable happened at Bordeaux as the Czechs took a lead by two goals in the first half courtesy of their hero Skuhravy and Daniel Smejkal. 

Enter a 22-year-old novice from Bordeaux. Zinedine Yazid Zidane.

The midfielder had built a reputation in Ligue 1 as a talented if slightly one-paced midfielder with Cannes and Bordeaux and now it was time for him to step up and prove his worth at the international level. 

Corentin Martins off, Zidane on. 

Zizou took over as the primary playmaker with Ginola leaving the pitch for Bixente Lizarazu.

The Czech Republic, who’d brought Patrik Berger and Karel Poborsky off the bench, continued to frustrate the French.

Zidane, wearing an unfamiliar number 14 shirt, struggled to get into the game.

But then, in the 85th minute, it happened. Zizou picked up a perfectly weighted pass from Blanc, beating one man without even touching the ball.

A second defender came rushing out only to be sent back to Prague with a drop of Zizou’s right shoulder and a swivel of the hips.

Zidane then shifted the ball from his right foot to his left foot, beating another man in the process, before arrowing the ball into the bottom corner from 30-yards out.

No celebration. No overjoyed passion at scoring his first international goal. Just the demand that someone fetch the dispatched ball out of the net and race it back to the center circle.

Two minutes later he was at it again, though this time showing a much-underrated side of his game.

An inswinging corner was whipped in. The Czech Republic made the mistake of leaving Zidane unmarked on the edge of the area.

He ambled into view before bulleting a header into the top corner from a good 10-yards out.

This time he did allow himself a moment of celebration. Rightly so.

And the journey of a legend began! 

Thank You

Faisal Caesar 

SL v PAK: Well played Sri Lanka

The name of the nation is Sri Lanka and its economical and political status are a total mess. People are protesting on the streets. There's a wave of sadness across the country. They wish to smile for a moment - still they can't because there's no medium that could provide them such. 

We know very well the status of the Sri Lanka cricket team over the years - they're passing through a never-ending transition period. One disgraceful display is followed by another, but guess what, they decided to become the medium of smile for a nation that is in tatters. 

They conquered Bangladesh. They beat Australia in the ODI series and bounced back to draw the Test series. Then, after fighting hard against Sri Lanka in the first Test, they lost, but kept the fight alive and beat Pakistan in the second Test. 

From Day 1, Sri Lanka kept on piling the pressure upon Pakistan, who tried hard, but still, couldn't get a grip over the match because Sri Lanka wouldn't let their nation down - who had already been let down by their politicians, and neighbors, and communist helpers. 

They won and I am extremely happy for Sri Lanka because they need such victories for the sake of the people and for the sake of cricket that can't afford to lose such a brilliant cricket nation.

Thank You 

Faisal Caesar 

ODI and Test cricket are in danger: ICC and Big 3 need to rethink the strategy

No one was ready for Ben Stokes to retire from One-day International (ODI) so early. he was just aging 31 and still had plenty to offer for the 50-over format where he was crowned as the World Champion and one of the stars of the last ICC Cricket World Cup in 2019. As an allrounder, Stokes had so much to the format that it is still hard to accept his "premature" retirement. 

Stokes was appointed as England's Test captain earlier this year and said that playing three formats was "just unsustainable for me now" and that he felt as though he was blocking opportunities for other players.

He had been due to play all six of England's ODIs this summer and rest throughout their T20I commitments against India and South Africa, as well as the Hundred, but has now opted to quit the 50-over game in order to give "everything I have to Test cricket" and "my total commitment to the T20 format."

The decision of Stokes has led to the debate of the heavy workload, the top players digest these days. 

The emergence of Twenty20 Leagues has added enough pressure to the players and the lucrative returns from such domestic leagues are such that it has become hard for the players to ignore. Again, one of the powerful boards in world cricket - BCCI - endorsing such leagues and forcing the International Cricket Council (ICC) to discover a separate window for them, has made things complex. 

BCCI is powerful and with big powers come big responsibilities, which the BCCi have always forgotten and emphasized more on running the crazy money train named the Indian Premier League at the cost of longer-formats. 

At present, if any format is in big trouble then it is 50-over cricket. 

A few days ago, Wasim Akram endorsed the idea of putting the 50-over format to rest. 

"Him deciding that he is retiring from one-day cricket is quite sad but I agree with him," said Akram. 

