Tendulkar’s achievements are truly remarkable. Whether you like the guy or not, you have to admit that he has done stuff that most ordinary mortals can only dream of. Yes, I am also hinting that Tendulkar is a god, or at least has god-like status. I am sure many cricketers would willingly give their left arm to be half as good as he is, and it would still be a dramatic improvement for them. The most number of  Tests played, the most number of ODI’s played, the most Test runs, the most ODI runs, the most Test hundreds and the most ODI hundreds. He has won a world cup, he has captained his country and he probably has one of the longest careers of all time, now well into his third decade as a cricketer. There really isn’t a lot left that he can do, unless he wants to get 50 ODI hundreds now that he is just one short – oops did I just give him another reason to not retire? However I still wish he had not hung around so long to get the hundreth hundred. A year ago, when he finally got his dream of winning a cricket world cup, shortly after getting 99 hundreds, he should have called it a day and he really would have retired as a god. Untarnished, unblemished and untouchable. If he had done that, we would have been frantically wondering why he did it. Why didn’t he play just one more series, or just one more match? Right? That is all it would have taken! He should have gone for it! There would have been the magical romance of perfection with that minor flaw that adds to its appeal, that makes fallible humans all that much more admirable than the most impeccable of robots. However no, he couldn’t handle it, he couldn’t make that decision of picking the right time to decide when it was time to quit, and go while the going was good. The long drawn out, and often painful search for the hundredth ton was not something I enjoyed watching. The constant failure was not how I wanted to remember Tendulkar. At least for me, it proved beyond a doubt that Tendulkar is anything but a god. Like it or not, when we talk about Tendulkar, the name of Don Bradman always comes up. Maybe because the Don is the only other cricketer to have an achievement that no other batsman got even remotely close to, a Test batting average of 99.94, which would have been an even 100 had he scored four runs in his last innings instead of three; an average that would have been an even hundred had the Don stuck around for a few more Tests to make up for that – or not. Maybe if Bradman had decided to stick around to try and get the runs for an average of 100 or more, he might have got some more bad scores and actually ended up with less? Who knows? We never will know whether the Don had that fatal flaw in him or not, will we? But we know that about Tendulkar now.

He averages over 50 runs in ODIs, has 11 ODI centuries (10 of which have come in victories), averages over 65 in ODI wins and is only 23-years-old. Virat Kohli has not even completed four full years in international cricket. Yet, he already has achievements to boast about that some ODI greats haven't even attained yet. Kohli has as many ODI centuries as Viv Richards, Gordon Greenidge, and Aravinda De Silva managed in their entire careers. In addition to this, he has  scored more ODI centuries than Gautam Gambhir, Matthew Hayden, Inzamamul Haq, Kevin Pietersen, Javed Miandad and Dean Jones to name a few. One can't even say that he has been bashing the minnows on batting-friendly pitches as he has scored hundreds in one day matches against Australia, England, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and New Zealand both at home and away. What is remarkable about these achievements is the fact that he is still at the initial stage of his ODI career, having established himself as a sure starter in the Indian starting XI just two years ago. The start has been so tremendous that he is currently amongst the only five batsmen in the world who have a 50+ average in ODIs. Only in a short period of time, Kohli has shown India and the rest of the world what a vital team player he is. He is a proven match winner as can be seen with probably two of the best ODI knocks you will ever see - the 133* (86) against Sri Lanka at Hobart and the 183 (148) against Pakistan at Mirpur. [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4zwfXDyBdqg]] Both performances came in knock-out games, which Kohli singlehandedly won for India. However, the fact that India still didn't make it to the finals can be put down to fate - fate that might have deserted the Indian cricket team in recent times, but has been doing wonders for Kohli. Such is Kohli's dominance in Indian victories that his batting average increases by 15 runs in matches that India has won. He has the fifth best average among all ODI cricketers in victories, placing him alongside the likes of Brian Lara and Michael Bevan. All this just makes me wonder what Kohli is capable of achieving by the time he hangs up his boots 15 years from now; the possibilities are endless. There is no doubt that sustaining this kind of form over 10 to 15 years is something that has only been accomplished by the giants of the game, but who can deny the fact that Virat Kohli is well on his way to becoming one of the greatest players cricket has ever seen? In an event hosted by Mukesh Ambani to celebrate Sachin Tendulkar's hundredth hundred, Salman Khan asked Sachin who he thought could break his record and Sachin replied that Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma were the two people who could. He probably mentioned Rohit too, but only to please his fellow Mumbaiker. For Kohli, all I can say is - 88 more to go boy. Thie post originally appeared here.  Read more by Umair here, or follow him on Twitter @WellPitched.  

The man has retired. The 49-centuries hero has finally bid adieu to an illustrious 23-year-old career that changed the very definition of Indian batting. Words fail when you attempt to glorify this cricketing legend. You turn to numbers instead. If 18,426 runs at an incredible average of 44:83 in 463 matches with a record 49 centuries and 96 staggering 50s don’t tell you the story, nothing ever will. Sachin Tendulkar was indeed in a league of his own. Thank you, little master. Thank you for the memories. Spoken enough from the mind; here’s what the heart thinks: Sachin was a great batsman. I envy him. In fact, I envy the whole of India because he represented and scored all those runs for them. I envy him, because if Pakistan had someone of his calibre and class, we would have been a different force today. As much as I hate to admit this, the reality is that Pakistan was a ‘Tendulkar’ away from glory – the glory and success that deserted us throughout the last ten years in one-day cricket. In 2003, Saeed Anwar retired. He was Pakistan’s run machine, someone who was considered this country’s answer to Tendulkar. It’s been almost 10 years now and believe it or not, we are yet to find an able replacement, an opener extraordinaire, who could tear apart bowling attacks and pile on the runs. That’s when you realise how Pakistan could have done with a Tendulkar up top. How Pakistani bowlers who more often than not succeeded in restricting the oppositions to mediocre first-inning totals would have loved someone like a Tendulkar to score those runs and avoid the hiccups (read: Pakistan batting’s infamous chasing blues) that earned them the ‘unpredictables’ tag. When was the last time you saw a Pakistani opener go on a lengthy streak playing with consistency, confidence, flamboyance and flair like Tendulkar? From the Wastis to the Nazirs, from the Afridis to the Akmals, we’ve seen a whole host of names come and go. But no one, no one was even remotely close to Tendulkar. The harsh reality is that we just couldn’t produce one. Furthermore, I get atrociously envious thinking about what could have been if we had a Tendulkar playing for us in the 1999 World Cup final or in the disastrous 2003 and 2007 World Cups. My blood boils when I hear that tone of uncertainty in the voice of commentators when we’re chasing a low total. That’s the reputation we have built during the past ten years. A reputation that has developed because of the absence of a Tendulkar. This also reminds me of the popular argument that most Pakistani fans, including myself, present about all those centuries that Tendulkar scored. We say:

"Whenever Sachin gets a 100, India lose."

“Sachin was really 16 at the time when he came to Pakistan in 1989 and Waqar and I thought, ‘What will this 16-year-old do against us?’ I hit him in his face but he still showed a lot of gumption and courage and went on to score a 50 in the fourth Test in Sialkot and that is when we realised that this man was a special, special talent.”

