Showing posts with label england. Show all posts
Showing posts with label england. Show all posts

Tuesday, October 24, 2023

Third Umpire: Cricket, 30% Talent 70% Attitude.

 In fairness the by line of Talent and Attitude is borrowed from the lovely game of basketball, with a small change in the play of words, it applies to the Pakistan cricket team aptly. Losing and wining is part and parcel of any sport, the crucial question is the manner in which you lose and most importantly what do you learn from your short comings. Ever since following the Pakistan team one has had to accept this team can surprise one when least expected and disappoint us in equal measure. 

Six months before the current World Cup campaign there was a feeling that the team possessed a penentrating pace attack, (two or three wickets in the first ten overs) and a decent but not spectacular spin and an enviable top order batting line up. In the Asia Cup, prior to the current competition, the defeat to India seemed to have not only dented these perceptions but severely damaged them. Fast bowlers hunt in pairs, and Naseem Shah being sidelined can partly explain the wheels falling off the sting of the pace attack. But then we always boasted of depth in our battery of pace bowlers, and while Hassan Ali, surprisingly has stepped up, the previously dependable pacers have lost their mojo. Haris Rauf is hell bent of breaking the world speed record and forgetting what price he has to pay in runs for that.

It has been some time since Pakistan possessed world class spinners, and while Shahdab can have a few great outings, the consistency is sorely absent. In the batting department the team rested on the twin shoulders of Babar Azam and Mohammed Rizwan, with the odd man standing up and being counted. If either one failed the task of batting to the objectives become twice as hard, if both failed the team failed. While Abdullah Shafique may have plugged some of the gaps at the opener level, the problem remains at the middle order where no one is dependable enough to hold the fort and then take the battle to the opposing bowlers. Why batsmen like Babar, Kohli, Warner and few others excel is because fundamentally speaking they have a good technique. The ability to adjust their approach is an element of their technique allowing them to play each ball on its merit. The middle order on the other hand even when they may have technique have a misplaced approach. The mentality is to slog their way out of trouble, rather than keep the scoreboard ticking along. 

Over lay these bowling and batting disasters with perhaps the shoddiest fielding by any side in the modern day game of cricket and you have a biryani that will be tasteless and destined for the rubbish bin. Dolly catches dropped, straight forward fielding mistakes giving boundaries and a general lack of application in the field are visible through 50 agonizing overs of spills and mishaps. In fairness over the recent years fitness of the players has improved, but with it the improvement of fielding skills has been lacking. 

Failures happen to the best bowlers and batsmen and this is part and parcel of the game. The fundamental problem with the team remains ATTITUDE. When pace bowlers are being hit all over the park they don't adjust their line and length till atleast two overs of misery have passed. The bowlers don't seem to read the conditions and forget the cardinal rule that when things are not going well go to wicket to wicket bowling, nothing sexy nothing fancy. Leadership remains a major worry; Babar Azam is a great player but his captaincy skills leave a lot to be desired. Rarely does he walk up to a bowler being battered to guide him or encourage him. His bowling changes are strange at times, and when there is the need to attack his field settings are defensive. Perhaps the burden of captaincy added to the need to perform is too much for his shoulders. 

With three defeats Pakistan needs to win all the remaining matches and hope a result here or there in other matches goes their way. However getting into the final four will need more than divine intervention, prayers and hope. The mental approach of all the players will need to be totally focused and positive. The plan for each match will have to be carefully put into place with a Plan B and even Plan C in place should things not go the way they want. Playing to the conditions is very important, and this essentially means that Indian wickets are unforgiving for wayward bowling and this is where the difference has been for teams like India and South Africa. Both teams have bowled not as they love to bowl elsewhere in the world but simply kept it simple and uncomplicated letting the batsmen make the mistakes. 

Prior to the tournament I felt that England was the best balanced side and perhaps my favorites for the Cup. Their bowling, much like Pakistan's tried to search for the seam and swing which was only available on Indian wickets is sparing sessions. The failure to then adjust the attack has meant that both teams have lost their way in this campaign. I am not sure we have a world class mental coach for the team but at this stage what the Pakistan team, (and the England team) need most is a change in the mental approach to the games that are left. 



Saturday, June 8, 2019

Third Umpire: Logos and playing conditions


India, given its enormous financial muscle in the world of cricket, has always felt it deserves a special ticket, not necessarily available to others. The fact that on the pretext that their IPL just finished a couple of weeks before the current World Cup, they were allowed to commence their current campaign much later than other teams. South Africa has already played two matches when they met indicates the extent to which that India muscle (off the pitch) can and has been used. One forgets that a number of players from other countries also played in the recently concluded IPL and perhaps those teams should also have been given a reprieve in the time table of the current tournament.