"Even as a commentator … one-day cricket is just a drag now, especially after T20. I can imagine as a player. 50 overs, 50 overs, then you have to pre-game, post-game, the lunch game."

"T20 is kind of easier, four hours the game is over. The leagues all around the world, there is a lot more money - I suppose this is part and parcel of modern cricket. T20 or Test cricket. One-day cricket is kind of dying."

"It is quite tiring for a player to play one-day cricket. After T20, one-day cricket seems it is going for days. So players are focussing on more shorter format. And longer format obviously [with] Test cricket."

Asked if administrators should consider scrapping ODI cricket, Akram said:, “I think so. In England, you have full houses. In India, Pakistan especially, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, and South Africa, one-day of cricket you are not going to fill the stadiums. 

“They are doing it just for the sake of doing it. After the first 10 overs, it’s just ‘OK, just go a run a ball, get a boundary, four fielders in and you get to 200, 220 in 40 overs’ and then have a go last 10 overs. Another 100. It’s kind of run-of-the-mill.”

Akram's statement was a shocking opinion for me because Akram might have completely forgotten what this format has given Pakistan and as well as India - it has put these two nations right on the map. 

Had the 50-over formats not been started, neither India nor Pakistan could reach the level at which they are in and include Sri Lanka in this group as well. 

If Akram thinks that the 50-over format is dying then he should have spoken in favour of it and stated strongly that if nay format that is disturning the overall health of cricket then it is the Twenty20 format and the Franchise Leagues. 

The ebb-and-flow of the longer-formats make it a special one and not everyone's cup of tea. 

Most importantly, the 50-over format has given Test cricket a new life, when it was suffering badly in the 50s and 80s. 

Whereas Twenty20 Cricket might have given money, surely, it is killing the soul of cricket slowly - it is like slow poisoning. 

Then, what is next? 

Will people start talking about abolishing Test cricket because it is too long? 

If they can suggest scrapping the 09-over format then they can hunt after Test cricket as well! 

Former cricketer and head coach of India, Ravi Shastri said, "If you want Test cricket to survive you cannot have 10, 12 teams playing. Keep the top six, keep the quality of cricket going and respect quality over quantity. That's the only way you open up a window for other cricket to be played." 

I agree with Ravi Shastri. 

There has to be more emphasis on quality rather than quantity in Test cricket and to play the best format of the game, a cricket-playing nation needs to ensure technical and temperamental efficiency rather than taking the format for granted. 

I would endorse the idea of a two-tier system that would ensure quality more than quantity in Test cricket. 

The Top 6 or 8 teams should be categorized as top tier teams and if a team fails to remain in the top 6 or 8 then their Test status should be abolished and to achieve it again have to work harder.. in the meantime, the facilities which they used to receive as a Test nation should also be cut off. 

While being in the second tier, they would play 4-day matches against each other which would be rated as first-class matches and if one of them comes top then just one and only one team would join the first tier and compete for survival. 

Such steps would force cricket nations like Bangladesh, Zimbabwe, Afghanistan, Ireland, and West Indies to take Test cricket seriously. 

Frankly, speaking teams like Bangladesh don't give Test cricket anything rather than disgrace and have taken this format for granted in the last 22 years.

Finally, I would request ICC and Big 3 to rethink the strategy regarding the longer formats. 

Money is needed but for that, the soul of cricket should not be murdered. 

Thank You

Faisal Caesar 

SL v PAK: Who is Abdullah Shafique?

Knock! Knock! 

Open the door! 

I have to ask you a question! 

Do you know Abdullah Shafique? 

Surely, you don't know him or bother to care for him because he is not seen in funky dresses in the commercials and dances like an idiot when the circus shows go on. And, he doesn't have a contract in the idiot premier league or any other premier leagues. And, no one went Gaga for this lad because he did not hit two or three big sixes and became a sensation to the paid experts. 

Well... 

Shafique is just another Pakistani opener, who had arrived in the international arena only to be faded away as the rest did before? 

Since that majestic pair of Aamir Sohail and Saeed Anwar parted ways from international cricket - the Men in Green could hardly find a stable Test opener or an opening pair - openers came and go and some raised hopes and quickly faded. Well, when Shafique went out to bat for the first time in Test cricket; he was rated as just another Test opener who had been included only to complete the final XI. 