When Younis Khan helped Pakistan out of a precarious situation in Pakistan’s second innings of the first Test against Zimbabwe, you would have known that you were in for a Younis Khan special. When it comes to Test cricket, Younis Khan is arguably the best batsman Pakistan has produced. He always delivers when the team is in need, he is better than all when it comes to second innings performances, he saves Tests, he wins Tests and he is a team man. His exploits and relative standing compared to other batting greats of the game have been well documented. Now, we attempt to figure out where he stands among Pakistani batting greats, as well as the other modern batting greats. Performance away from home Everyone can score at home on pitches they are familiar with and where they have spent batting their entire life. The true test for a batsman comes when he is placed in unfamiliar conditions and tested by an unknown environment that requires him to adapt appropriately. A majority of the batsmen in this world have a better home record than an away record, but great batsmen have as good an away record as their home record. That is what distinguishes the greats from the good. Younis Khan’s century in the first Test against Zimbabwe was his 22^nd. He is still behind Inzamam (25), Yousuf (24), and Miandad (23), but more importantly, it was his 15^th century outside of Pakistan, overtaking Inzamamul Haq’s record of 14 centuries away from home. During his unbeaten double century against Zimbabwe, Younis Khan also became the second Pakistani batsman to score 5,000 runs in Test matches away from home. He is now only 66 runs away from Inzamam’s record of five 120 runs scored in Tests played away from Pakistan.

(Qualification: min 10 innings)

(Qualification: min 1,000 runs)

October 10, 2013. For most cricket fans, this day will hold different meanings; a day of sadness, a day of mourning, a day of nostalgia and a day of reminiscing. However, for the die-hard breed of Sachin Tendulkar fans, this day will only be permeated with one emotion; shock.  Yes, despite the criticism, despite the opportunist keyboard bashers who had jumped on the “malign Tendulkar” bandwagon for the past 24 months and despite the dozens of pundits clamouring for this day, Sachin Tendulkar’s retirement will always come as a shock to those who have lived their lives according to the rise and fall of this dynamite. If there was ever a man less deserving of having such unceremonious last few months in the sport he loved, it is Sachin Tendulkar. Ever since his first appearance on the world cricketing stage as a curly haired 16-year-old, Sachin has been like utopia for the masses. It wasn’t just a billion Indians who rejoiced at every one of his achievements, but every cricket lover in the world revelled in his brilliance. A 15 minute cameo from the man was worth more than a triple century by any of his far more inferior colleagues. Whether it was his glorious back foot stroke that made a man of 5’5” look like a giant, or his magical on-drive down the wicket, which made every Pakistani wish he had been born on their side of the border, Sachin took one's breath away with everything he did on the cricket field. Outside it, he was a true gentleman. A master on how to handle fame and success, Sachin’s humility won him the few fans that even his cricketing exploits couldn’t. His supernatural cricketing talent and down-to-earth persona off the field has given us the kind of product that has seldom been witnessed by the sporting fraternity; the perfect genius. Yes, perfect, never flawed. Yet if there is a black mark in the maestro’s marvelous story, it is in the last few pages. Straight after India’s world cup victory on home soil, Sachin was expected to go off and claim his 100^th century in a matter of months. This last milestone, however, became the hardest one in Sachin’s cricket life. Game after game, tour after tour, his 100^th ton eluded him. It was almost like cricket was having its revenge on him, for making the game look so easy for the past 24 years. I remember the disdain with which I used to watch those innings. The champion, once so confident of his talent, was beginning to have doubts. It saddened me as I watched how Tendulkar’s once elusive wicket became a mere formality for the opposition. How bowlers, who would once have feared him, now licked their lips at the prospect of bowling to him. It was clear that he, like his millions of die-hard fans, was in denial. So why didn’t he leave? Why didn’t he opt for the perfect retirement or a somewhat ceremonious exit like his contemporaries Ricky Ponting and Rahul Dravid? Shouldn’t a man like Tendulkar give himself a perfect end to the perfect career? Tendulkar’s take on retirement refuted the idea of retiring at the top. He called it selfish;

“My belief is that if I feel I can contribute, I am mentally there where I feel I am bringing value to the team then I should be playing. It’s a very selfish thought that when you are at the top you should retire.”

“Beneath the helmet, under that unruly curly hair, inside the cranium, there is something we don’t know, something beyond scientific measure. Something that allows him to soar, to roam a territory of sport that, forget us, even those who are gifted enough to play alongside him cannot even fathom. When he goes out to bat, people switch on their television sets and switch off their lives.”

“Yeh Sachin Tendulkar kaun hai? Mein ne Imran Khan ka tou suna hai, magar mein cricket ke baray mein ziyada kuch nahi jaanti. Shayad yeh Sachin bhi koi mashhoor cricketer hoga?” (Who is this ‘Sachin Tendulkar’? I have heard about Imran Khan but I don’t know much about cricket. Perhaps, this Sachin is also some famous cricketer?)

There is no free lunch when it comes to coverage of sports in Pakistan. Pakistan’s hockey team has just won the second Asian Champions Trophy by beating Japan in the finals and with this victory, Pakistan has retained the title for the second time. Interestingly, while our hockey squad was on stage in Japan reveling with their gold medals, Pakistan’s cricket team was getting hammered at the hands of the South Africans in the UAE. Even more interesting was the stark contrast in the nation’s response to these two international sporting events. Even though Pakistan lost the ODI series, the audience was glued to their TV sets, constantly updating their Twitter feeds and Facebook statuses, while hockey was nowhere in sight. No trumpets were blown for our hockey team; there was no red carpet welcome and no official congratulations came their way. Victory that feels like defeat is what seems to have struck Pakistan’s national sport these days. Achievements in hockey When it comes to our achievements, cricket can barely scratch the surface when compared with hockey. It has literally been medals galore for hockey since inception.

• World cup: Four gold and two silver medals
• Olympics: Three gold, three silver and two bronze medals
•  Asian games: Eight gold, two silver and three bronze medals
• Champions trophy: Three gold, six silver and seven bronze medals

In a fleeting instance, it was over. A brief silence ensued; a billion people mourning in unison. A murmur then began to grow. The quiet, weary traveller trudged off the ground, his head bowed in disappointment. Finally he turned; a small nod of his head, a shy raise of his bat. And then the roar erupted. For a few hours, Sachin had composed the glorious final sonnets to his epic tale. Every shot carried with it a familiarity, a comforting memory perhaps of a happier time. Every duel reminded one of battles won, of reputations scarred. Every smile spoke of innocence unfettered. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="600"] Cricket fans holding an Indian national flag shout slogans in front of a billboard of cricketer Sachin Tendulkar outside a stadium in Mumbai November 14, 2013. Photo: Reuters[/caption] The inevitable end followed; a few steps up the stairs; a final walk towards the close. His legend became memory. I must admit I didn’t think much of Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar when I first started watching cricket. I wasn’t accustomed to liking too many people from across the border anyway, and this short, curly-haired boy was no exception. I remember feeling rather annoyed when he gave Saqlain Mushtaq a send-off in Sharjah. I thought to myself,

"A typical Indian."

I wouldn’t fault Pakistan’s ODI and Test match captain, Misbahul Haq, if he is just a teeny-weeny bit happy that Pakistan lost both T20s to South Africa. If I was in his place, I’d be somewhat pleased as well.

“Blame it on me now!” I’d say while grinning from ear to ear.

 “I didn’t realise [that] Misbah wasn’t playing until they [Pakistan] were about six down. And I thought, where is he?”

‘A senior member of the Pakistan cricket board recently said one should not expect the team to win when a pack of lions was led by a “jackal”.’

