Sachin Tendulkar may well be playing his last ever international series in Australia, starting from December 26. I am sure a lot of fans will be hoping that Tendulkar will get his 100th hundred and will become the first man to do so. But Tendulkar has not scored a century in quite a while; it may not be unsurprising if he can not get one in Australia either.
Tendulkar is argubly one of the greatest cricket batsmen of all time. It will be a good fairwell for the legend, if he can get the ton in Australia.
Saturday, December 24, 2011
Friday, December 23, 2011
Can Pakistan Continue The Good Work After Misbah Retires?
Pakistan cricket team has done excellent under the captaincy of Misbah Ul Haq, who was out of the team before being named captain. Under his captaincy, the team has barely lost a game against any opposition.
The big question is, can Pakistan continue this good form when he finally retires? Misbah is currently 37 year old, which means he may retire very soon. Knowing Pakistan's controversial cricket culture, there is a good chance Pakistan may have a hard time finding a suitable captain.
The solution I can think of is, have a young captain for the ODI and twenty20 team. When Misbah retires, the ODI captain can replace him. Personally I feel, Mohammed Hafeez can be a good captain.
The big question is, can Pakistan continue this good form when he finally retires? Misbah is currently 37 year old, which means he may retire very soon. Knowing Pakistan's controversial cricket culture, there is a good chance Pakistan may have a hard time finding a suitable captain.
The solution I can think of is, have a young captain for the ODI and twenty20 team. When Misbah retires, the ODI captain can replace him. Personally I feel, Mohammed Hafeez can be a good captain.
Dav Whatmore - Can He Take Pakistan To A New Height?
Dav Whatmore has been contacted by PCB to take the coaching job. There is a good chance Whatmore may become the next head coach of Pakistan national team. Whatmore has accomplished a lot as a coach; Sri Lanka became world champion under him and Bangladesh reached super 8 for the first time under him too.
The best thing about Whatmore is his ability to bring the best out of team. His no nonsense attitude has worked wonders in the past. If a coach like him can gel together with controversial Pakistani cricket culture, there may be good news for Pakistan ahead.
We just have to wait and see what happens; but he can take Pakistan to a new height that is for sure.
The best thing about Whatmore is his ability to bring the best out of team. His no nonsense attitude has worked wonders in the past. If a coach like him can gel together with controversial Pakistani cricket culture, there may be good news for Pakistan ahead.
We just have to wait and see what happens; but he can take Pakistan to a new height that is for sure.
Bangladesh - Going Backward Or Just A Temporary Slump In Form?
Since the world cup 2011, Bangladesh are having a very tough time in the international cricket arena. The way things are going, Bangladesh may be in for a rough ride in near future as well.
Bangladesh started off their post world cup campaign with a series against Australia, where they lost 3-0. It was not the whitewash that was the worrying sign, but it was the lack of spirit Bangladesh showed against the #1 ODI team. In all 3 ODIs, Bangladesh simply gave up in the middle of the match.
After that, Bangladesh toured Zimbabwe where their performance was atrocious. They lost the test against Zimbabwe, who returned to test arena after a big break. To prove it was no fluke, Zimbabwe again beat Bangladesh 3-2 in the ODI series. That was the first time Bangladesh lost a series against Zimbabwe since 2006. Nasir Hossain was a good find in that tour, however overall the team did not look very spirited.
Against West Indies, the performance was slightly better. Bangladesh won the twenty20 game, but they lost the ODI series 2-1. Against West Indies (who are generally not good at playing spin), Bangladesh can be expected to win in home soil with their slow left arm bowlers. But West Indies negotiated the Bangladeshi spinners effectively. Bangladesh won the 3rd ODI convincingly though, bowling out West Indies for 61. Overall, it was a disappointing performance considering Bangladesh beat New Zealand 4-0 last year.
In tests against West Indies, Bangladesh did good in the 1st Test. The debutant Elias Sunny had a good game, taking 6 wickets in the first innings. However, due to poor drainage facility the game ended in a draw (which could have ended in a win for Bangladesh). In the 2nd test, West Indies won convincingly. Overall, Bangladesh did good against West Indies but not quite good enough.
Bangladesh took on Pakistan after that; Pakistan literally toyed with Bangladesh. Not a single game had a close finish, the entire tour was a complete disaster for Bangladesh. They lost twenty20, ODI series (3-0), test series (2-0). This was probably the worst series for Bangladesh in 2011.