Shafique made his first-class debut in 2019, for Central Punjab in the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy, scoring 133 runs. He had a moment to relish in the shorter format at the domestic circuit, but keep in mind, anyone can do such even without proper technique, still, he was hailed and included in the T20 team - 41 runs came off against Zimbabwe, while two ducks against New Zealand in 2020 dented his confidence, and as usual, he was forgotten because at present - the performance in the circus shows matter so much! 

But someone like Misbah-ul-Haq, who was the coach at that time and has a piece of sound knowledge of the game and captained Pakistan successfully in test and limited-overs format, backed this boy. Misbah pointed out that Shafique had a very good technique and mentally, he was mature enough to take on big responsibilities. 

Pakistan's experiment with Imran Butt failed and it was time for Shafique to become another experimental project - but after almost 5 months, project Shafique is reaping a rich harvest and I think, even the Pakistanis can't even believe it. 

Within 11 innings in Test cricket, he is sharing the platform with Sir Don Bradman, George Headley, and Sunil Gavaskar - the 23-year-old averages 79 with the bat in Test cricket till now!   

The bulk of the runs have come on subcontinental pitches and apart from Bangladesh, you can count Australia as one of the best against whom he averages 79.40, and the hard nut to crack Sri Lanka against whom he averages 173.0 at present! 

His mental aspect could be realized since the tough Test series against Australia at home - but like every cricketer, he also had his moment to elevate his level and that came at Galle in the first Test against Sri Lanka, where Pakistan were given a tough total - 342 - to chase in the fourth innings. 

Pakistan were given a paltry total to chase in Galle back in 2009, but they succumbed to Rangana Herath and when the matter is about chasing totals - Pakistan have always been on the back foot most of the time even with batters like Inzamam-ul-Haq, Saeed Anwar, Younis Khan or Mohammad Yousuf.  

At the backdrop of such a record and memory of 13 years ago, Shafique cashed on his mental aspect. 

He could realize what triggered the downfall of Pakistani batters in the first against Prabath Jayasuriya  - the straighter ones against which the Pakistani batters committed shots too early and lacked astute footwork. 

Shafique took caution over aggression and decided to leave those deliveries on a deck that becomes a stage for the sacrificial ceremony to the spinners on the final two days.   

He had full control over his technique as the backlift hardly erred while executing the defence and scoring shots. His footwork seems to improve each day and surely playing against Nathan Lyon a couple of months ago has added a great value to his repertoire. 

Ramesh Mendis and Jayasuriya kept on attacking the middle and off and varied their flight and length to distract Shafique and there were moments when he was totally beaten, but still, managed to bury the fear of getting out and continue to hold one end and add enough fuel to keep the innings moving - moments of stagnancy could pile pressure and invite a collapse - Shafique's mature mind could realize that and thus, maneuvering the strike became his force to counter the threat. 

Courtesy of Shafique, Pakistan managed to chase down 342 runs - a massive chase and one of the best in the history of Pakistan cricket given the fact - as far as fourth-innings hundreds go, this was one of the toughest assignments - only three batters have ever done at Galle before, and only one (Dimuth Karunaratne 122 vs New Zealand in 2019) in a victory.

A marvelous hundred - a hundred to build a superb career and Shafique and the selectors must keep the faith in this boy rather than messing around. 

Now you know, who Abdullah Shafique is, don't you?

Thank You

Faisal Caesar 

SL v PAK: The underrated Dinesh Chandimal

For me - Dinesh Chandimal is a fighter and the most underrated customer in world cricket at present. The guy reminds me of Larry Gomes of West Indies in the late 70s and 80s, when his productive contributions were often overshadowed by the big guns around him and when the big guns had a bad day at the office, Gomes would always show up and get things going. 

World cricket has always left such fighters in the cold because the focus always remained on the big names and with the shift in power in world cricket - even trashes from the streets clear the distance and become the future prodigy in the circus shows - but people like Chandimal does not even come to any cricketing discussion -- the street trashes do because they feature in the circus shows. 

Also, Chandimal does not belong to the Big 3 elites or South Africa and for which, to hog the limelight, he has to break down the sweat 500% more than one of the elite players of the Big 3. 

How would you judge his defiant resistance against Pakistan at Galle in the first Test in both the innings? How would you rate his bold knock the Australians a couple of weeks ago? How would you rate his inspiring knock against Bangladesh in Bangladesh? Do you remember his nine-hour 155 against Pakistan in Abu Dhabi in 2017? Do you remember his twin fifties on debut against South Africa in 2011 which was a memorable tour?  What about that 162 against India in 2015? 