Fast bowling, for me, died the day Wasim Akram retired from cricket. Batting has just recently passed away along with the retirement of Sachin Tendulkar. Cricket obviously moves on but for people belonging to my generation, Tendulkar was the last of an era of classical cricket. An era that saw some of the greats of the game compete at a level of competence and technique, which may never be equalled by modern day players. Today, when the game has become increasingly easy for all that are related to it, be it the UDRS (Umpire Decision Review System), enhanced coaching and training facilities or the computerised research and analysis facilities used to better techniques of cricketers, the level of the game has somewhat come down. To set a target of above 300 runs and then witness it being chased down with overs and wickets to spare have become a norm that is a testament of my statement above. Of course it can very well be perceived the other way round as well but in my opinion, there should always be an equal contest between bat and ball which is something that is missing in modern day cricket. Rules have changed a lot over the last 10 years and so have the opportunities to make more runs and take more wickets. Cricket is being played in more countries and in more formats than ever before. Careers have been shortened and quality compromised due to the excess amount of games going around at all times. I remember the time when we used to argue about who is better, Rashid Latif or Moin Khan. A single collection not made well behind the stumps by either of them was criticised very heavily and considered a justification for the dropped one to be part of the side again. Wicket keepers like Adam Gilchrist and Mark Boucher were literal examples of the idiom ‘safe as a house’ behind the stumps. Today unfortunately, I do not find a single wicket keeper who I can call a ‘natural’ in the art. Most of the ones operating today are either part timers, selected in the side because of their batting skills more than wicket keeping or holding on to the position just because there’s nobody else waiting in the wings to challenge them for the designation. Sachin Tendulkar, inarguably the best batsman to have ever graced the cricketing field was criticised throughout his career for not being able to finish or win matches for his side in crunch times. Batsmen like Steve Waugh, Brian Lara, Inzamamul Haq, Ricky Ponting, Saeed Anwar, Mathew Hayden, Saurav Ganguly, Rahul Dravid, Muhammad Yousuf, Gary Kirsten, Stephen Fleming and many more ruled the pitches and that too in the presence of quality bowling against them. Each batsman knew his role specifically in each format of the game and was considered a specialist at that. All of the mentioned batsmen have had both good and bad days but each one of them had evolved for the better through his experiences and came out as a champion. [embed width="620"]http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x15hmio_mohammad-yousuf-classy-202-runs-against-england_sport[/embed] I still remember the days when even at the fall of a few early wickets for Pakistan, we never panicked they way we do now because in those days we knew that the great Inzi will sort things out in the middle along with Mohammad Yousuf at the other end, and almost control the run rate at will when at the crease. [embed width="620"]http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xrllvx_saeed-anwar-101-vs-india-in-2003-wc-match-career-last-odi_sport[/embed] T20 cricket has had a very bad impact on the temperament of the modern day batsmen and all they seem to care about is to manage a 100 plus strike rate, even if that means getting out on eight from just four balls. As far as bowling is concerned, fast bowling was actually ‘fast’ when bowlers like Waqar Younis, Shoaib Akhtar, Alan Donald, Shane Bond and Brett Lee literally steamed in to bowl with speeds constantly around the 100 mph mark. No matter how good a batsman you were, you had to face chin music one day or the other with a roaring short pitch ball coming straight at you. Sadly, there are no steam boats in the ocean of fast bowling operating these days. [embed width="620"]http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x7swvx_shoaib-akhtar-best_creation[/embed] Then there was another league of pace bowlers who were literally artists and masters of their trade. Bowlers like Wasim Akram, Glenn McGrath, Courteny Walsh, Curtly Ambrose, Chaminda Vaas, and Shaun Pollock could do almost anything at all with a cricket ball in their hands. It wasn’t only entertaining watching these legends bowl, it was also educational. [embed width="620"]http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xgt7dx_brilliant-bowling-of-wasim-akram-against-australia_sport[/embed] There are no more artists in the modern game of cricket. There’s no single bowler in the world that you can compare with the great Wasim Akram or Glenn McGrath. Pace bowlers of today depend on pitch and weather conditions more than their bowling skills which is quite evident when you look at their records. [caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="350"] Legend Glenn McGrath leaves cricket as Best fast Bowler. Photo: AFP[/caption] Similarly, magicians, also known as, spinners cast their spells in an amazing fashion on all cricketing spectators. The school of spin bowling was blessed with teachers like Muttiah Muralitharan, Shane Warne, Anil Kumble, Saqlain Mushtaq, Mushtaq Ahmed and various others. Creativity was at its peak and unlike today, there were instances where a spinner could win matches for his side single-handedly. The above mentioned bowlers share a total of 4,146 wickets between them in all forms of the game. Apart from Saeed Ajmal in modern day cricket, there are no more spinners worthy of being called ‘magicians’. [caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="595"] Saeed Ajmal, the 'doosra' Saqlain Mushtaq of Pakistan Cricket. Photo: AFP[/caption] Modern day cricket has its own set of superstars like the MS Dhoni, Virat Kohli, Dale Steyn and Kevin Pietersen and some of them may even be considered role models for the youth of the present generation. However, for me at least, the classic era of the gentlemen’s game is now over.

In October, 2013 Wisden, a cricket reference book published annually in UK, marked its 150th anniversary by naming the best Test team of all time. Though the team is a great one and all the pronounced cricket legends are included, some I believe are left out without any valid reasons. The team includes: 1.        Jack Hobbs 2.        W G Grace 3.        Don Bradman (Captain) 4.        Sachin Tendulkar 5.        Vivian Richards 6.        Gary Sobers 7.        Alan Knott 8.       Wasim Akram 9.        Shane Warne 10.    Malcolm Marshall 11.     Sydney Barnes Technically, there is nothing wrong with this team. It is indeed a mighty one, but the selection of Grace over Len Hutton looks more like an honorary one rather than on merit. Their selection of Tendulkar being better than Javed Miandad is beyond me. The latter is better than the former in many ways. Miandad has played mighty bowlers like Dennis Lillee, Michael Holding, Malcolm Marshall, Joel Garner, Jeff Thompson, Richard Hadlee, Andy Roberts and various others in their prime and had a good record against them. Tendulkar, on the other hand, has had problems against the best bowlers of his era-Wasim Akram, Allan Donald, Glenn Mcgrath and Muttiah Muralitharan. Though the little master has had some success against Warne, the Australian bowler has hardly had any success against India. If anyone rates Tendulkar over Miandad then it simply means you are rating rivers above seas. There is none better than Miandad as a middle order batsman. Alan Knott is named as the wicket keeper batsman in Wisden All Time XI, but why would they name a better batsman and slightly less efficient than the others as a wicket keeper? Even though they have so many great batsmen in Bradman, Richards, Sobers and Miandad, it is unwise to go for a less efficient wicket keeper. Rodney Marsh is the best wicket keeper for any XI as his record suggests he was as quick as a flash behind the stumps. In the spin department, they prefer Warne over Muttiah Muralitharan, which is indeed a controversial choice. Muralitharan has an excellent record against every opposition, while Warne has been thrashed by the best batsmen of his era - Tendulkar, Brian Lara and Saeed Anwar. There is an element of favouritism in picking Warne over Muralitharan. When picking fast bowlers you are leaving Michael Holding and picking Barnes, who had actually enjoyed bowling on wet, overwatered wickets. Imagine the Whispering Death bowling on those wickets and what his record might have been. If you are really willing to pick someone from the earlier generations, then pick Sir Charles Aubrey Smith. Even though Smith has played only one Test, he had a fantastic bowling average of 8.71 and a strike rate of 22, and proved his worth as a world class bowler of his time with match winning performances more often in first class cricket than any other amateur fast bowler. Although it may sound weird to pick a one-Test-wonder but in English county, Smith led Sussex to many titles against much tougher opposition and Grace himself rates him as the best. Being an amateur fast bowler, Smith hardly played any Test matches but after the first class matches that he did play, everyone titled him as the finest bowler they’ve faced. Smith, on many occasions, won matches for his team from the jaws of defeat. Disappointed with the selection provided, I decided to come up with my own version of the team, which includes: 1.        Jack Hobbs 2.        Len Hutton 3.        Don Bradman 4.        Vivian Richards 5.        Javed Miandad 6.        Gary Sobers 7.        Rodney Marsh 8.       Malcolm Marshall 9.        Charles Aubrey Smith (Captain) 10.    Michael Holding 11.     Muttiah Muralitharan Anyone who has a passion for cricket and knows its legends would agree with my line up. They would be undefeatable on the field – that’s a fact.