While the cricketing world put aside the scheduling issues and just wanted to get on with the game, the controversy over the logo on M S Dhoni's gloves emerged. Sporting a logo of one of the Indian Army regiments, of which he is an honorary Lt Colonel, caught the eye of ICC and he was told to remove the logo. The uproar in the Indian media and in general is unbelievable as they argue that its a sign of patriotism and not a political or religious message.

Well the ICC rules are very straight forward on this, both in terms of generally having such a logo displayed and also that the rules expressly state that wicket keeping gloves can only sport the brand logo of the manufacturer. The Indian camp should show some maturity and simply accept that rules are rules and they cannot stretch exceptions each time. One must not forget that recently Indian players in a match against Australia in Ranchi work military caps in support of the army and they were sanctioned by the ICC on that. So there is a recent precedent of the rules and clearly Dhoni and co should know that.

On a broader front other players from different teams have been asked to remove logos and even wrist bands with messages that violate the rules of the ICC. An exception to India will turn international cricket into an advertising board with each player professing a tribute to some cause or the other. At the end of the day the patriotism is well expressed, and allowed, by having the countries logo on various gear that is used.


On another note it would seem that ODI cricket has almost deliberately been shifted to favor batsmen. Yes the host nation always have the prerogative of preparing pitches to suit their own teams but with scores over 300 almost the norm one has to ask the ICC to rethink the game to bring back some balance between bat and ball. For instance in ODI cricket, where the white ball is used, there are two balls used, one from each end, on the pretext that the ball does not get too discolored. This has really resulted in fast bowlers losing the ability to have some effective bowling in the latter part of the game, largely because they are deprived of reverse swing.

If the sole reason for a two ball rule is to prevent discoloration, then when a ball is discolored it can be replaced just as a ball is replaced if it is hit far out of the ground. Why should the same not apply to a ball that is discolored?

I believe to make the game more entertaining and give some balance to the game it is important that a such rules should be changed. Seeing the recent West Indies match against Australia, one has to wonder if there is a third umpire there and he does look at the no ball on his monitor when a wicket falls, why cannot he point out if the umpire has missed a no ball. (as it happened when West Indies was batting). After all run outs, catches, boundary decisions (which are 50-50) are all referred to the third umpire, why then cannot he also look at the no balls?


I am all for the use of technology but it must be applied fairly to all playing conditions on the field, not just a selective process of referral. The game is getting more competitive and it needs all the necessary tools to administer the conditions of play on the field.



Saturday, June 1, 2019

Third Umpire: My view of the World Cup Cricket 2019.


Cricket evokes passions comparable to any other sport, especially when it comes to the sub continent, from where four of the countries play in this years World Cup Cricket. As the first few matches of the current World Cup have got underway, with easy wins for some of the more predictable sides, we are reminded that the setting of a World Cup is always going to be one where there will be surprises. Interestingly, unlike a few decades ago, the style and technique of the one day game has evolved to the point where one cannot really consider and of the countries competing as minnows. On their day Afghanistan, as an example, can surprise one of the big power houses.

That said what does the outlook emerge for this World Cup.

England:

Clearly dubbed as the favorites based on their current form and the home ground advantage. But delving deeper into the side one cannot over look the fact that not only is the English team brimming with talent, its perhaps one of the best balanced sides. In all three departments of the game, batting, bowling and fielding, they have excelled in recent months. While one may argue that they peeked too soon with their comprehensive drubbing of Pakistan just before the World Cup started, I do believe they have more than enough in their tank to carry them into the last four.

Jos Butler and Joe Root anchor the batting well enough to be sure that till number 7 they have the strength to set high totals when batting first and yet deep enough in their batting to chase down totals. Their bowling attack is suited for the conditions and does not depend solely on the performance of one or two stars, giving them the variety to pin down most oppositions.

India:

Perhaps the only side which can claim the pedigree to take on England and be capable staking a claim to not only the final four but also perhaps winning the title this time. As much as the Virat Kohli is the talisman for the teams fortunes they do have a formidable batting that can cover for the team should Kohli have a bad day. Their bowling has been touted as one of the best, however, under pressure it can become brittle and it would be interesting to see how they tackle players like Jos Butler (England) or Chris Gayle (West Indies).

