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cricket Shoaib
Akhtar should now focus only on his cricket It was a
Wimbledon special for Aisam, Federer and Sharapova Aisam's
Wimbledon show Shoaib
Malik:
High expectations from the millions of fans who do not accept anything less than a century from him, the build-up puts a lot of pressure on the master batsman There is an old phrase that
"form is temporary but class is permanent". India's little During the second ODI against the Proteas, Sachin Tendulkar reached yet another landmark in his glorious career by becoming the first batsman ever to score 15,000 runs in One-day Internationals. He reached the landmark in his 387th ODI at an healthy average of over 44 with the help of record 41 centuries and 79 fifties. His nearest contestant is Sri Lanka's master blaster opener Sanath Jayasuriya with 12,063 ODI runs, but he is around 3,000 runs behind in 395 matches. Pakistan former skipper Inzamam-ul-Haq is on third place with 11,739 runs in 378 ODIs. Tendulkar, 34, also has the record of most runs 1,796 in the World Cup at a very high average of 59.87 including four hundreds and 13 half-centuries. His best score in World Cup 152 not out was against Namibia in 2003. Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar made his ODI debut against Pakistan at Gujranwala on December 18, 1989, when aged just 16. In his first appearance he was dismissed second ball for a duck, caught by Wasim Akram off the bowling of Waqar Younis! In his illustrious career of around 18 years he won most (53) Man of the Match and 13 Man of the Series awards. Tendulkar with Sourav Ganguly shares a record 17 century partnerships in the shorter version of the game. In his 36th One-day International against Zimbabwe in the 1992 World Cup when he scored 81 runs, he completed his 1,000 runs in limited overs cricket. The opening match of the Austral-Asia Cup in 1993-94 against debutants United Arab Emirates at Sharjah was the 73rd ODI for Sachin. It was the first time when he played as an opener and hammered 63 off 75 balls. During his innings he completed 2,000 ODI runs. During his innings of 112 not out against Sri Lanka in the Asia Cup in 1994-95 Tendulkar crossed 3,000 runs. It was his 96th match and he made his fifth ODI century. Sachin Tendulkar played his 115th one-day match against South Africa at Sharjah in 1995-96. He scored only 17 runs but notched up his 4,000 runs during the innings. He took just 20 games to jump from 3,000 to 4,000 ODI runs. At Kingsmead in February 1997, against South Africa, the little master completed 5,000 runs in the limited overs game. Tendulkar's milestone came in his 141st ODI at an average of 40.16 including 11 centuries and 31 fifties. In the first final of the Silver Jubilee Independence Cup at Dhaka in 1997-98 against Pakistan, he scored 95 runs in 78 balls. During his blistering innings consisting of six fours and five sixes he also completed 6,000 runs, in the same game he also taking three wickets. In his 196th ODI appearance in the Singer-Akai Nidahas Trophy final at the R Premadasa Stadium in Colombo, Sachin Tendulkar hit a perfect 128 off 131 balls to reach his 17th hundred in One-day Internationals and equalled the world record of Desmond Haynes. The West Indies opener had scored his centuries in 238 matches. Sachin also passed 7,000 runs during his masterful innings. Pakistan have never won against India in the World Cup. In the 1999 ICC World Cup at Old Trafford in England India beat Pakistan by 47 runs. Sachin scored 45 off 65 deliveries during his innings he completed 8,000 runs in One-day Internationals. It was Sachin's 217th appearance in ODIs. In his 242nd game, at Nagpur against South Africa in March 2000, Sachin Tendulkar became only the second batsman in One-day International cricket history after his teammate Muhammad Azharuddin to cross 9,000 runs. Tendulkar in his 266th appearance scored 139 runs off 125 balls against world champions Australia; during his 28th ODI century he became the first batsman in limited overs cricket to reach the 10,000 runs landmark. In January 2002 at Kanpur when the little master scored his 48th run against England he added one more record to his name when he became the first batsman in ODI history to scored 11,000 runs. It was Sachin's 284th match. Once again, in the World Cup 2003 Pakistan failed to beat India in the premier contest. Tendulkar once more was the hero with his 98 runs. When he took his 83rd run he reached the 12,000 run mark. He thus became the first batsman in international cricket history to reach this landmark in both categories of the game. Before Sachin, former Australian skipper Allan Border had the record of the maximum 11,174 runs in Test cricket. Sachin's 141 was not enough to beat Pakistan in the second one-dayer at Rawalpindi in 2004. But in this match Sachin Tendulkar crossed yet another milestone in his amazing career when he completed 13,000 runs in shorter version of the game in his 330th ODI match. The Indian batting maestro in the first One-day International against Pakistan at Peshawar in February 2006 scored another hundred and also bagged another crown for himself when he