While everyone talks about the ‘Big Three’ ruling the cricket world, Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) is taking it’s time to decide whether to accept the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI)’s deal or vote against this idea. All of a sudden, BCCI is ready to let our players play in the Indian Premier League (IPL), for obvious reasons, but the point is, what were the reasons that made them not include our cricketers before? The basis of the ‘Big Three’ concept is just money. Since BCCI, Cricket Australia (CA) and the England Cricket Board (ECB) are generating the most amount of money for the International Cricket Council (ICC), they have decided to take over the world of cricket and all the decision making only because they are generating huge chunks of profit and want to run the game their own way. It is surprising to see how the ICC has handled it so far – they are just sitting and letting things happen. It shouldn’t be a surprise for us if PCB decides to agree to the deal and if our players decide to participate in this year’s IPL. They never showed any discomfort playing against any country and anywhere or any T20 event. But they should keep in mind the fact that this is the same BCCI that didn’t initially allow Pakistani cricketers to participate in the IPL. PCB and Pakistani players should have some dignity and self-respect to stand their ground this time, not to take revenge, but to say no to the ‘Big Three’ concept. BCCI has always used ‘political issues’ as a base for not including Pakistani players in the IPL. This is the same reason why they don’t play Pakistan anywhere, which, to me, is completely irrational. One should never connect politics with sports. Why is it that the BCCI decides not to play against Pakistan in the IPL but has no issues when it comes to facing them in the World Cup? They throw away their dignity when it comes to the World Cups so easily and now think that just one vote will fix all the corners? This ‘Big Three’ concept doesn’t sound exciting by any means. Why are only three states of a country deciding the fate of the entire sport? Launching this concept by the ECB, CA and the BCCI is a slap on ICC’s face. Most of us are hoping that the PCB votes against it, looks into this matter and asks BCCI the reason why Pakistani players were not allowed to play in the IPL and how one vote will change everything. BCCI is generating huge profits for themselves and the ICC, thanks to successful IPL tournaments every year, due to which they are dictating their terms and cancelling tours whenever they want to, just so that they can play a goodbye series for Tendulkar against West Indies in India. Considering the fact that ICC is the governing body, if the BCCI can generate that much money and behave like they do, you can imagine things they will do once they start ruling. PCB must not fall for their trap as the BCCI is promising the PCB a lot of apples to just to get their vote. But the PCB needs to remember that there are huge chances that those apples might be rotten. The BCCI could use ‘political issues’ as a reason anytime for not playing against Pakistan alongside not including them in the IPL once they get PCB’s vote. As a result, the PCB will not be able to do much since the BCCI will be ruling the world of cricket along with Australia and England. Considering the way things have turned out so far, one thing PCB should keep in mind all the time is that the BCCI has always avoided playing Pakistan and once they’re given the powers they thirst for, they will try their very best to suppress the Pakistan cricket team and not let them rise in the rankings. Believe me, there are many ways to do that once you are at the top. Playing in the IPL could also destroy our players because there is a lot of money to be made in the IPL as compared to what they get while playing for Pakistan, which will minimise their interest in performing for their own country. After all, it is all about every individual’s dignity. PCB’s behaviour is always positive when it comes to Pakistan-India matches. They are ever ready to put their best foot forward but BCCI’s approach is always negative. After all this drama, I cannot believe they have the nerve to make a deal with us. The ‘Big Three’ ruling the game will be like a local panchayat or jirga system. I am a Pakistani who has seen BCCI disconnecting cricketing relations with PCB in the last decade. I think now is the time for PCB to stand up and form a group of their own against the BCCI, CA and the ECB by including the rest of the cricket playing nations. Once that happens, the ‘Big Three’ concept will be a complete waste of time and effort. But then again, will PCB have enough self-respect to even stand and raise their voice? They should and they must stand up now and not just raise their voice but try everything to stop what is wrong and unfair to protect their own dignity. This is not about being anti-India since I actually believe that the BCCI is doing a pretty good job with their cricket structure and their upcoming lot of players. This is about ethics and respect. The reason for which they are asking for PCB’s vote doesn’t seem legitimate anyway. I guess we’ll have to wait and see how PCB responds to this situation.