Nope...you don't remember those. 

No, you don't! 

You hardly care Chandimal, the man whose travel has been bumpy. 

His rough road has included spectacularly failed brushes with the captaincy. 

He was the shorter-format captain at the age of 23 but was dumped in the middle of the World T20 that Sri Lanka went on to win. 

His Test reign was beset by problems such as illness that kept him out of part of the 3-0 whitewash at the hands of India at home, a ball-tampering saga that saw him suspended for several matches before eventually he was not just sacked, but also dropped from the side, when Dimuth Karunaratne took over and immediately led Sri Lanka to their biggest Test series win in many years, in South Africa.

Although leadership has almost uniformly brought him sorrow, Chandimal agreed to be stand-in captain for this game in Karunaratne's absence.

And, like a team man - he has always given his all for the betterment of the team. 

Neither Chandimal exhibits arrogance to hit the headlines nor does he try to establish himself as a revolutionist in the team - rather - he has always tried to be a Sri Lankan and give the Island nation hope during such a testing time.  

Thank You

Faisal Caesar 

SL v Pak: Another epic vigil from Babar Azam

Steve Smith, Joe Root, Kane Williamson, and Virat Kohli - are among the fabulous 4 batters in modern-day cricket, and, it has always been hard for Babar Azam to find a place among them. In the limited-overs format, Babar has elevated his status as one of the finest in the business; but until and unless you have achieved greatness in white clothes, surely, even in this era of circus shows, you would not be regarded as one of the modern-day greats. 

Babar catches your attention with his sublime timing and crispy drives through backward point and cover region - there is that shadow of Virat Kohli in him when you watch him bring the bat with front foot facing towards cover and with late adjustments -meet the ball at the middle of the bat. But the matter is about displaying temperament to play a long innings - and under pressure - the Smith, Root, and Williamson have always been missing from the poster-boy of Pakistan cricket. 

But - he wishes to join the league of the elite batters in world cricket and since he has been appointed as the captain - the temperamental aspect started to bloom as if a jeweler is shaping up the diamond to showcase at the big stage and impress the Gods of cricket. 

85 for 7 - a score, that is not unfamiliar to Pakistan fans and they are also not unfamiliar with the epic vigils their cricketing legends have dished out since Pakistan joined the cricketing world. 

While standing at the non-striker's end, Babr watched the house collapse, and with the track offering enough turn and bounce; it was up to Babar to negotiate the snakes on the deck like a snake charmer - play the ball late with astute footwork and execute the sweep perfectly without taking undue risk. 

And, most importantly, he was needed to shield the shaky tail. 

85 for 7 became, 112 for 8, and 112 for 8 became 148 for 9 - Game over? 

Not yet - because the team is Pakistan! 

Naseem Shah - whose overall batting average in Test matches is 3.2 - unleashed a defiant resistance like a man possessed and blocked whatever came on his way. 

Yet again, the basics of strike-rotation while building a partnership was reminded and how to shield a tail-ender under pressure, was taught by Babar. 

The last wicket stitched a 70-run stand where Naseem contributed just 5 runs off 52 balls - that's what Pakistan can offer when the contest is lost. 

And when the contest is lost, they discover a one-man army and Babr was the leader of men who led from the front. 

Babar completed a seventh Test ton, and added 24 runs after tea - He whipped a full toss from Theekshana powerfully wide of mid-on and reached 99. In the following delivery, he inside-edged one that was moving towards leg, and the batters scampered through. 

A hundred to remember for ages and yet another epic vigil from the man, who is knocking at the door of greatness and enter! 

Thank You

Faisal Caesar 

  

ENG vs NZ: A counterattack of highest quality from Jonny Bairstow

The friendship between Jonny Bairstow and Test cricket seemed to be falling apart when England toured India last year. With the bat, he cut a sorry figure, and a few months later at home, against the same opposition, his performance was nothing satisfactory. In Australia, apart from one century, the performance was mediocre while in West Indies, this year, just one hundred and later on, his bat did not bloom flowers. 

Then he traveled to Mumbai straight from Grenada after England finished their dismal Caribbean tour under Joe Root and when he returned home, Bairstow discovered that the whole setup had been changed. 

In between, he maintained his fitness and form in limited-overs form intact because England would be playing a lot of them in the coming days against some of the toughest opponents in the 50- over and Twenty20 format. 