Bangladesh was expected to lose against sides like Pakistan and Australia, however the worrying sign is they are not looking spirited. Ever since Jaimie Siddons was removed as the head coach, Bangladesh seemed to lose the plot a bit. The current coach Stuart Law has a job to do, to get the team back on track.
Bangladesh started off their post world cup campaign with a series against Australia, where they lost 3-0. It was not the whitewash that was the worrying sign, but it was the lack of spirit Bangladesh showed against the #1 ODI team. In all 3 ODIs, Bangladesh simply gave up in the middle of the match.
After that, Bangladesh toured Zimbabwe where their performance was atrocious. They lost the test against Zimbabwe, who returned to test arena after a big break. To prove it was no fluke, Zimbabwe again beat Bangladesh 3-2 in the ODI series. That was the first time Bangladesh lost a series against Zimbabwe since 2006. Nasir Hossain was a good find in that tour, however overall the team did not look very spirited.
Against West Indies, the performance was slightly better. Bangladesh won the twenty20 game, but they lost the ODI series 2-1. Against West Indies (who are generally not good at playing spin), Bangladesh can be expected to win in home soil with their slow left arm bowlers. But West Indies negotiated the Bangladeshi spinners effectively. Bangladesh won the 3rd ODI convincingly though, bowling out West Indies for 61. Overall, it was a disappointing performance considering Bangladesh beat New Zealand 4-0 last year.
In tests against West Indies, Bangladesh did good in the 1st Test. The debutant Elias Sunny had a good game, taking 6 wickets in the first innings. However, due to poor drainage facility the game ended in a draw (which could have ended in a win for Bangladesh). In the 2nd test, West Indies won convincingly. Overall, Bangladesh did good against West Indies but not quite good enough.
Bangladesh took on Pakistan after that; Pakistan literally toyed with Bangladesh. Not a single game had a close finish, the entire tour was a complete disaster for Bangladesh. They lost twenty20, ODI series (3-0), test series (2-0). This was probably the worst series for Bangladesh in 2011.
Bangladesh was expected to lose against sides like Pakistan and Australia, however the worrying sign is they are not looking spirited. Ever since Jaimie Siddons was removed as the head coach, Bangladesh seemed to lose the plot a bit. The current coach Stuart Law has a job to do, to get the team back on track.
Tuesday, August 2, 2011
Is It The Beginning Of The End Of Indian Dominance?
India is currently the number 1 test team in the world. They are also the current world champion. However, Their recent abysmal performance in England was surprising. India is currently trailing in the series by 0-2; this is a series where people (including myself) expected India to do better.
Is it the end of Indian dominance? The answer is probably yes; I personally feel India will go down a bit now. If I am not wrong, India will tour a few countries in the next few months. I am predicting India will lose most of these away series and will lose ranking points. India may also lose a few senior players over the next few years, which means they may have a tough time in the test arena.
India will still be a dominant force in home condition, I feel. But they may struggle when they play away.
Is it the end of Indian dominance? The answer is probably yes; I personally feel India will go down a bit now. If I am not wrong, India will tour a few countries in the next few months. I am predicting India will lose most of these away series and will lose ranking points. India may also lose a few senior players over the next few years, which means they may have a tough time in the test arena.
India will still be a dominant force in home condition, I feel. But they may struggle when they play away.
England - The New Number 1 In Test Cricket?
England is currently ranked #2 in ICC test ranking; they are about to become #1 after winning two consecutive tests against India. England is leading the series 2-0, with 2 more games still left.
Now the question is, do England deserve to be the number 1 test team in the world? Compared to other countries, I have to say England deserve the #1 spot. However, some people may argue they still have something to prove before they can be called as undisputed #1.
A #1 team should win both home and away. Over the years, England's test record in the subcontinent has not been very impressive, which is why some people may not call England #1 just yet. Until England beat India in India, they may not want to call them the best team in the world. Those who follow cricket closely knows how hard it is to beat India in India.
In conclusion, England is a very effective team and will probably become #1 after the ongoing series ends. But they should beat teams away too on a regular basis, in order to become a true #1.
Now the question is, do England deserve to be the number 1 test team in the world? Compared to other countries, I have to say England deserve the #1 spot. However, some people may argue they still have something to prove before they can be called as undisputed #1.