They don’t come bigger than this. No. When you talk of sporting rivalries what comes to mind? Australia Wallabies and New Zealand All Blacks in rugby? Ashes? Brazil and Argentina in football? None of them compare to this one. The India-Pakistan cricket rivalry puts them all in the shade with its background of four wars, numerous skirmishes, disputed borders and nuclear weapons. From 1951 when the first India-Pakistan Test match took place to their last match in the ICC Champions trophy, every series, every tournament, every moment of every match has been a saga of raw emotion and unbridled passion. [embed width="620"]http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xkmi5i_not-just-a-cricket-match-it-s-a-war-of-india-vs-pakistan-in-semi-final_sport[/embed] The India-Pakistan match on Sunday, March 2, may not be a do-or-die but it would be facile to assume that they will not come hard at each other. Today, we will look at some of the memorable matches played between these two countries in cricket World Cups. March 4, 1992 The ‘92 World Cup (WC) had many firsts. Coloured clothing made an immediate impression and Duck-Worth Lewis showed how administrators can make a disgusting hash of even the most flavoursome ingredients. The WC was also the first one to feature an India-Pakistan match which, oddly enough, had not been played in the ‘77, ‘79, ‘83, and ‘87 editions. The format meant that every team would play the other in the round robin stage and the two reignited the rivalry at the Sydney Cricket Ground. India won the toss and batted first to post 216 for the loss of six wickets. Man of the Match, Sachin Tendulkar, still in his teens, made a fighting half century against a bowling attack that included Wasim Akram, Aaqib Javed, Mushtaq Ahmed and an aging but effective Imran Khan. The match was reduced to 49 overs due to a rain delay and Pakistan, still not in their ‘cornered tiger’ mode slumped to 173 all out in spite of a fighting 64 by Aamir Sohail. The match had no bearings on the end result and is remembered more for the kangaroo jumping incident featuring India’s wicketkeeper Kiran More and the ever-irascible antagonist, Javed Miandad. More appealed for a run out against Miandad (who was well in) and in his enthusiasm started jumping like a jack rabbit. Safely in, Miandad made a mockery of the appeal and did his own high jumps which would have made LeBron James proud. Pakistan recovered from the loss to win the World Cup while India crashed out before the semis, which may have prompted more than one person to ask More to try for India’s Olympic high jump team. [embed width="620"]http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x15ndda_pakisatan-winning-moments-world-cup-1992_sport[/embed] March 9, 1996 Just over four years later, the two teams met again in a World Cup match in the 1996 Quarter-final. It was a knock out and the stakes could not have been higher. Pakistan had played well in the group stage with the only loss against hot favourites, South Africa. The M Chinnaswamy Stadium, in Bangalore, was packed to the rafters with 40,000 screaming fans. India won the toss and keeping in mind Pakistan’s poor record in chasing batted first. Not for the first time against Pakistan, Navjot Sidhu played an exceptional innings and fell just seven shy from an outstanding century against what many described as the best bowling attack in the world.  Captain Wasim Akram controversially sat out but the attack was still potent with Waqar Younis, Aaqib and Mushtaq going strong and aided by Aamir’s spin. Pakistan, in spite of Sidhu’s inning, seemed to be on course to restrict India to a manageable score. At the crucial stage, Ajay Jadeja decided to play the innings of his life and took the bowling by the scruff. He made 45 off 25 balls. India scored 57 runs in the final four overs, including 22 off a Waqar over. In fact, Waqar and Javed both gave 67 in their ten overs, an abysmal bowling performance that enabled India to post a difficult 287. Pakistan started in style, with Saeed Anwar smack in the middle of a purple patch with Aamir at their belligerent best, Pakistan at the ten over mark were steaming along at 84 for no loss. Then disaster struck. Venkatesh Prasad was being hammered by Aamir who, infamously, gestured to the bowler that he can bowl anywhere and the ball will still get to the boundary. Prasad came back with a comeback that has gone in the annals of history, a riposte so good that it did away with the gesturing for good. Aamir clean bowled the very next bowl. [embed width="620"]http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xfsvzu_india-vs-pakistan-1996-world-cup-quarter-final_shortfilms[/embed] [embed width="620"]http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xq4rd8_video-venkatesh-prasad-vs-aamir-sohail-1996-world-cup-quarter-final-at-bangalore-cricket-fan-s-posts_sport[/embed] Chastened and under pressure, Pakistan wilted away and 113 for two soon became 248 all out. The match was Javed’s last and Pakistan had lost their second successive match to India in a World Cup. June 8, 1999 Pakistan played India in a Super Six match at Old Trafford in the ’99 World Cup. Was third time going to be lucky? It certainly seemed so. Pakistan was in unfamiliar territory of being the tournament favourites. A star studded batting line and a bowling attack that boasted Wasim, Waqar and Saqlain Mushtaq gave hopes to getting their hands on the World Cup silver. The latter was counted among the most dangerous ODI bowlers in the world, his doosra, and the then called ‘mystery delivery’ was almost unplayable by batsmen unused to the change in spin. Leading to the World Cup, Pakistan had beaten India in the Asian Test Championship and the Coca Cola cup in Sharjah, UAE. They had also swept Australia in the round robin stage and seemed to be peaking at the right time. [embed width="620"]http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xq5r4y_pakistan-vs-india-1999-sharjah-final-youtube_sport[/embed] India was a dour side, their bowling, led by medium pacers and batting featuring Sachin, M Azhrauddin and a still-developing Rahul Dravid, was hardly the unstoppable run making machine it is now. India won the toss and batted first. They struggled against the formidable attack, floundering to a seemingly sub-par 227. Pakistan batted deep with Wasim at number nine and with Saeed Anwar, Shahid Afridi, Ijaz Ahmed, Saleem Malik and Inzamamul Haq in the team, it should have been over with minimal fuss. It was. Pakistan sunk to 180, with none of the star batsmen crossing 50, the highest being Inzi’s 41. Venkatesh bowling medium pacers on a good length took five for 27 and with it ensured that Pakistan would have to wait another four years to get the chance to improve their World Cup record against India. March 1, 2003 SuperSport Park in Centurion, South Africa was the venue for the third encounter in a World Cup. Post the Kargil skirmish, the two teams had not played for a long time and the match was billed as the one to watch for. Tickets were sold out hours after being posted and the capacity crowd was a sea of blue and green. Pakistan won the toss and, faster than you can say ‘collapse’, opted to bat first. Saeed held the innings together with a century but no one really stood out. Inzi was having a torrid tournament and was run-out while the others got starts only to lose their head and wicket. Pakistan made 273, a competitive score in most cases, but India was in dominant form and there was an ominous feeling that their phalanx of stroke makers would romp to the target easily. Still, Pakistan had Wasim, Waqar and the world’s fastest bowler, one Shoaib Akhtar. Shoaib was in his pomp and the Pakistan fans half hoped he would derail the blue train. Sachin had other ideas and murdered the bowling attack and any thoughts of a Pakistan win were swiftly dashed. His 98 for 75 balls was a savage assault that had the men in green cringing and awestruck, and Shoaib was put firmly in his place. Sachin fell short of the winning target, his wicket celebrated across the land but it was far too late and Rahul and Yuvraj Singh guided the team to victory in the most unflustered manner. Pakistan did not clear the first round, a performance that ended Wasim’s career and left the country now wondering when the World Cup bogey would end. [embed width="620"]http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x3gkp3_india-vs-pakistan-cricket-world-cup_sport[/embed] March 30, 2011 Pakistan and India did not play each other in the 2007 World Cup, both exiting in the early stages. The 2011 edition was being held in the sub-continent and much had changed. Pakistan was a cricket pariah, ostracised in the spot fixing scandal and shorn of their right to host international matches because of the attack on the Sri Lankan cricket team in Lahore in 2009. The dynamics of the sport had changed. India was a powerhouse, flushed from the success of the IPL and their dominant power in the cricket world. The Indian cricket team, led by the unflappable MS Dhoni, was strong and billed as tournament favourites. Pakistan, on the other hand, was seen as the dark horse, the underdogs who may just pull it off and Captain Shahid Afridi was reining high as the leading leg spinner in the world. Shahid promised a tough fight and Pakistan’s demolition of the Windies in the quarters gave life to hitherto dead expectations. The match at the Punjab Cricket Association Stadium in Mohali, Chandigarh was the most celebrated sporting event of 2011. Tickets were not to be had for love or money. Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani was invited by the Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to watch the proceedings. The Government of Pakistan declared a national holiday and almost one and a half billion people sat glued to their televisions to watch the drama unfold. India won the toss and batted first, reaching 260, courtesy of an 84 by Sachin who was given more lives than a cat by the Pakistani fielders. Pakistan started in what has become their usual style, slow, cumbersome and devoid of a plan. They made heavy work of a gettable target and when Shahid was caught by Virender Sehwag off Harbhajan Singh, it snuffed any lingering hopes. The match is also remembered for Misbah’s stonewalling which gave him the derogatory epithet of ‘tuk tuk’ and to this day, leaves some Pakistan cricket fans foaming with rage. To rub salt into deep wounds, India went on to crush Sri Lanka in the final and claim their second World Cup. [embed width="620"]http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xjd2aa_india-vs-pakistan-2nd-semi-final_news[/embed] India once again look strong, their batting line-up capable of chasing just about anything. Pakistan is typically Pakistan, fine bowling, poor batting. [embed width="620"]http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x1811cu_magic-movements-of-pakistan-v-india_sport[/embed] Who will win? Jury’s out on this one. [poll id="326"]