Whether there would be a possibility of missing Test matches remained a moot question - but Bairstow expressed his interest in playing Test cricket. 

In an interview with the reporters, Bairstow said before the start of the Test series against New Zealand, "You know my desire to play for England, my desire to play Test cricket. That hadn't come into my mind. I have never been one for resting when there's opportunities to play for England: it's extremely special." 

In the ongoing Test series against New Zealand, Bairstow has been given the role as a middle-order batter while Ben Foakes is donning the wicketkeeping gloves.  

Foakes has been delivering the goods both with the gloves and bat whereas, Bairstow is yet to shine. 

Before he came out to bat in the fourth innings of the second Test against New Zealand at Trent Bridge, his scores read - 1, 16, and 8. 

Surely, it was hard to expect someone to shine under pressure. 

The Bairstow show 

It had been a high-scoring affair at Trent Bridge. 

Both New Zealand and England had posted more than 500 runs in their respective first innings and given the fact that the track was flat; a tame draw was on the cards. 

But the English bowlers started to fetch wickets at regular intervals in the second innings of New Zealand and made the Test a fascinating one. 

New Zealand gave England a target of 299 to chase in a minimum of 72 overs. 

Trent Boult had Zak Crawley out for a duck as England went for lunch at 36 for 1 and by tea, Boult had claimed the most important wicket of an in-form Joe Root, Matt Henry dismissed the centurion in the first innings Ollie Pope cheaply and Tim Southee removed Alex Lees for 44 leaving England at 93 for 4. 

Ben Stokes and Bairstow joined at the crease with the intent to win rather than seeing off the day and hang on for a draw. 

In eight innings since his hundred against the West Indies a couple of months ago, Bairstow had failed to surpass a score of 30 and yet again, he got the opportunity to showcase his abilities as a Test batsman for England. 

After the tea interval, England needed 160 runs to win from 38 overs and for the sane brains, it would have been ideal to occupy the crease and save the Test rather than taking any undue risks. 

By then Bairstow had rediscovered his mojo and unleashed an assault that would remain in the memories of those who watched it for a long time. 

The short-ball tactics of Henry was treated mercilessly as Bairstow raced to his half-century with back-to-back boundaries. Then he lofted Boult for a 6, over long-off. Two more maximums off Henry's next over saw England fetching 43 runs off 3 overs - the tornado had gained its full momentum and Bairstow became unstoppable. 

With Kyle Jamieson unable to bowl due to a breakdown, England cashed in and New Zealand were looking short of ideas against Bairstow's swashbuckling knock. 

Stokes appeared to twist his knee, but still defied the uncomfortable feeling and held one end firm by providing the perfect foil to Bairstow's aggression. 

Runs came thick and fast off the bat of Bairstow and it provided enough comfort for Stokes, who hardly had to run. 

Bairstow creamed Henry for two boundaries and reduced the required run below hundred. Then Southee was crunched through the covers. But before that, he had completed his hundred by taking 3 runs. 

It 77 balls to complete his hundred - the second-fastest by an English batter. 

New Zealand tried the spin bowling of Michael Bracewell, but there was no mercy as he was smoked for sixes and boundaries. 

By the time Bairstow was dismissed by Boult, the match was all but finished for New Zealand. 

Stokes remained unbeaten at the wicket for 75 off 70 balls. his 179-run stand with Bairstow for the fifth-wicket stand off 20.1 over 8.8 runs per over was the third-fastest century in Test cricket in terms of run rate.  

Bairstow stayed at the wicket for 150 minutes. Hit 14fours and 7 sixes. Faced 92 balls for a cracking 136 runs. 

Bairstow averages 40.48 while batting at number 7 whereas when he bats at number 5 and 6, he averages 30.71 and 39.81 respectively. 

The numbers were not backing him when he came out to bat at number 5. 

It was time to change the scenario and bring England back on track. 

Bairstow's knock helped England win two consecutive Test matches whereas at one point England had won just one from 17 Test matches. 

Thank You

Faisal Caesar 

ENG vs NZ: Joe Root steers English ship safely to the shore

 

After England's dull tour of the West Indies, Joe Root hardly got any sympathy from the critics and fans. The woeful defeat in Grenada extended England's run without a victory since August last year.

Root's form was never questioned because his bat was still doing the talking, but his tactical acumen and leadership qualities came under the microscope.