A #1 team should win both home and away. Over the years, England's test record in the subcontinent has not been very impressive, which is why some people may not call England #1 just yet. Until England beat India in India, they may not want to call them the best team in the world. Those who follow cricket closely knows how hard it is to beat India in India.
In conclusion, England is a very effective team and will probably become #1 after the ongoing series ends. But they should beat teams away too on a regular basis, in order to become a true #1.
Wednesday, June 15, 2011
Shahid Afridi vs Ijaz Butt - another controversy in pakistan cricket
Shahid afridi and Ijaz Butt episode is just another addition to the ever growing list of controversies that revolve around Pakistan cricket. It all started when captain Shahid Afridi and coach Waqar Younis had problems with each other during the West Indies tour.
After the tour was over, Shahid Afridi told in the media that Waqar needs to mind his own business. As a result, PCB stripped Afridi from captaincy which Afridi did not take with a kind heart. Afridi made himself unavailable for the Ireland tour and later on retired from international cricket. Afridi however said, he may come back if the current PCB administration changes.
Ijaz Butt, the chairman of Pakistan Cricket Board, took away the NOC (No Objection Certificate) from Afridi in order to punish him. NOC is a certificate that boards give to players to play in foreign clubs.
This is a big blow for Pakistan cricket in my opinion, because Afridi is a valuable player in the LOI format. Afridi and Ijaz Butt recently met in Islamabad and they came to a fruitful agreement. Afridi got back his NOC but is still retired until the administration changes.
After the tour was over, Shahid Afridi told in the media that Waqar needs to mind his own business. As a result, PCB stripped Afridi from captaincy which Afridi did not take with a kind heart. Afridi made himself unavailable for the Ireland tour and later on retired from international cricket. Afridi however said, he may come back if the current PCB administration changes.
Ijaz Butt, the chairman of Pakistan Cricket Board, took away the NOC (No Objection Certificate) from Afridi in order to punish him. NOC is a certificate that boards give to players to play in foreign clubs.
This is a big blow for Pakistan cricket in my opinion, because Afridi is a valuable player in the LOI format. Afridi and Ijaz Butt recently met in Islamabad and they came to a fruitful agreement. Afridi got back his NOC but is still retired until the administration changes.
Saturday, April 30, 2011
Spot Fixing Scandal - A Blessing In Disguise For Pakistan?
Cricket world was shocked when spot fixing saga broke out back in August 2010; a british newspaper called "News Of The World" performed an operation and exposed a betting group consists of several Pakistani players.
The players that were originally accused of fixing were - Wahab Riaz, Salman Butt, Umar Akmal, Kamran Akmal, Mohammed Aamer, Mohammed Asif and Umar Amin. Out of the these 7 players, 3 of them received punishments while 4 others managed to get away due to lack of sufficient evidences.
All 3 of them are currently banned from international cricket for a few years; is it a blow for Pakistan or a blessing in disguise?
A few months ago, many people could have said it was the final nail on the coffin of Pakistan cricket. There were people demanding Pakistan to be banned from cricket world. Thankfully Pakistan team management reacted properly and now Pakistan probably have a clean team where players give their 100%.
After the spot fixing scandal, Pakistan got a team which managed to did very decent. They drew series against South Africa, beat New Zealand and then reached the world cup semi final. They also just won the series against West Indies, which shows probably spot fixing saga was a blessing in disguise for Pakistan.
Still Pakistan have a long way to go. They have to ensure they do not get wrapped up by controversies.
The players that were originally accused of fixing were - Wahab Riaz, Salman Butt, Umar Akmal, Kamran Akmal, Mohammed Aamer, Mohammed Asif and Umar Amin. Out of the these 7 players, 3 of them received punishments while 4 others managed to get away due to lack of sufficient evidences.
All 3 of them are currently banned from international cricket for a few years; is it a blow for Pakistan or a blessing in disguise?
A few months ago, many people could have said it was the final nail on the coffin of Pakistan cricket. There were people demanding Pakistan to be banned from cricket world. Thankfully Pakistan team management reacted properly and now Pakistan probably have a clean team where players give their 100%.
After the spot fixing scandal, Pakistan got a team which managed to did very decent. They drew series against South Africa, beat New Zealand and then reached the world cup semi final. They also just won the series against West Indies, which shows probably spot fixing saga was a blessing in disguise for Pakistan.
