Pakistan A vs Australia A Thread

[Orchid]

The link is: http://www.the-cricket-site.com/Scor...16/a16850.html

I thought the venue was changed due to heavy rain in Lahore? So the offical coverups never end!

[Zainub]

Well, that could well be one of the reasons (however, it didn't stop the weather from affecting the game, did it, from the two overs and a bit I saw, the commentators must have mentioned it 10 times how difficult a wicket that was to bat on). You can't blame the groundsman though I guess, it's been raining quite a lot up there in Lahore off late. But I guess the PCB wanted to play it safe, Gadaffi in a regular international venue and probably has better security measures in place then Bagh-e-Jinah. As I write, I'm reading a slide on telly saying Shehrayar Khan has said the bomb blasts will not have any affect on the remainder of the Australia A tour, adding that the security measures for the players have been increased. On a different note, dissapointing score card that, we didn't even bat our fifty overs out, and then allowed them to win it in about 19 overs, almost on canter! Hopefully we'll compete better in the next game.

[Orchid]

When I was reading your post mentioning 'under prepared pitch' , I was thinking that could explain our horrible display but certainly didn't stop the Aussies from reaching that target in 19 overs! Anyway, lets hope they do a better job next time.

Sami is developing into a handy batsman isn't he?

[Zainub]

Yes, that's what I thought too. If the pitch was under prepaired the Aussies should have found it tough going too, but I guess, you can argue that you have to put the ball in the right areas (may be we didn't do that) and that batsmen are in a totally different mindset when chasing low totals...plus we can't forget that I just based my judgement of the pitch on soley the few comments that I heard from the commentators, may be they were bias or something...

Also right about Sami, his batting is getting better with time. I like his attitude to his batting, unlike Shoaib he isn't always looking to blast every ball for six, plays more on the merit of each ball, and works hard on his batting in the nets as well. Good, hard working honest Karachi lad he is. I like him. If only he were a bit more lucky with his dropped catches, a shade more consistent with his line and length and solve his no ball problems he'd be such a great asset to the team (brilliant feilder as well!).

[Orchid]

Originally Posted by Zainub

Also right about Sami, his batting is getting better with time. I like his attitude to his batting, unlike Shoaib he isn't always looking to blast every ball for six, plays more on the merit of each ball, and works hard on his batting in the nets as well. Good, hard working honest Karachi lad he is. I like him. If only he were a bit more lucky with his dropped catches, a shade more consistent with his line and length and solve his no ball problems he'd be such a great asset to the team (brilliant feilder as well!).

I don't know whether it's due to him being from Karachi, but yes, I love his attitude- while batting; fielding; bowling. He is quite unlucky regarding catches dropped etc.

One more thing about Sami probably of no interest, but he is the most popular current Pakistani cricketer in my country Nepal. People can't even pronounce his name properly, they call him 'Sammy' or something, but they love his attitude and they love him. Plus he also has this slight Nepali look and that helps his popularity too.

[Zainub]

Interesting, never knew about his fame in Nepal, I knew cricket was gradually becoming a more popular sport there, but never expected people to have know how of international cricketers as well, that's good to know. Mind you, it's not just your fellow Nepalis that pronounce his name incorrectly...most international commentators don't pronounce names of most of our players correctly...but then our local commentators don't pronounce their names correctly as well, so I guess no one can blame any one...

[Captain]

Originally Posted by Zainub

If only he were a bit more lucky with his dropped catches, a shade more consistent with his line and length and solve his no ball problems he'd be such a great asset to the team (brilliant feilder as well!).

That would put him into Waqar Younis and WAsim Akram's class right? I mean if he gets all that then he is almost unplyable.

[Zainub]

Not really. Waqar and Wasim had their fair share of dropped catches to rue over too, and they both also had a tendency to bowl extras, especially in LOIs, however that never stopped them from taking 700 plus test and 900 plus ODI wickets between them, did it? That’s because they mastered the art of bowling reverse swing, conventional swing, slower balls, fuller balls, length balls, short balls…any kind of ball, you name it! Because they were so incredibly blessed with natural talent they made up for all the dropped catches, extras, and even occasional sprays in accuracy (by taking massive five-for when it was their day, and turning them into six and seven-fors). Even if Sami got lucky with his catches and got his accuracy a bit more spot on he'd have a long, long way to go before he could achieve the sort of control or the sort of skill Wasim and Waqar had. To be fair to Sami, I don’t really expect him to be ever in Wasim or Waqar’s class, that will be expecting too much of him, at least at this stage. They were in their own class.


ps: confirmation for the earlier discussion about reasons for the shift in the venue of the first one-day game between the Australia A and Pakistan A, here.