Still, Root insisted that he was the best man for the job and that England were not far away from getting things right. These views were reinforced by Paul Collingwood when he said "he couldn't be more positive" about Root.

A period of delusion ended and common sense prevailed as Root resigned from the captaincy and England entered a new era.

After the Ashes nightmare, Root was shaken and when he returned from the Caribbean, he was, probably, a broken fellow who was trying hard to remain positive.

Opportunities came repeatedly - but he never punched the buzzer in time or answered the right questions when it mattered the most.

Joe Root in new era of English Test cricket

Joe Root now features in the English team as the premium batter under the captaincy of his friend and teammate, Ben Stokes, and Brendon McCullum as the head coach.

The new era began against the World Test Champions - New Zealand - at the home of cricket - Lord's, where the comeback kings, James Anderson and Stuart Broad shone with the ball.

Anderson's first over hinted that he was never away. Broad's impactful presence was felt when he triggered a collapse in New Zealand's second innings just as they were taking the game away, courtesy of a stubborn partnership between Tom Blundell and Daryl Mitchell.

After waiting for 388 deliveries for the fifth wicket to fall, Broad and England picked up three in three for a remarkable team hat-trick. New Zealand collapsed and asked England to chase 277 in the fourth innings.

The constant switching between middle and leg guard by Alex Lees breached his defence. Zak Crawley's nick to the slip, Ollie Pope's unconvincing stay at the crease, and Jonny Bairstow's witless shorter-format drive had put England in a mess, yet again!

Joe Root rescues England yet again

At 69 for 4, England looked towards their most experienced campaigners to fix things. Ben Stokes had joined Joe Root with the intention of arresting a collapse and injecting solidity so that the team didn't lose their way.

Playing your shots is hugely welcome in modern day cricket, whereas leaving the ball, even in a Test match, is regarded as boring. But, as a matter of fact, leaving the ball is equally important to build an innings and Root realizes this fact better than most.

Root's partner Stokes also invested in composure after being saved by the over-stepping of Colin de Grandhomme and saved narrowly by luck while taking a risky single against Will Young's throw.

McCullum's philosophy is to attack and entertain, but with this England team, such a ploy is still risky and the outcome of that philosophy will take time. Thus, resolve was the best option to deny the Champions.

Stokes waited for his time and smashed big hits. At the other end, like a tailor, Root was knitting with a focused mind so that the ultimate product was impactful. His target was the arc between fine and square leg and midwicket.

He simply curbed his intent to drive through the offside. While the Kiwi pacers started to bowl a bit straighter, Root would manouever the ball smoothly in those areas with perfectly timed flicks.

67 runs were fetched from those regions and despite losing Stokes, Root was well set to steer the ship home.

The fourth day witnessed a murky sky and obviously, one would expect the New Zealand swing bowlers to cash in. But Root was on a mission to rediscover his mojo that was lost in Australia as he shuffled down perfectly to flick one for a single off Tim Southee's first ball to gain rhythm.

The runs then started to flow from the bat of Joe Root, who was cautious earlier in his innings. A clip through midwicket against Southee brought Root's ninth Test hundred since 2021 and he became the 14th man in the history of Test cricket to reach the milestone of 10,000 Test runs.

He stitched a 120-run partnership with Ben Foakes, who gave Joe Root enough support as England were greeted with cheers. Root had a torrid time in the last year or so but never lost the smile on his face. Perhaps that was something which has helped him to conquer the adversities.

Note: This article has been published at Sportskeeda on 06/06/2022 ENG vs NZ: Joe Root steers English ship safely to the shore

Thank You

Faisal Caesar 

Which Shakib Al Hasan will Bangladesh witness now?

On June 2, 2022, the BCB announced the return of Shakib Al Hasan as the captain of Bangladesh's Test team, with Litton Kumar Das as the vice-captain.

A few days ago, Mominul Haque had stepped down as the skipper, following the home series loss to Sri Lanka. He stated that he was resigning from the role of captain to focus on his batting.

This can be understood. Mominul averages just 16.20 with the bat this year and as a skipper, has won just three Tests, losing 12, and drawing two.

Before Mominul's resignation, BCB boss Nazmul Hassan had stated clearly to popular newspaper Daily Star that he had no intentions of changing the captain of the Test side.

But the very next day, this resignation put Nazmul Hassan and Co. under a bit of pressure to choose a suitable captain for the tough tour of the West Indies.