became the first player to score 14,000 runs in limited overs internationals. It was his 359th ODI. Tendulkar has suffered a series of wear and tear injuries in the last few years and recovered from a long-term tennis elbow injury to play against Pakistan last year. High expectations from the millions of fans who do not accept anything less than a century from him the build-up puts a lot of pressure on the master batsman. No other player suffers so much from the pressure of expectations like that. Either he is in form or struggling his presence kept the opposition always under pressure. When Tendulkar is on song, there is no more majestic sight in the cricketing world. He has scored heavily on all kinds of wickets around the world. His batting is a balanced combination of timing, elegance and power. If he remains fit and keep his form he can create some unbeatable records in international cricket. SACHIN
TENDULKAR ODI
CAREER SUMMARY Mat I NO Runs HS Avg 100 50 0 Overall 388 378 37 15051 186* 44.13 41 79 18 v Australia 47 47 0 2183 143 46.44 7 11 1 v Bangladesh 10 9 1 354 82* 44.25 0 2 0 v Bermuda 1 1 1 57 57* - 0 1 0 v England 27 27 4 900 105* 39.13 1 5 0 v Ireland 1 1 0 4 4 4.00 0 0 0 v Kenya 10 9 3 647 146 107.83 4 1 0 v Namibia 1 1 0 152 152 152.00 1 0 0 v Netherlands 1 1 0 52 52 52.00 0 1 0 v New Zealand 38 37 2 1460 186* 41.71 4 7 4 v Pakistan 61 59 4 2122 141 38.58 5 12 5 v South Africa 52 52 0 1655 122 31.82 3 8 1 v Sri Lanka 65 61 8 2436 137 45.96 7 14 2 v U A E 2 2 0 81 63 40.50 0 1 0 v West Indies 38 38 9 1571 141* 54.17 4 11 5 v Zimbabwe 34 33 5 1377 146 49.17 5 5 0 Home 130 126 13 5229 186* 46.27 16 29 4 Away 119 118 8 3803 141 34.57 8 18 8 Neutral 139 134 16 6019 152 51.00 17 32 6 LEADING
RUN-GETTERS IN ONE-DAY INTERNATIONALS Name Mat I NO Runs HS Ave SR 100 50 Ct S R Tendulkar (Ind) 388 378 37 15051 186* 44.13 85.62 41 79 116 S T Jayasuriya (SL) 395 384 18 12063 189 32.95 90.57 25 64 113 S C Ganguly (Ind) 295 285 23 10898 183 41.59 73.69 22 68 100 B C Lara (WI) 299 289 32 10405 169 40.48 79.51 19 63 120 R T Ponting (Aus) 280 272 32 10395 164 43.31 80.27 23 62 124 R Dravid (Ind) 319 295 38 10303 153 40.08 70.84 12 79 185 Note:
Note: All statistics are updated to July 1, 2007 and includes the India-South
Africa ODI at Belfast
After getting a golden opportunity following the retirement of Waqar and Wasim to spearhead Pakistan's fast bowling department he has not been able to deliver the goods Pakistan speed star Shoaib
Akhtar has once again drawn the attention of the media and Shoaib is a proven match-winner, but it's a bitter reality that he has played just one Test match from September 2006 till date. Besides, he also had to withdraw along with compatriot Mohammad Asif from the most important assignment of the World Cup. So he should just concentrate on his fitness rather than making headlines in the national press as it is of no use because Pakistan had to pay the price because of the duo's absence from the World Cup and we had to face the humiliation of being ousted by minnows Ireland from the most prestigious event of the cricket calendar which comes only once in four years. It is highly unlikely -- also considering his fitness record -- that he would be able to represent the national team in the 2011 World Cup. It will be much better for him and also for Pakistan cricket that he should prove his claims by putting up performances for which we are waiting for long as during the 10 years of his international career he has played just 43 Test matches and taken only 169 scalps, which is ironic keeping in view his tall claims and potential. It is very unfortunate that a player of his calibre could not serve Pakistan cricket in the manner which we were expecting after he started his career with a bang and all cricket pundits and lovers of the sport were of the view that as the duo of Waqar Younis and Wasim Akram was getting older with each passing day, this speed merchant would put up an end to all the fears regarding our declining supremacy in fast bowling. But to the sheer disappointment of many across the country Shoaib could not live up to his reputation and the result is that after getting a golden opportunity following the retirement of Waqar and Wasim to spearhead Pakistan's fast bowling department he has not been able to deliver the goods. It will suit him if he keeps focus on his cricket, fitness and above all national integrity as due to his 'heroics' a lot of controversies have already undermined Pakistan cricket. The most notable among them is his alleged involvement in using performance-enhancing drugs with fellow paceman Mohammad Asif. He is very lucky that he has escaped serious punishment amid strong rumors that he had in fact taken the drug for energy-boosting purpose. The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has hinted that it would announce the name of the new coach by mid-July and in this connection Dav Whatmore has emerged as the most likely successor to the late Bob Woolmer. If he succeeded in getting the nod of the top management of the PCB, this will bring a radical change in our boys' attitude towards the game and an improvement in their fitness level. A foreign