[Zainub]

Pakistan A won the second A one-day game at Lahore today comfortably by 8 wickets in front of a sizable and enthusiastic crowd. Shoaib Malik who scored quite a splendid undefeated hundred (103*) was star of the show, but Bazid Khan (51*) who was alongside him at the other end when Pakistan won chasing down a total of 205 runs in just under 36 overs, also played an important, though far less flamboyant knock. Australia A's total was build around an equally well earned undefeated hundred from Cameron White (106*) but he had little support from elsewhere, skipper Michael Hussey's 31 being the next highest score, and only two other players making it to double figures.

Pakistan A's best bowler was Umar Gul, who took 4-51 in his ten overs. The match was once again televised, it was quite hot seemingly, and for the first time I got a chance to look at several young players I have heard so much about properly. And in most cases I really like what I saw. Especially in Cameron White, I knew he could bat a bit, but this well, certainly no one mention this to me before. He came in when Australia A were four of five down for next to nothing, and kept losing partners right the way through, but he held his own quite remarkably. I really liked that innings. I also thought Gul and Sami bowled really well for us, and Asif didn't do that badly at all. The wickets for Gul should in particular be sighted as very good news, with the England tour ever so near. He's look absolutely fit, that lad, and if he stays this way, it's going to be mouthwatering when England come.

And then our batting. We didn't get off to the best of starts, Ashar Zaidi got a good ball from Mick Lewis and was trapped in front for not many, then when it seemed that Imran Farhat had settled in nicely, he too got one from Darrel Cullen that bounced a bit more took the out side edge to first slip where Shane Watson took a well judged catch. Imran Farhat though was not his usual "give an ugly wash to anything marginally out side off stump" today, in fact he was very circumspect (his 27 coming from 46 balls), but the restrained approach fail to impress his many critics (those include me BTW). Bazid Khan then came in and took a bit of time to settle down, but we could afford that since the run rate was never too demanding, and Malik was in quite brilliant form, with the ball hitting the middle of his willow almost from the word go.


It was very difficult to concentrate too much on any of the Australian quicks, considering they all seem to be inspired no end by Shane Watson's flowing, longish hairstyle (what ever you call it). I don't know how in all the world those guys can bowl with hair like that, so instead I tried focusing on the off spinner, Cullen. He took a few wickets in the 2nd four day game, and the prospect of an off spinner coming from Australia excited me, so I gave him my version of a Manhattan Onceover. He doesn't have an the most unusual action you'll see, but it's hardly the classical version either, those probably seem extinct now-a-days. I’m sure those MCC coaching manuals aren’t going totally redundant, but can anyone point me to one , just one, off spinner in international cricket who has a good old fashioned clean and simple action?


Anyway, back to Cullen, he does get a very nice loop, and I liked the way he approaches the crease, may the release of the ball could be fine tuned a bit, but he's only 21, so there's plenty of time for him to gain experience and improve. He certainly does get the ball to grip and turn a bit, and that's always a good sign. I was also looking forward to see our own spinner, the leggy Mansoor Amjad but because the seamers did so well he was never required (he was a super sub). This was also the first time I had the opportunity to see Bazid Khan in action, since I missed the debut test match of his because of a forgettable Chemistry exam (or was it Urdu...can't remember, but I said it was forgettable so doesn't really matter).

He does have a very good temperament, but his cover drives are a bit scary - nearly all the time they went in the air, a couple of bounces and then to one of the fielders, may be needs to work in this area a bit and play more often along the ground, because for some one like a sensitive heart like my self, it was a case of having heart in mouth every other over or so. But apart from that, and of course his enormous (and hideous) side burns (which thanks God you can't see as long as he's wearing his helmet) he looks a decent enough player. Finally, if you want to have a look at pictures click this and for the full scorecard click this. Oh and yes, the series is now tied at 1-1 so it should be a good last game, considering the crowd that we had today, we might as well have more for the final game. And despite the shoddy standards of television coverage, for once I'm not going to complain, at least the PTV have got around and covered it! Well done to them for that!

[Maranello]

Originally Posted by Zainub

can anyone point me to one , just one, off spinner in international cricket who has a good old fashioned clean and simple action?

Arshad Khan.

As Mark Taylor said in 1998, when Australia were touring Pakistan, "how refreshing it is to see an offie with a legitimate and clean action"..or words to that effect. Arshad played in only one Test of that series, but managed to pick up both Australian openers (Taylor and Slater) in both the innings.