Yes the format of the tournament allows them a hiccup or so on the way to the final four. India knows too well that after the final four stage form and statistics are put aside as each team lifts their performance to another level (as they learned in the Champions Trophy final against Pakistan two years back). If India can hold their own on the big moments of this tournament then they would be worthy winners.


Australia:

While David Warner and Steve Smith return to the squad and bring in valuable experience, the Aussie batting does not seem to impress one as much as it would have four years ago. Their bowling is decent with Starc being the key 'go to bowler', and one would be curious to see how Nathan Lyon handles the conditions and the pressure. Yes there is Aaron Finch and Usman Khawaja to add to the batting but somehow I do not feel they are deep enough in their batting to make make a huge impact if Warner or Smith were to get out early.

Indeed, the experience of their bowling attack is good enough to handle the fifty-fifty matches, but facing the likes of England, India or West Indies top order batting onslaught the verdict is still out on how their attack would manage. If Australia have some lucky breaks they could make the top four but might be through the skin of their teeth.

South Africa:

On their day South Africa can be impressive in all departments of the game. The question is will they have enough of those good days. England's drubbing of them in the first match showed some serious chinks in their armor. Indeed it was perhaps the toughest match for them and its out of the way, but a batting that revolves around three main players, Amla, du Plessis, and de Kock, and a smattering of middle order sloggers cannot, in my opinion assure them of a strong showing in this tournament.

That said, with Rabada in their bowling line up, and the guile of Imran Tahir, and the experience of Steyn, South Africa provides interesting options to turn matches on their head through their penetrative bowling attack. On his day Rabada can simply change a game single handedly.

New Zealand:

I have always believed that balanced sides have the best chance to win the World Cup because of the format of the tournament is extended and individual performances from one or two stars can just carry you so far. The Kiwis have perhaps the most balanced side in the tournament after England. Their batting is strong and can set an early pace to an innings that assures them very respectable and challenging scores. Kane Williamson, Guptill, Nicholls, Munro can set the score board ablaze allowing the likes of Ross Taylor and other middle order players to pile on the pressure. The one failing of the side is that a failure at the top tends to trickle down the ranks.

The Kiwi bowling is a very balanced and attacking line up. While I do not consider their spin bowlers to be a serious threat, they could help in checking the run rate and tie the opposition down backed by one of the best fielding sides. I do feel if their batting performs at crucial moments they could make the last four.

Pakistan:

Its all a question of which Pakistan team will turn up not only for the tournament but for each of the matches. Mercurial and temperamental the team has both the bowling and batting talent to win this. But talent alone is not a guarantee for success as it needs planning an execution to get the job done. Babar Azam, Fakhar Zamman, Imam ul Haq can all be star players, the problem is can they all star on the same day, and match after match? In fairness in the past Pakistan's achilles heel was the failures of their batting which seems to have been fixed with very respectable scores in the recent English series. What let them down was their bowling much to the surprise of everyone considering their strong suite was always their bowling.

In my opinion the problem with the team has been a lack of direction and leadership. In the recent series against England the fast bowlers; known of their toe crunching yorkers, only managed 3% of their deliveries as yorkers! In addition the absence of an attack plan for each game showing up in operation suggests the bowlers were left to their own when in the middle of the track.

I personally doubt Pakistan will make the top four on their current form. However, should they have the right team turn up on each of the days ahead, then having made the last four, they could up their game to cause problems to any of the sides in this tournament.


Sri Lanka.

I would tend to think that the Sri Lanka team is in a rebuilding phase and while their bowling would be well above par, their mercurial batting line up will remain a chronic problem in this tournament where none of the bowling sides will give room for mistakes.

I doubt the team will make the last four though in this tournament do not rule out one or two upsets caused by the Lanka Lions.


Bangladesh.

A young side, passionate about their game suffer from a brittle batting and a bowling attack prone to leak runs. On the plus side their fielding is energetic and perhaps one of the best in the tournament. The format starts for them playing three of the strong sides England, South Africa and New Zealand, and losses against them could set the tone for their recovery.


Afghanistan:

Perhaps counted as the weakest side of the tournament, I would consider them worthy of one big surprise in the tournament. Their batting is moody but if they get a decent total on the board they have an excellent bowling attack to make the game interesting. One of the biggest things going for the Afghan team is their lack of fear against any of the teams and a team that is hard to rattle.

To sum up I feel the final four could be England, New Zealand, India, South Africa. Australia and Pakistan may just slip into the final four at the expense of New Zealand and/or South Africa. While its hard to predict from then on what would happen but my hunch is that England would be the final day winners.