coach is the need of the hour as barring exceptions the local ones always try to form groups among the boys leading to serious trouble. It's a fact that we as a nation have always respected and listened to foreign suggestions, and especially from the developed countries, and Pakistan's cricket team is no exception. Cricket legend Wasim Akram and former captain Inzamam-ul-Haq have strongly supported the idea of having a foreign coach as they are well aware of the ugly situations where local coaches exploited differences between players for their own benefit. As for the media policy of the PCB one can describe it as strange as on the one hand the Board is restricting players including the vice-captain from talking to the media on team affairs, while on the other we saw senior players being allowed to do the same. We witnessed this when the team departed for two ODIs in the UKas Shoaib Akhtar and other senior players violated the said policy in the presence of the top PCB officials including manager-cum-coach Talat Ali and they were let off the hook. This dual standard by the PCB will not last for long as it might face a strong protest from other players who looked clearly upset while boarding the plane to Scotland. So this will be in the greater interest of the game and Pakistan cricket if PCB applies same rules to all players as if this situation continues to prevail it will greatly harm the side's unity and strength. It is very heartening to learn that the PCB has listened to and acted as per the demand of millions of cricket fan while hinting that Inzamam might be invited for the third phase of the national camp which is going to be held around September. On his part Inzi has very rightly decided to play some matches in English county or league to ascertain his form and fitness to take on the South Africans who will be a tough opponent despite their recent defeat against India and this will be a great test of our players' potential and nerves and also Shoaib Malik's leadership qualities. But one hopes that despite their shortcomings the boys will put up a brave show against a side which is considered to be the second best after Australians and will exhibit the same sort of dedication, hardwork and thirst for success that they displayed in Abu Dhabi. It was a Wimbledon special for Aisam, Federer and SharapovaIn this dark and utter abysmal period, it is Aisam-ul-Haq Qureshi who, after his incessant struggle of more than a decade, has after all succeeded to lift the image of his country By Waris Ali When the Pakistan hockey team lose a match, or even a tournament, it is not a disturbing thing for the Pakistanis; they have resigned to the fact that the green shirts do lose and this is a usual thing; therefore, not a matter of concern. When the PCB boys are defeated in the cricket ground, it hurts rather little the Pakistani people and the cricket fans. And the utter collapse of cricket team during the previous two world cup tournaments has almost made them believe that the third mega event will also see them play the same role, and an early exit. In squash, there is no matter of pride at present and no good omen visible for the near future, an absolute reversal of the glories of the past characterised by unconquerable Jehangir Khan and Jansher Khan, the legendary squash heroes. Snooker's cue master Mohammad Yousuf must also have lost any hopes of revival of the great name to his country that he had won a decade ago. In fact, Pakistanis have fast developed an image of losers, perennial losers. In this dark and utter abysmal period, it is Aisam-ul-Haq Qureshi who, after his incessant struggle of more than a decade, has after all succeeded to lift the image of his country. Aisam, despite having meager chances of crossing first two rounds, has made this Wimbledon a memorable for Pakistanis by qualifying for the grasscourt competition for the first time in 31 years. Son of a Pakistani national women's champion Nausheen, who won the first of her several Pakistan ladies singles titles in 1982, Aisam came through the qualifying rounds with a hard-fought 4-6, 7-6 (7-9), 6-2, 7-6 (7-4) defeat of Canadian Frank Dancevic. The last man to represent Pakistan at Wimbledon was Haroon Rahim in in 1976. Aisam is ranked number one in Pakistan and 259 at international level. Aisam-ul-Haq Qureshi admitted he had fulfilled his life's ambition after the Pakistani won his first singles match at Wimbledon. The 27-year-old fell in love with Wimbledon after spending his childhood in Lahore watching the likes of Stefan Edberg and Boris Becker battle it out on the famous lawns. He had strived to reach the main draw at the All-England Club for 10 years and, after missing out in the final qualifying round several times, he finally made it this year, becoming the first Pakistani to play in the Wimbledon men's singles since Haroon Rahim in 1976. Aisam's only previous experience of Wimbledon was in the doubles in 2002, when he created a storm by opting to defy his federation and play with Israel's Amir Hadad. When the Pakistan number one hit a volleyed winner to clinch his first Grand Slam singles victory, a 6-3, 6-4, 7-6 (8/6) success over Britain's Lee