It was very awkward for me when I saw a picture of Ravindra Jadeja on a magazine cover with ‘The next Wasim Akram?’ written on top of it. Indian Bowling coach, Joe Dawes gave a statement after losing the second Test match against South Africa that he may try to make Jadeja the new Wasim Akram. [embed width="620"]http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x18ww01_jadeja-to-be-next-wasim-akram-says-indian-coach_sport[/embed] His statement implicated that Jadeja should practice some seam bowling as previously done by Sourav Ganguly or Sachin Tendulkar. The first thing that disturbed me was how a spinner can be compared to one of the greatest pace bowlers the international cricket has ever seen. If anything, I personally think Sanath Jayasuria would have been a better choice as he was a left arm slow bowler and a master blaster. However, Jaya’s class is unmatchable when it comes to his batting talent. The second thing that popped up in my mind was the numerous times Indians have choked their talented cricketers by comparing them with Pakistani greats. Irfan Pathan is a prime example who had some real pace bowling talent, but he was forced by his coaches to make his action identical to Akram, which ended up neutralising his natural talent. To add to the cause, the Indian team insists on putting all 11 of their players behind the bat and force Pathan to be an all-rounder, which is a big loss on their behalf. Coming back to Jadeja and his coach’s statement, even if we ignore the fact that a spinner is being compared to a pacer and only focus on their performance, he is being compared to the legend on the basis of his wicket taking ability in the away matches. Jadeja has only played one Test match against the Proteas in their backyard and got six wickets for 154 runs. As Jadeja has not played much of the long format cricket outside India, his record cannot be compared to Akram’s record of 255 wickets in 62 matches with an average of 24.61. Let’s take a look at the performances of the most played format in international cricket; One Day Internationals (ODIs). Jadeja has played 36 away matches and has hunt down 28 batsmen at an average of 48.53. Whereas, the Sultan of Swing has taken part in 121 away matches and has taken 168 wickets at an average of 23.89. Akram has never bowled in a T20 format, so it is irrelevant to compare the records. However, if he had played, he must have better figures than Jadeja for sure. The only way Akram and Jadeja can stand side by side is if you highly overrate Jadeja as the greatest slow left arm bowler of all time. I have no doubt that many Jadeja fans might believe that he is the best left arm orthodox spinner of this era or probably in history, but I rate Abdul Razzak of Bangladesh higher than him and even young Raza Hasan of Pakistan even though he hasn’t played much international cricket. Hasan is immensely talented and soon he will prove it to the world. On the other hand, there is absolutely no doubt that Akram is the best left arm pacer or left bowler that has ever appeared on the field. Seeing the comparison above, I reckon Jadeja has a long way to go to even have his name mentioned alongside the Sultan of Swing. Dawes’s statement is probably one of the most overrated and perhaps one of the most absurd statements that the cricketing world has ever heard. There is indeed no comparison between the two. Such statements usually end up destroying players and their talent rather than building it.

It was 8:30 at night. Imran was sitting in his apartment in one of the posh areas of Dubai. Sprawled on the comfortable couch, he lazily switched channels on his 60-inch plasma TV while typing a text message to a friend on his cell phone. His iPad lay next to him, opened to The New York Times online page.  It was a typical evening in the life of a Generation Y executive surrounded by technology 24/7 until the familiar ring of an incoming Skype call jolted him out of his lethargic state. He looked at his watch and then back at the iPad screen. The picture of the caller seemed familiar but it took a few seconds for Imran to recognise who it was. He tapped the ‘accept’ tab on the screen and exclaimed,

“My God! Dude, are you alive?”

“Look who’s talking! I should ask you that question, buddy. Where have you been? If you remember, it was me who called the last time as well…wait, when was that? Almost a year ago?”

“That’s true but you know how it is yaar…how life here in Dubai is. Working hours are long and then the time difference. I thought of calling you so many times but something or the other kept me busy. How is your family? And what about the little one? She must be around seven years old by now, right?”

“Hello! Long time Rajesh bhai…a big ‘Hi’ to Natasha and Jyoti.”

Rajesh: “Everything’s fine here yaar. But I miss the good old days of Dubai. Honestly speaking, I miss the days when we were flat-mates – two bachelors living the ‘Dubai dream’ of struggling to earn a decent living, getting a promotion, getting a driving license, watching cricket and getting married.”

“Not in the same order of course but yeah, it does seem like another lifetime at times.” Imran: “Hahaha… Yes! And do you remember the first time when you came back from your vacation in India… when was that? In 2009? You were so heartbroken…”

“Because of your engagement and all of us teased you about losing the match in Centurion. Wow, 2009… that was also the last year you guys had played in Pakistan. And we were sure it was the cricket that broke your heart…not some girl!”

“Yes! You Pakistani rascals! I remember how Shoaib Malik’s century saved you guys. But don’t forget how you were beaten for three consecutive years after that. Hahaha…the sweetest win was in Mohali… remember Sachin’s knock?” Imran: “Nah… I forgot, Sachin who?”

“Sachin who? The same guy who showed Akhtar how not to bowl or else the ball would be found on the other side of the boundary!” Imran: “Oh… you must be confused. I thought all Indians knew that the guy who makes the entire Indian team stay out of the boundary line is Shahid Afridi. Oh sorry… you call him ‘Boom Boom Afridi!” Rajesh: “I love the spirit of you Pakistanis. No matter how badly we beat you and how many times we beat you, you guys never accept it.” Imran: “Exactly! You must have heard the saying ‘winners never quit and quitters never win!’ That’s why we are always winners, regardless of the outcome of any game. And you guys? Well, what can I say?”

“Imran, I see the painting behind you on the wall. And I see the grapes. Taste them… are they sour?”

“They are very sour. After all, I’m eating Indian grapes in Dubai!” Rajesh: “Okay, okay. It’s that time of the year again, isn’t it? Big tournament, the T20 World Cup and in this day and age, it doesn’t get any better. I have everything set up here. A 60-inch screen in my living room, a leather couch and the wife will make sure we have enough popcorn and sodas. And oh yeah, Jyoti will take a day off from school. But I miss you, my friend. Without you, it just won’t be the same.” Imran: “You just took the words out of my mouth, Rajesh. No more small screen TVs in the neighbour’s room, no standing outside TV showrooms on the sidewalk to watch the final overs of the game. Today we have it – our own place, all the technology and fancy gadgets. But the friends are not here anymore. Without you, my Indian buddy, nothing is going to be the same. I’ll be with other friends, probably other Pakistanis and you will probably be with many Indians from your neighbourhood.” Rajesh: “Yes and we’ll clap, cheer and dance every time our team hits a boundary or takes a wicket but deep down, I will miss you my friend. Sometimes I feel grateful that I left India and saw the world. Just like you left Pakistan and saw the world too.  I met and befriended so many Pakistanis, just like you met so many of us Indians. And we learned that as much as we might fight politically, cricket always brings us closer, as strange as that may be.”

“Yes. That’s something I can’t disagree with. After all, our cricketers always take away your Bollywood heroines and other celebrities and it’s the ‘cricket’ that brings them ‘closer’.” Rajesh: “That’s unfair. You guys should show some generosity and do an exchange. Why are we always the ones giving our beautiful faces to you?  Forget about Bollywood, you even took our tennis star!” Imran: “C’mon, you guys should be thankful. We gave you Veena Malik. Isn’t that enough?”

“Please don’t give her back!”

“Acha listen, I have to log off now. But let’s connect again soon. How about March 21, right after the match? Or will you be in mourning?”

“Yes, I will be in mourning. After all, a friend’s loss is my loss too! So, while we will celebrate our team’s win, I can assure you my friend, you will not see me smile on Skype at least.”

“Yeah, yeah we’ll see. See you soon then.” Imran: “March 21, you bet my friend! Bye!”