Still Pakistan have a long way to go. They have to ensure they do not get wrapped up by controversies.
Sunday, March 20, 2011
Bangladesh In World Cup 2011, Failure Or Success?
Bangladesh, one of the co-hosts of world cup 2011 failed to qualify for the quarter final, after getting thrashed by the powerhouse South Africa. It was a disappointing end to the Bangladeshi campaign after they put up a spirited performance against England.
Now let's look at the team performance of the team as well as individual performance of every player in this world cup:
Team performance:
Bangladesh have played 6 games, won 3 and lost 3. West Indies had similar records yet they made it to the quarter final. With 3 victories, Bangladesh also could have been in the quarter final but that did not happen. So what went wrong?
They lost the 3 games in humiliating manners, that was what went wrong. Had they lost those 3 games with more dignity, they could have edged out West Indies in net run rate. In the end, West Indies and Bangladesh had equal points but West Indies qualified because of the more superior net run rate.
Bangladesh's bowling was outstanding I feel, because of bowling strength they managed to win those 3 games. I have to say batting wise they did very poor, barring the first game against India. Fielding was average, there were fumbles and missed run out opportunities and also some brilliant catches.
Individual Performances:
Tamim Iqbal (my rating: 5/10)
He had a very disappointing tournament, considering he is one of the best batsmen for the last 4 years. He scored a fifty in the opening game against India, but he was clearly struggling to score runs. It was not a fluent innings. If you take away that innings, you can see he had a very quiet tournament.
Imrul Kayes (my rating: 8/10)
Contrary to his opening partner, Imrul Kayes was clearly the best batsman of Bangladesh in this world cup. He had 2 fifties, both of those fifties resulted in Bangladeshi victories. He was also decent in the first 2 games, where openers put up partnerships of at least 50 runs.
Junaid Siddique (my rating: 3/10)
I think he was very disappointing, he did not play his role in an efficient manner. He did not get any fifty which was horrible, considering he comes to bat at one down position.
Raqibul Hasan (my rating: 4/10)
Although replaced by Shahriar Nafees in the last 2 games, he played most of the games in this world cup. Out of all those games he did fine against Ireland. Without his innings, Bangladesh might not have posted enough runs on the board and could have lost against Ireland. He was okay, but was nothing special.
Shahriar Nafees (my rating: 4/10)
He played 2 games, was not exceptional at any of them. In one game he scored 37 runs while playing 60 balls, in other game he scored under 10. He needed to contribute more against South Africa, as a #4 batsman.
Mushfiqur Rahim (my rating: 3/10)
He was a big let down with the bat, but was decent with the keeping gloves. He deserves a low rating because his batting was simply atrocious. I think he deserves to be dropped from the ODI squad for a while.
Shakib Al Hasan (my rating: 6/10)
Shakib did not do very good with the bat, but took wickets with the ball. As the number one all rounder in ODI ratings, I think he was a bit under par.
Naeem Islam (my rating: 5/10)
I think he did an excellent job with ball, but was equally horrible with the bat. His bowling was really effective in this world cup, he dried up runs and also took wickets. His batting needs more improvement though, considering he has a reputation of a good hitter.
Mahmudullah (my rating: 4/10)
He was good with the bat against England and also good with ball against South Africa, but if you remove those two achievements he had a below par tournament. He was very ordinary at times, I feel.
Suhrawadi Shuvo (my rating: 5/10)
He played only 1 game, however he did a decent job in that one game he played. He also played as a substitute fielder in certain games, where he felt his presences felt.
Abdur Razzak (my rating: 7/10)
He was clearly the best spinner for me in this world cup. He was among the wicket takers and he took wickets when it was needed. I think he did enough with the ball, although could have been a bit better as a tail ender batsman.
Shafiul Islam (my rating: 6/10)
He was simply way too expensive in most of the games. He did good against minnows (Ireland and Netherlands) and England, but other than that he was horrible. He took a lot of wickets which was good, however he should try to leak less runs.
Rubel Hossain (my rating: 7/10)
I think Rubel could have achieved more than what he achieved in this world cup. To me, he bowled way better than Shafiul but got less wickets. I think his performance was decent with the ball, considering he is a Bangladeshi pacer.
