2 minute readWe labelled Misbah-ul-Haq a Twenty20 specialist during that format’s World Cup. That was a bit misleading because we don’t particularly believe in being a specialist in one format or another. The best cricketers play the match situation and the best batsmen weigh up what to do to score runs against
Continue readingCategory: Pakistan
Sachin Tendulkar tries to camouflage his brilliance
< 1 minute readWell we’re onto you, young Sachin Tendulkar. Just because some young tyro hasn’t learned to turn fifties into hundreds, doesn’t mean we won’t spot real talent when it stares us in the face. This lad’s one to watch. India beat Pakistan in the fourth one-day international and in so doing
Continue readingYuvraj Singh and his ten mates beat Pakistan
< 1 minute readMost reports of the third one-day international between India and Pakistan seem to have Yuvraj Singh down as the match-winner. In any report there has to be one guy who won the match, but that’s never the full story. All eight Indian batsmen who came to the crease got into
Continue readingShahid Afridi the right man in the right place at the right time does the right thing
2 minute readYou need two runs a ball. Who do you want at the crease? Of course only one nation are lucky/unfortunate enough to have the unusual, though not inconsiderable, talents of Shahid Afridi at their disposal: Pakistan. Midway through this match, we were thinking to ourself that this Pakistan side aren’t
Continue readingIndia beat Pakistan in Guwahati (and series prediction)
2 minute readBarely any international cricket to speak of for weeks and then they only sneak in the biggie. It’s India v Pakistan time again. It’s time to make flippant comments about players from both sides and hopefully get some vitriol in the comments. Even the biggest series has to be constricted
Continue readingShoaib Akhtar overshadows South African series win
< 1 minute readIt’s one of those big looming shadows that’s accompanied by a low octave minor chord. You know what that shadow and that chord means – it means trouble. Apart from two Twenty20 internationals against Namibia, this was Shoaib Akhtar’s first international outing since January when he played a single Test
Continue readingEveryday cricket every day
< 1 minute readHere’s a comparison. The Rugby World Cup finished last Saturday. England played in the final. Their next international fixture will be on the second of February. England’s final match in the Cricket World Cup was on the 21st of April, against the West Indies. Their next international fixture, a Test
Continue readingInzy falls four runs short
< 1 minute readInzamam-ul-Haq managed to get himself stumped four runs short of becoming Pakistan’s highest-ever run-scorer. Patrick will be pleased. We’re of a similar mind. Four runs (or rather their absence) here really doesn’t make a blind bit of difference in terms of great a player he was, although we wouldn’t have
Continue readingSouth Africa select bowlers on the basis of bowling ability
2 minute readHow are South Africa managing to beat Pakistan? They won the first Test and now they’re on the verge of taking a 150-run first innings lead in a despicably constricted two match back-to-back series. Well, rather ingeniously and for just about the first time since their readmittance to Test cricket
Continue readingInzamam-ul-Haq retires
3 minute readNo. Don’t do it. We know you’re 37, but since when has lack of fitness affected your game? Besides, you’re as svelte now as you’ve ever been. Inzamam’s appearance has always been deceptive though. Maybe his slimmer look is deceiving us too. He’s got one more match to go –
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