Childs that set up a second round clash with Marat Safin, it was the culmination of his childhood dream. Aisam Qureshi's win was only the second by a Pakistani in the men's singles and it was no surprise that his celebrations were the most extravagant at Wimbledon this year. Aisam-ul-Haq honed his serve and volley game on grasscourts in Lahore as a youngster and is reaping the rewards. He beat talented Frenchman Richard Gasquet in Halle earlier this month. Qureshi won the first set after breaking in the sixth game of the first set. The Pakistani served and volleyed with considerable aplomb and refused to let Childs settle. He broke the qualifier again with a powerful forehand return at the start of the second set and held his lead to move two sets in front. The third set went to a tie-break and Aisam won it as he converted his second match point with a perfect volley. His game in the second round at the hands of former number one, Russian Marat Safin, was more a matter of pride for him, no matter if he lost the game. He had already realised his dream of playing in the Wimbledon. While Aisam has won great name for Pakistan, Roger Federer and Maria Sharapova stand as hot favourite for the championship with special associations with it. For Federer it is a time to win record fifth Wimbledon title in a row. Roger Federer has Bjorn Borg's record of five successive Wimbledon titles in his sights when he started the defence of his All England Club crown this year. Having seen his latest bid for Grand Slam immortality shot down once again by Rafael Nadal on the French Open clay, the world number one has returned to the grass of centre court where he is the undoubted ruler. Victory on July 8 will place the Swiss just two titles shy of Pete Sampras's record of seven Wimbledon crowns and level Borg's five-in-a-row from 1976-1980. Few will bet against the 25-year-old going on to become both the all-time Wimbledon king and Grand Slam title collector. A win here would give Federer his 11th major leaving Sampras's best of 14 tantalisingly within reach. Despite Nadal again shattering his hopes of becoming just the third man in history to hold all four Grand Slam titles at the same time, Federer insists that defeat in Paris will have no bearing on his Wimbledon campaign. "It's always fantastic to break records or match them and with Bjorn Borg that's especially the case because he was a wonderful player." It is a view shared by Nadal. The Spaniard's ability to compete on grass is on an upward curve following his run to the final last year but he is wary of predicting any advance on that achievement. Borg is getting used to seeing his records matched; at Roland Garros, Nadal equalled his three consecutive French Opens. The Swedish legend has already had reason to be grateful to Federer after the Swiss's shock win over Sampras in 2001 stopped the American from also becoming a five-in-a-row Wimbledon winner. Last year, Federer strolled on to court resplendent in a cream blazer with his own crest on the breast pocket. His record meant he could get away with it. He was on a 48-match winning streak on grass with 28 in succession when he started his Wimbledon campaign. Maria Sharapova, who had had entranced the tennis fans with her gritty, grunting competitiveness, rose to fame when she became the first Russian to win Wimbledon, dethroning two-time defending champion Serena Williams. This victory also made her the second-youngest Wimbledon winner after Martina Hingis. A victory in the WTA Tour Championship in 2004 lifted her to the rank of fourth in the world from No. 32 in 2003. After she jumped to stardom with her Wimbledon win in 2004, it took her little more than a year to capture the world number one ranking seat as the fifth-youngest woman and the first Russian lady to claim the feat. After a marvellous win of Wimbledon title and then continuous victories in other finals, there came a long spell of defeats for Sharapova, that troubled her in view of the tennis tradition that a winner is winner throughout her career, as was the case with Martina Nevratilova, Lindsay Davenport, Serena Williams and Amilie Mauresmo. Sharapova could not reach a Grand Slam final since July 2004, and began 2006 by withdrawing from the Australian hard court championships, and could play only two tournaments, without getting beyond a semifinal before she could register a long overdue victory in US Open last year. After that neither the Australian Open, nor the French Open could saw her victorious. A second win of Wimbledon could be a fit response to her overblowing critics. But another defeat at the hands of Venus Williams shattered her dream of regaining the loss glory. While the persons of Aisam-ul-Haq, Roger Federer and Maria Sharapova have made them special during this mega event, certain new things have made this Wimbledon competition more attractive. If the identity of the 2007 champion looks ominously familiar, then other aspects of this year's Wimbledon are fresher. The famed centre court is completely uncovered as work progresses on the installation of a retractable roof in time for the 2009 championships. The most visible alteration is the lack of a complete centre court roof while the famous arena is upgraded. Hawk-Eye technology will also be used at the event for the first time to check close line calls. Women will also receive the same prize money as men and Mauresmo is impressed to see Wimbledon, traditionally such an event a little too in thrall to its own history, moving with the times. Aisam's Wimbledon showmay augur well for tennis in Pakistan 'A lot of people said that he's pretty tough, serves well, good volleys, good hands, very dangerous player. I saw they were right,' Safin was quoted to have said For a nation, which thinks