Mohammed Ashraful (my rating: 2/10)
He was good with the ball against Ireland, but he was selected as a batsman in the team in which he failed miserably. He was one of the most horrible batsmen of Bangladesh, without a question.
Nazmul Hossain (my rating: N/A)
He did not play.
Now let's look at the team performance of the team as well as individual performance of every player in this world cup:
Team performance:
Bangladesh have played 6 games, won 3 and lost 3. West Indies had similar records yet they made it to the quarter final. With 3 victories, Bangladesh also could have been in the quarter final but that did not happen. So what went wrong?
They lost the 3 games in humiliating manners, that was what went wrong. Had they lost those 3 games with more dignity, they could have edged out West Indies in net run rate. In the end, West Indies and Bangladesh had equal points but West Indies qualified because of the more superior net run rate.
Bangladesh's bowling was outstanding I feel, because of bowling strength they managed to win those 3 games. I have to say batting wise they did very poor, barring the first game against India. Fielding was average, there were fumbles and missed run out opportunities and also some brilliant catches.
Individual Performances:
Tamim Iqbal (my rating: 5/10)
He had a very disappointing tournament, considering he is one of the best batsmen for the last 4 years. He scored a fifty in the opening game against India, but he was clearly struggling to score runs. It was not a fluent innings. If you take away that innings, you can see he had a very quiet tournament.
Imrul Kayes (my rating: 8/10)
Contrary to his opening partner, Imrul Kayes was clearly the best batsman of Bangladesh in this world cup. He had 2 fifties, both of those fifties resulted in Bangladeshi victories. He was also decent in the first 2 games, where openers put up partnerships of at least 50 runs.
Junaid Siddique (my rating: 3/10)
I think he was very disappointing, he did not play his role in an efficient manner. He did not get any fifty which was horrible, considering he comes to bat at one down position.
Raqibul Hasan (my rating: 4/10)
Although replaced by Shahriar Nafees in the last 2 games, he played most of the games in this world cup. Out of all those games he did fine against Ireland. Without his innings, Bangladesh might not have posted enough runs on the board and could have lost against Ireland. He was okay, but was nothing special.
Shahriar Nafees (my rating: 4/10)
He played 2 games, was not exceptional at any of them. In one game he scored 37 runs while playing 60 balls, in other game he scored under 10. He needed to contribute more against South Africa, as a #4 batsman.
Mushfiqur Rahim (my rating: 3/10)
He was a big let down with the bat, but was decent with the keeping gloves. He deserves a low rating because his batting was simply atrocious. I think he deserves to be dropped from the ODI squad for a while.
Shakib Al Hasan (my rating: 6/10)
Shakib did not do very good with the bat, but took wickets with the ball. As the number one all rounder in ODI ratings, I think he was a bit under par.
Naeem Islam (my rating: 5/10)
I think he did an excellent job with ball, but was equally horrible with the bat. His bowling was really effective in this world cup, he dried up runs and also took wickets. His batting needs more improvement though, considering he has a reputation of a good hitter.
Mahmudullah (my rating: 4/10)
He was good with the bat against England and also good with ball against South Africa, but if you remove those two achievements he had a below par tournament. He was very ordinary at times, I feel.
Suhrawadi Shuvo (my rating: 5/10)
He played only 1 game, however he did a decent job in that one game he played. He also played as a substitute fielder in certain games, where he felt his presences felt.
Abdur Razzak (my rating: 7/10)
He was clearly the best spinner for me in this world cup. He was among the wicket takers and he took wickets when it was needed. I think he did enough with the ball, although could have been a bit better as a tail ender batsman.
Shafiul Islam (my rating: 6/10)
He was simply way too expensive in most of the games. He did good against minnows (Ireland and Netherlands) and England, but other than that he was horrible. He took a lot of wickets which was good, however he should try to leak less runs.
Rubel Hossain (my rating: 7/10)
I think Rubel could have achieved more than what he achieved in this world cup. To me, he bowled way better than Shafiul but got less wickets. I think his performance was decent with the ball, considering he is a Bangladeshi pacer.
Mohammed Ashraful (my rating: 2/10)
He was good with the ball against Ireland, but he was selected as a batsman in the team in which he failed miserably. He was one of the most horrible batsmen of Bangladesh, without a question.
Nazmul Hossain (my rating: N/A)
He did not play.
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