While the whole cricket fraternity was going gaga over Dale Steyn’s bowling heroics during the second Test match of the last series played between South Africa and Australia, a couple of my friends came up with a peculiar yet interesting theory. According to them, due to the dearth of good fast bowlers in Test cricket, batsmen, in general, have become complacent, and as a consequence, their techniques have become more vulnerable against top quality swing bowling. Some very good bowlers, taking advantage of the technical deficiencies of modern batsmen, have mustered up career figures that are comparable to the best of all time, even if they aren’t as good as the greats of the yesteryears. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="600"] Dale Steyn celebrates the wicket of Australia's Michael Clarke during the fourth day of the second Test. Photo: Reuters[/caption] Dale Steyn, Ryan Harris, Vernon Philander and Mohammad Asif have benefitted from modern day batsmen’s vulnerability against quality swing bowling more than anything else and hence they are overrated, they argued. At first, I thought that the theory had some merit to it, so I gave it a long thought over a couple of days. However, I soon found myself disagreeing. Instead, the more I thought about it, the stronger I disagreed. Nevertheless, the hypothesis, even though it may not have been very sound, still deserved to be analysed closely. While people have their doubts about Harris, Philander and Asif’s bowling, Steyn has already been widely accepted as the only bowler of his generation who belongs to the pantheon of the all-time greatest fast bowlers for exactly the opposite reason to the aforementioned one. In a time when fast bowlers, generally, tend to struggle and batting averages have inflated, he has managed to keep the art of fast bowling alive. His stats are impressive and his strike rate remains better than anyone who has taken 200 wickets. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="600"] Ryan Harris (L), Mohammad Asif (C) and Vernon Philander (R)[/caption] In addition to that, he’s almost Bradmanesque when we compare his stats with his peers, which further strengthens his place as a great of all time, for peer comparison is an excellent way to evaluate the worth of a player. Therefore, it’s almost nonsensical to question his place in the pantheon of the all-time greats. Even with Harris, Philander and Asif, their near perfect record can’t be brushed aside just because of a hypothesis, which has no empirical evidence to support it. People questioned Asif’s lack of pace, and they underrate Philander due to the same reasons. However, I’ve seen that the same people, on the other hand, while discussing Sir Alec Bedser, Fazal Mahmood, or Frederick Spofforth, refer to them as wizards and never undermine their greatness, ironically. Before I digress too far away, let’s go back to discussing Steyn again. So what is it that is missing in Steyn’s bowling that makes some people believe that Steyn is, somehow, an inferior bowler to the likes of Imran Khan, Sir Richard Hadlee and Michael Holding? [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="600"] Sir Richard Hadlee (L) and Dennis Lillee (R)[/caption] Despite trying my best to figure it out, I couldn’t find any missing link in his bowling. As a matter of fact, he, in my opinion, is a more complete bowler than any of the ones mentioned above, because of his versatility. From whatever little amount of Test cricket I’ve had the privilege to watch, I’ve arrived at the conclusion that genuine pace, combined with prodigious lateral movement and immaculate control, gives nightmares to every batsman in the world, even Sachin Tendulkar, Ricky Ponting, or Brian Lara. Dale Steyn is gifted with all those skills. I have not had the opportunity to see Hadlee and Dennis Lillee, who are considered the greatest fast bowlers of all time, in action – barring a few videos of them on Rob Moody’s YouTube channel – but the picture, after reading about them, is something very similar to that of Dale Steyn. Both had outswingers as their stock delivery with new ball, and both possessed immaculate control. Steyn is very similar with new ball. He has perhaps more in common with Lillee than Hadlee because of that extra yard of pace and that extra bit of aggression. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="600"] Dale Steyn. Photo: Reuters[/caption] However, this is only as far as skills with a new ball go. With the old ball, he has the extra dimension of having the ability to reverse the ball. We don’t need to go any further than considering his performance against India in Nagpur and Durban, and his very recent spell against Australia in Port Elizabeth to realise how good he is with the reverse swing. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="600"] Dale Steyn bowls on the third day of their first test cricket match against India in Nagpur. Photo: Reuters[/caption] He gets the ball to reverse as late as the laws of physics allow, thanks to his fiery pace, which leaves the batsman with literally no choice. At present, no other bowler in world cricket, barring Junaid Khan, comes anywhere near Steyn with regards to the reverse swing. If lush green outfields or some other factors prevent the ball from scuffing up properly and he doesn’t get the ball to reverse, he resorts to the barrage of short pitch deliveries with a cross seam release, which isn’t any less of a challenge. With all these tricks in his armoury, I firmly believe that his statistics reflect the true picture of his stature as a fast bowler. All these attributes come together to make what he is today: the most complete fast bowler of our generation, and, dare I say, the most complete fast bowler since Wasim Akram and Malcolm Marshall in the history of the game.

Fans of Pakistani cricket were not able to watch their team playing at an international level, but enjoyed the same emotional feelings through other sports; at the biggest stages including FIFA World Cup and Wimbledon. Aged and youngsters recalled the emotions shared by Pakistani cricket players in the form of nail biting and enthralling performances, engulfing the feeling of joy, which is the main objective of sports. Coming back to cricket, however, the expectations were high because it was a test for cricket to prove that it does not lag behind the world’s leading sports, where excitement, skill and competition matter the most. Despite the fame of unpredictability, the underrated player, Younus Khan, once again proved his worth – he stepped-up his rating and kept the fans faith in the game steady; his tedious innings were full of thrill, joy and pure delectation. Younus is a peerless blend of talent, skill, stamina and experience; the ingredient of a top-class player. And against Sri Lanka, all these components played an active role in the taste of his innings. Batting at number three requires circumspect, switching between defence and attack. And for a team whose openers depart quickly, number three plays an anchoring roll; which Younus seemed to know very well. He is now the second highest away runner, after Sachin Tendulkar, as he managed to score his 24^th century in Sri Lanka. Younus’s career has gone through many off-the-field interruptions, including fights with the chairman that kept him away from action for more than a year and some out of form periods that hurt his reputation as the leading Test batsman. Another paradigm was the recent injustice done to him when, normally, listed as an A-category player, Younus, was demoted to B-category. Only five players were at the top, including captains of both formats: experienced Shahid Afridi along with, the world’s number one One-Day International (ODI) player, Saeed Ajmal. Despite being the most technical and elegant batsman of 21st century, and especially after the retirement of great players, like Jacques Kallis, Rahul Dravid and Tendulkar, Younus Khan’s presence in top category was definitely missed. Only Younus Khan and Shivnarine Chanderpaul, of West Indies, are the ones fans relish to watch. Some serious feedback from fans, former and present cricketers, and Younus himself, was given to this announcement and Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) had to eventually change their decision. Younus proved his worth in the first match played and is the only player in the current line-up of high standard in technique, is resilient and is even the fittest amongst them all. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="410"] PHOTO: AFP[/caption] Pakistan’s fast bowling attack is relatively young, as compared to batting line up of the mighty Lankans, but this time we have Waqar Younus as the head coach. His experience, both as super star fast bowler and a successful coach, will help give Junaid Khan and Mohammad Talha the confidence needed to go through the opposing line-up. The series is going to be a memorable one for Lankans. Are they going to win? It is the last series of their most famed and respected star batsman, Mahela Jayawardene; the batsman who anchored the Lankan ship after the retirement of previous greats. But will he be able to perform the same in his last series? So far it looks like he will leave no stone unturned to put a memorable end to his majestic career. When you have batsmen like Younus and Jayawardene in the same match, you get the same sense of satisfaction you would get when you used to watch cricket back in the day – in the glory days.