cricket and talks cricket, ace tennis star Aisam-ul-Haq has His Wimbledon show has not only cheered up the Pakistanis at home but also abroad. His performance has given the youngsters a way to try their hands at tennis racket to explore their talent in this relatively 'non-popular' and undeveloped discipline of the game in the country. In a way, his success is a really big thing in the prevailing 'doom' over the sports scene for the entire nation, which has been striving hard to regain lost glory in hockey, cricket and squash. His success has tremendously impacted strengthening the confidence of the entire nation, whose dreams were badly shattered after Pakistan made a first round exit from cricket World Cup 2007 in the Caribbean islands in March this year. Coming back to Asiam's odyssey to the prestigious grand slam event (Wimbledon), the star hit the limelight after winning the third and the final qualifying round against Canadian No. 1 Frank Dancevic in a four-set thriller, lasting for 2 hours and 50 minutes with a score line of 4-6, 7-6 (11/9), 6-2, 7-6 (7/4). Earlier, playing at the Bank of England Sports ground at Roe Hampton, South London, the 27-year-old Lahore player knocked out Hector Ruiz Cadenas of Spain 6-1,6-2 in the first round. He continued his fine form to eliminate Poland's Michael Przysieny in the second round by 6-2,7-6 to keep himself on course for a place in the main round of the prestigious event that commenced from June 25. He then won his first Grand Slam match at Wimbledon against Lee Childs, 6-3, 6-4, 7-6, making him the second Pakistani player (the first being Haroon Rahim in 1976) to reach the second round of Wimbledon, losing to Marat Safin (Russia) 2-6, 4-6 and 6-7(4-7) in Tie Break on the 28th of June 2007. Though in the second match Aisam-ul-Haq Qureshi saw his dreams of Wimbledon history ruthlessly crushed by former world number one Marat Safin the 26th seed, who beat the 279-ranked Aisam 6-4, 6-2, 7-6 (7/4), but the fight put up by Aisam was great in the backdrop that Safin is the 26th seed as compared to Aisam, who ranks 279th, i.e., both poles apart as far as their international ranking is concerned. He made good efforts to hold on against Safin and floated some good backhand wide on set points; exhibited his excellent serve-and-volley that he belonged. He served and volleyed with considerable aplomb to ensure he can play in a confident fashion and a powerful forehand return. Anyway, overall it was not a bad show by someone who was playing for the first time against Safin, the former world number one and US and Australian Open champion. Safin, in one of his interview, has also admitted the talent and quality of the game exhibited by the Pakistan's tennis ace. "A lot of people said that he's pretty tough, serves well, good volleys, good hands, very dangerous player. I saw they were right," Safin was quoted to have said. Keeping in view the quality of his game, the rising star's success may attract to the sport the attention it deserves in Pakistan. One would agree with The Washington Post headlined story "Qureshi Gives Pakistanis a New Sport to Ponder", noting "few in Pakistan followed his pursuit". Earlier, in another tournament in Germany, Aisam had overcome World no. 11. Richard Gasquet of France. Aisam's best performance at the world's oldest tennis event was in 2002 when he lost in the men's doubles third round. Currently ranked 259th, the Pakistani has earned so far career prize money of US$246,677. It may be mentioned here that Qureshi had a successful career in junior tennis, finishing No. 11 in the world in 1998, which made him Pakistan's highest-ranked player ever on the international youth tennis arena. After turning pro in 1998, he mostly played ATP tournaments, and played on the Pakistan Davis Cup team. As Pakistan number one, he has lead Pakistan's Davis Cup campaign. After shocking New Zealand in the Asia/Oceania Zone Group I second round play-off in 2004 to survive relegation, he took them to the World Group Play-Offs for the first time in 2005, before they were beaten by Chile. Aisam has the honor to have won the most Davis Cup matches for Pakistan, being the most successful singles and doubles player ever. He also has the best doubles pairing for Pakistan with Aqeel Khan. He has won as many as 7 doubles and 2 singles titles on the Future circuit. A very impressive show indeed. There is no denying the fact that Aisam's performances at Wimbledon would inspire his fellow Pakistanis to put down their cricket bats and try out a tennis racket. However, the irony is that aspiring