Shakib Al Hasan as Test captain has been a topsy-turvy ride

Under Shakib Al Hasan's captaincy, Bangladesh conquered West Indies back in 2009 (against a second-string West Indies team). He would captain the side for six more matches in the first half of 2010 and one more Test in 2011, against Zimbabwe, before falling out of favour with then BCB President Mustafa Kamal.

Shakib led from the front in the West Indies in 2009, earning both the Player-of-the-Match and Player-of-the-Series awards.

He scored 159 runs in the two-Test series at an average of 53.00 and was Bangladesh's second-highest run-scorer in those matches. His haul of 13 wickets at an average of 18.76 from both matches meant Shakib was the equal highest wicket-taker for the series along with West Indies fast bowler Kemar Roach.

After winning the Test series 2–0, Bangladesh went on to win the ODI series 3-0. Shakib collected two half-centuries in the ODI series also, averaging 45.00, and was the third-highest run-scorer in the three ODIs. He also took two wickets at an average of 48.00. For his performances in the ODIs, Shakib was named the Man of the Series.

After that, in the home ODI series against Zimbabwe, Shakib finished with 170 runs from five matches at an average of 42.50 – the fifth-highest run-scorer in the series. He grabbed six wickets at an average of 39.66 and was the fourth-highest wicket-taker in the series.

In November 2009, Shakib Al Hasan was named The Wisden Cricketer's "Test Player of the Year."

The following year, as England toured Bangladesh, under Shakib's captaincy, the hosts gave the tourists a really tough time. With the ball, Shakib was brilliant as he fetched eight wickets in that two-match Test series.

Had DRS been available back in those days, the results might have been different. He gave up the captaincy in 2010 with the intention of focusing on his own performance.

But a few months later, he would discover himself as the skipper again because Mashrafe Mortaza got injured. This time, under his captaincy, Bangladesh would whitewash a New Zealand side and gun down Zimbabwe.

After a frustrating World Cup at home and a fall-out with Mustafa Kamal, Shakib Al Hasan was removed from the captaincy.

The all-rounder returned to the role after a gap of six years, replacing Mushfiqur Rahim. He continued in that position for two years, gaining victories against West Indies and Zimbabwe at home in 2018 and a defeat against Afghanistan in 2019 at Chattogram.

Then, he had to serve a two-year ban imposed by the International Cricket Council (ICC) for not reporting a bookie's approach the same year. But during the second year, that ban was suspended as Shakib did not commit further offences under the ACU code or the anti-corruption code of any national federation.

 Also, he participated promptly and fully in the anti-corruption education and/or rehabilitation programmes specified by the ICC.

The Australian duo of Steve Smith and David Warner were not brought into leadership roles immediately after their involvement in the 'Sandpaper-gate' incident in 2018.

But Nazmul Hassan decided to invest faith in the player who is well-known for not being that interested in playing the 5-day format and has had several disciplinary issues.

Nazmul Hassan said, while answering a question on Thursday about Shakib's transgressions in the past and whether appointing him as captain is appropriate:

"Whatever options we have in Tests, we felt this was our best option. You will notice something that is different about him [Shakib] compared to others. There was a clear difference between the punishment and the statement which was given to him by the ICC. There is a clear-cut difference and if you see it, you will know."

Shakib fulfilled the conditions given by the ICC and that prompted him to feature in the series against the West Indies in 2021.

Which Shakib Al Hasan will turn up this time?

Despite options like Tamim Iqbal and Mushfiqur Rahim, the reappointment of Shakib Al Hasan has made everyone happy because of the fact that he is the best performer in the team. The all-rounder also possesses a very smart cricketing brain. As captain, he is proactive and has the ability to handle pressure on and off the field.

The only problem with Shakib is his whimsical behaviour, because of which the team has lost his services on many occasions in Test cricket.

There have been times when Shakib decided to cut his name off from tough Test tours in South Africa and New Zealand, while others showed better commitment.

As skipper, one thing that Shakib must ensure is - his commitment to the five-day format. If he can do that, one can not only expect stability in the Test unit but better outcomes.

Litton Das would also be able to learn and grow under Shakib's captaincy, but one hopes that Shakib's whims don't expose Litton too early.

Note: This article has been published at Sportskeeda on 03/06/2022 Which Shakib Al Hasan will Bangladesh witness now?

Thank You

Faisal Caesar