The day after the legendary Mehdi Hassan died, I was at a restaurant where live ghazals were being sung by a budding singer. He was entertaining requests and invariably all the requests being made were of the ghazals sung by Mehdi Hassan. It was as if the people could not think of a better singer. I sat pleased for a moment that the star has truly been recognised. But then it ached deep down, wasn’t it too late? For weeks Mehdi Hassan had laid bedridden and yet, there had been no calls for prayer, no fans thronging his premises and no government officials ensuring he gets proper treatment. Just a few weeks ago, in a different milieu, I’d debated with a good friend on how we never realise the true worth of something until it is gone. It is not just the entertainment industry – look at our politicians, at sportsmen or at the literary figures; the conditions are all alike. One day Benazir Bhutto was corrupt, the next day the nation wept at her sad and early demise. Inzamamul Haq and Shoaib Akhtar had to bid farewell to their careers in very sad circumstances. And what to say of Habib Jalib; he spent his life insolvent to be sung today, after his death, by the most notable politicians. His poems have become the anthem for every revolutionary in the country. These heroes (in their respective fields) were, sadly, not acknowledged until they were no longer capable of service. Mahatma Gandhi had contended:

“Stoning prophets and erecting churches to their memory had been the way of the world through the ages.”

“The little master has earned the right to choose which series he plays in and which he would not.”

“Let us honour if we can the vertical man though we value non but the horizontal one.”

The past week has been a sad one for the cricketing community with the untimely demise of a young Phillip Hughes, falling during a first-class match in Australia. If anything, this incident reminds us that life is short and very unpredictable, and should be celebrated for every moment of joy that it may bring. While we mourn Hughes’s death, I would like to focus on another young cricketer who brings joy to millions who follow him. Virat Kohli has been one of the best ODI batsmen of the last few years. Statistics may not always do justice to a person as is an oft repeated phrase but in his case, mere statistics are enough to blow you away. At the age of 26, he has already scored 21 ODI hundreds at an average of over 52 in 149 matches. He recently became the fastest player to 6,000 ODI runs and has led India to victory in countless matches in many different situations. His Test credentials may not be exceptional, but are decent with 6 hundreds to his name already. He has time on his side, though, to improve them and be known as one of the best batsmen of his era. Many have already started asking if he will be better than Sachin Tendulkar or not? [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="540"] Virat Kohli was a relieved man after his 21st century, India v West Indies, 4th ODI, Dharamsala, October 17, 2014. Photo: BCCI[/caption] [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="540"] Virat Kohli blows a kiss to the crowd after crossing 6000 ODI runs, India v Sri Lanka, 3rd ODI, Hyderabad, November 9, 2014. Photo: BCCI[/caption] A phenomenal stroke-maker all around the wicket, Kohli is also a nightmare for any bowler once in flow. He is capable of decimating the best attacks in the world on any given day and is not just a flat track bully as his performances outside the subcontinent have shown. He often comes across as a brash individual and rubs people up the wrong way with his attitude but he has been maturing with time. He still wears his heart on his sleeve whenever he plays for India, and that aspect might have to change a little if he has ambitions to be an Indian captain in the long run – a likely successor to MS Dhoni. He has been earmarked for captaincy from a very young age; he showed his potential to lead when he became the second Indian captain to win the U-19 World Cup, leading from the front with the bat and returning with victories in the ODIs. Some of his teammates find him friendlier than Dhoni given that he is of the same age-group as many of them. He is soon to debut as a Test captain in Australia, and only time will tell whether the same aggressive style of captaincy that he has displayed in the past during the ODIs will work. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="540"] A few heated words were exchanged as Virat Kohli left the field, England v India, 3rd ODI, Trent Bridge, August 30, 2014. Photo: AFP[/caption] During their last visit to Australia, India went down in a 4-0 Test series whitewash, but the only bright aspect of that tour was Kholi’s performance. He scored a Test hundred, the only century by an Indian, and seemed more than capable of handling the pressure. Fans wonder if he will be able to bat as freely as he likes to with the captaincy burden on his shoulders. But let there be no doubt that in Dhoni’s absence in the current squad, there is no one more capable or deserving to be an Indian captain than the talented batsman. Any team in the world would readily give an arm and a leg to have someone like him in their folds. Let’s see if he can lead his side to victory in the Adelaide Test match starting December 9, 2014, while giving his expected performance. [poll id="366"]

Every time team India travels to Australia, the heat down under takes a hard toll on them, be it the 2007-08 infamous ‘monkey-gate’ episode or the 2011-12 Virat Kohli episode, when he showed the crowd his middle finger. Controversies are sure to hover over the Indian cricket team when they play down under. The ‘monkey-gate’ embroilment, during the Sydney Test, gained a lot of momentum, where Harbhajan Singh was charged for racially abusing Australia’s Andrew Symonds as a black monkey while Harbhajan refuted by saying he was just using ‘teri maa ki’ – which is an Indian slang phrase. Later, Matthew Hayden termed Harbhajan as an “obnoxious little weed” on a live radio interview. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="339"] Andrew Symonds (L) and Harbhajan Singh while playing the Sydney Test match in January, 2008. Photo: AFP[/caption] In 2011-12, team India travelled to Australia for a long, enervating tour. Losing the first Test, the team vowed to make amends in Sydney but the atrocious Sydney came to haunt them once again. After failing with the bat in the first innings, the Michael Clarke-tide swept away the Indians, causing some verbal jibes from the fans to which Virat Kohli replied with his middle finger. Later, he clarified on Twitter that it was a payback gesture to unruly fans. Kohli was fined 50% of his match fee. In the next Test at Perth, Indian pacer Ishant Sharma couldn’t control his hands. He also reacted to the taunts of some enraged fans by showing them the middle finger. While Virat did it on the ground, in front of television cameras and a million eyes, Ishant too could not take the fans’ tongue wagging and greeted them with his finger after the match. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="600"] Ishant Sharma (L) and Virat Kohli[/caption] Hark back your mind to 2005, when Greg Chappell was also involved in a similar finger-gate hurrah. The Indian crowd did not accept it and now the tag has been carried to Australia. Kohli’s argument was that the fans abused his family. Ishant might tow a similar line but what they are forgetting is that some battles are best not fought. It is more of an immatureness that is being displayed by these sports ambassador of the country. Kohli and Sharma wanted to be like Bollywood actors, punishing guilty fans by themselves. It might be just a finger gesture for them but actions speak louder than words. It landed them in hot water. Actions are a real measure of intelligence and, by flipping their fingers Kohli and Sharma have shown what they lack. The young brigade is defined by youthful rebellion, with spiked, gelled hair, and tattooed arms. Their attitude is fine, perhaps aggressive too, but them losing their calm so easily is worrying. What such actions highlight is how flappable young Indian cricketers are. They have learnt the art of playing from their seniors but what they didn’t learn is the temperament and manners of the senior players. Look at Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid and VVS Laxman, who have always conducted themselves with the utmost poise and presence, wherever they have been. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="600"] Sachin Tendulkar (L), Rahul Dravid (C) and V. V. S. Laxman (R)[/caption] Once again, team India has set its foot in Australia to play a long Test series, but it is unlikely that this time the build-up to the tour will be different. The tragic death of Australian cricketer, Phillip Hughes, has left the players and the nation in emotional apathy, however, this might prove to be more of a vulnerability during the series as emotions will rule the minds of the Aussies. Their captain, Michael Clarke, has already declared that he wants to win this one for his beloved Phillip Hughes, who was a brother to him. So, expect plenty of drama, emotions and verbal jibes. It will be interesting to see how team India reacts to this approach, will they let it go by understanding the emotions of the grief stricken Aussies, or will they revert back with same force? The battle of mind and emotions will be one to watch out for; the scorching summer in Australia has already begun and things will surely boil down under.