young players in Pakistan face a struggle to make it in tennis, with the set-up virtually non-existent. Its worth-mentioning here that Qureshi's mother, Nosheen Ehtisham, was a national champion tennis player in Pakistan for 10 years, and his maternal grandfather was the Indian No. 1 before Independence. He has been really lucky and fortunate that his home environment and financially well off parents really helped him shone into gem, but there will be many a Pakistani youth, who simply cannot make to tennis because of the lack of patronage and lack of infrastructure in the country. The aspiring young players face a fight to make it as a professional, with facilities and financial backing scarce. There is no set-up. They are just waiting for the sponsors because they can't afford it. Pakistan is rich in tennis talent as pointed out by squash legend Jahangir Khan recently. That Pakistan is rich in tennis could also be gauged from the fact Aisam is not the only Pakistan player to reach the main draw of world's most prestigious tennis championship. Aisam is the first Pakistani in over three decades to enter the men's singles draw in Wimbledon. Besides, Haroom Rahim had also taken part in the main rounds of Wimbledon. Saeed Mir and Munir Pirzada just appeared in the Wimbledon qualifiers and not the main rounds. Saeed Hai besides reaching third round of French Open has the honour of playing in US Open Tennis Championship main round in 1958 and 1964. Former Davis Cupper Khawaja Saeed Hai was the first Pakistan tennis player to feature in main draw of three successive Wimbledon Tennis Championship from 1954 to 1956. But, Hai never made beyond the first round because he got very strong opponent in first round. However, Aisam got easy first round against Englishmen. The purpose to say is that talent is not the problem, the question is how to unearth and groom the same. There are a lot of young promising players at home, but they don't have a lot of opportunities. In this back drop, it has become necessary for those at the helm of sports affairs, particularly the PTF will have to strive hard to come out with a comprehensive Talent Hunt programme countrywide. The game should be awarded more funds to enable the Pakistani tennis players to put Pakistan on the international map. Lack of sponsorship is another factor, which is lacking badly. In a country, where cricket is the most popular game, sports like tennis find it difficult to have sponsors. Now that Aisam has brought the game into limelight, its prime time for the PTF should capitulate on attracting big sponsors to the game. According to a newspaper report, the PTF is trying to build a new tennis centre. But just one complex will not serve the purpose and those at the helm of affairs should get serious about developing more such centres. Secondly, right now everyone is talking about tennis, so the PTF should make the most of the opportunity by attracting sponsor to the game. To conclude one hopes that now that Aisam has brought Pakistan into limelight in world tennis, the PTF would pay special attention towards tennis, an ignored sport in the country and would invest more money in it. If tennis centers are built and financial support extended to budding players in Pakistan, more youngsters will come and play this game in the country. Shoaib Malik: Future's call! Shoaib's biggest and most onerous task will be to handle people like Yousuf, Razzaq, Afridi and Akhtar. Younis is a bit detached and a guy not needing to vent his feelings Captaincy is ninety percent
luck and ten percent skill but, for heaven's sake, don't try it It is ten percent skill which is brought in at that point. The captain who sees an opening and goes straight for the jugular is the one who is drinking the champagne or in our case celebrating smilingly at the end of the day. The one who muses about it for an over or two before belatedly making the nerve-tingling decision, or taking the incredible gamble, is the one who reads about the next Test series or a one-day tournament from the comfort of his living-room, sipping from a cold can or an iced glass, according to his habit, and making slightly sarcastic comments on the quality of leadership being displayed by his successor. He has trouble deciding whether to have scrambled or fried eggs with his chicken or beef and is never completely certain in which lane he should be on the motorway. Or he makes to a television channel or a commentary box where, one can assure you, it is all much simpler. Shoaib Malik when handed over country's captaincy must have known that he was putting at stake his on career as well as his image as a go-getting conscientious and a non-controversial cricketer. Ironically, Shoaib was being promoted to the ranks at a stage when Inzamam-ul-Haq was leaving the vacancy out for the grabs. We had seen people like Abdul Razzaq, Mohammad Yousuf, Shahid Afridi and even Shoaib Akhtar drooling to get on with the job. Only Younis Khan had left the running lane. The more I observe Pakistan cricket from a distance, the more I watch at the ground, the more I read about the game, more I'm convinced this is, without doubt, the most controversial of all. It is certainly the most widely publicised. But no game in my lifetime, and I suspect in the lifetime of many people older than me, comes anywhere near cricket for the sheer diversity of the controversy which surrounds it. Shoaib Malik while being handed over the captaincy of a team that's most unreliable in many ways, regarding the subjects, it's content and the performance(s), must have surveyed his role and its potential in detail -- to an age of violence, of growing selfishness under the garb of professionalism, of patronage and itís linked hypocrisies, of foreign travel, of clubs, of jingoism, of drinking, gambling and convergence to religion and to a society in which, despite the continuing dominance of 'us and them' culture, the majority of Pakistani cricketers come from villages and small towns. Shoaib must have taken notice of the volatility of the PCB management and their insecure future. In our game, the team's performance is directly linked with the future of its captain and also of the board's chairman. Shoaib must have looked into the fact that since 1999 there never seems to be a season to go past where controversy is not with us. There are disputes, with the administrators and the players themselves putting increasing pressure on each other through bad policies, ill-defined self-interests and hypocrisies. There are constant squabbles between the players, arguments about whether or not a player should have performed as he did on the field, an action regarded by one half of the game's followers as acceptable or even praiseworthy and by the other half as being not in the best interests of the team. One feels pity on Shoaib considering that he'll not be having complete powers as did Inzamam-ul-Haq. Inzamam had the weight of his performances behind him, and despite lapses in execution of decisions he still had his seniority coercing the staff to tolerate him-during the first half of his tenure as captain he was respected and in the other, mostly put up with. Shoaib's case is a little different. He had not been able to put his foot on the ground by the time he was asked to fill in shoes two sizes bigger than his credentials and presence warranted at that moment. He was being asked a bit too much. There are contrasting opinions. Shoaib's biggest and most onerous task will be to handle people like Yousuf, Razzaq, Afridi and Akhtar. Younis is a bit detached and a guy not needing to vent his feelings -- he's mostly tolerant and patient. Here in one's opinion, we needed a captain slightly rebellious, quite a right type to make speeches on tour, and allowed to play his rightful part in Pakistan's cricket. Not necessarily a magnificent captain, a guy who could stand up, up front in adversity sizing up a situation more quickly and no one better at summing up a batsman's weaknesses. Younis was skeptical and a little tentative to take on from where Inzamam left. Instead of being persuaded, the PCB managers let him go, allowing him to fulfill his contractual obligations with Yorkshire. To one's mind, in the present team only Younis is the man with tremendous ability to take things under his control. He isn't a little too well up in the menswear fashion. Not a man cutting a dashing figure, sporting in his wardrobe a pair of blue and a pair of brown suede shoes which are all the rage in the salons in Piccadilly, Knightsbridge and Park Lane. To some Younis was indecisive but the environment and his handling by the PCB executives were the reasons for him missing out on the captaincy. He was not expected to speak with a touch of reverence and a certain amount of humility to cricket officials in their blue suits, white shirts and strong leather shoes. Younis had topped team's batting averages in the past and is most likely to repeat those types of performances again. Sporadically, when Younis was in charge of the team in absence of Inzamam he could produce unorthodox thinking to throw the opposition into minor confusion-and, I hasten to say, some of his own players as well, at that stage unused to his methods. Now coming to Shoaib his grooming has been a little different. He was the type in whom one of the dicta drilled in over the years has been that he should always obey his captain or vice-captain. Sometimes he may well not have been sure which one should have taken the precedence. Now he's the captain and surely he'll like people to listen to him-will he be able to do exactly that? Shoaib must remember the attitude of a cricket team on the field and the entertainment the players provide for the public is directly connected to the attitude of the captain. No team could possibly have a good attacking attitude, one geared towards entertainment, if it is led by a stodgy captain whose thoughts are solely concerned with not being beaten and who cares little whether or not the public are entertained. In turn, the captain needs to be bolstered in that attitude by the administrators who, theoretically anyway, should be backing him with everything they have. Here Shoaib will surely be at loss, so it appears. Shoaib should know what the future holds for him. He should always find one of the great pleasures of captaincy is the added dimension it gives to the game. Whereas the other players must concentrate on their own batting, bowling and fielding, as captain he must also continually be thinking about his players, what has previously happened to them, what is happening at that moment to the game and what might happen in the immediate future? The plans he makes must be influenced by a line of thinking, attacking or steady, and it matters whether or not his is backed in that line by the administrators. Here Shoaib will also be needed to become a man management expert handling couple of eccentrics making his team. Shoaib is really a sweet guy. He gives his hundred percent and plays well within his limitations. Nevertheless, captaincy should always be a great challenge to him and provide more mental stimulus than anything he does until he is well filled in the shoes of responsibility. He should believe the man in charge of a cricket team, or any team must have the conviction that he can, at the very least, do anything he sets out to do; on top of this, he needs to believe that occasionally he can achieve the impossible. This will never come about without his players being one hundred percent behind him, so one of the first things he must do is to establish respect from those players. Likewise he should have respect for them and an enormous amount of faith in their abilities. In our case Shoaib may well not be able to get that respect part because of self-conceit presently so widely prevalent in our cricket culture. And vice versa, the type of guy he is, he must be having lots of respect for his seniors but one doubts about the faith part. And this adds up to the need for a good captain to have an air of tremendous confidence about him and that is one of the yardsticks for which he Shoaib would be looking for. In addition to the attributes already discussed a captain must give visible signs of deriving pleasure from the game -- it's no good -- no matter what you're feeling or what might have gone wrong at home or at work before you set out for the ground-going around the field with a face as long as a wet week. It doesn't have to be contrived but it should be there -- that impression of deriving pleasure from being out on the ground for six hours every day. It's not always easy because, in adverse circumstances, there is the temptation to grouch about things, no matter how sunny your personality might be. The temptation must be resisted. Personality has a good deal to do with leadership of international teams but, even more than that, honest plays an enormous part in successful captaincy. Shoaib must remember if you are not honest with your team, and if you are not able honestly to examine your own performance as captain, then you might as well give it away right from the start. It is not the slightest use telling your team something is likely to happen on the field if in your own heart you know that, if not impossible, it is the next best thing to do it. Certainly if you have any misgivings about what you're saying to them, you can bet your life they are looking at you and having equal misgivings. As soon as that permeates through a team then a captain might as well step down. He must make certain at all times that he thinks carefully before opening his mouth because, although his team members are his greatest supporters, it only needs them to start raising an eyebrow occasionally at some of the extravagant dressing room or on the field statements and the captain's authority is undermined-it happened to Inzamam, and one believes with Shoaib the history should not repeat itself. In Pakistan cricket, and with the sort of arrangements we have, Shoaib must be familiar by now with the possibilities, he had Mohammad Asif as vice-captain, and now he will be assisted by Salman Butt and tomorrow the roles may well be reversed... we live in a wretched environment and Shoaib is very much part of us.
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master
Sachin Tendulkar proved it again when people had starting criticising him for
his performance that "now his time is over, he has lost his fitness, he
should announce his retirement etc", but Tendulkar showed his class with
two consecutive 90s against South Africa in the Future Cup last week.
the masses by
claiming that he is upbeat and very desperate to have a go at the Australians
who will be touring this part of the world for playing a series of three
Tests and five ODIs next year.
really made a
difference to certain extent. For the last many days, the ace tennis star has
become talk of the town after he created history by qualifying for the first
time for the main rounds of Wimbledon 2007 Men's Singles competition. He
became the first Pakistani in over 31 years who played in a Grand Slam
tournament.
without that
little ten percent. There will be many who consider that heresy. To them the
captains tagged with the word great are a class above the normal mortals who
gambol and gamble around the cricket field, sometimes playing outstanding
cricket but often, as players, not quite reaching the greatest heights. As
far as I know, there has never been a captain labelled as great who has not
been lucky.