Official Thread: Englands Tour Of Pakistan 2005 Options

[Anil4]

I expected England to beat Pakistan today, they lost by 22 runs.

I expected India to beat South Africa today, largely based on their showing against Sri lanka. They lost by 5 wickets.

Last but not least, I expected Uruguay to at least draw their soccer match against Australia tonight. Instead Australia won on penalty kicks and are headed to the World Cup finals in Germany next year, after an absence of 32 years.

Funny thing Sport. Things dont turn out the way you expect them to turn out.


Anil

[princeali]

What a win by Pakistan, it was just awesome to see them fight back. Credit should not only go to Kaneria and Shoaib but to Sami as well for taking two very crucial wickets of Collingwood and Petie.

Pakistan's batting needs to get sorted out. Yousuf hasn't made a significant contribution in a while, he needs to start taking responsiblity of their middle order since after Inzi, he is the most senior batsman. They also need to find an opening partner for Salman and not resort to make-shift tactics (i.e Malik). Ever since Sohail and Anwar they have not had a solid opening pair. Hasan Raza is a good future prospect and in order to ecnourage him they should not drop him even though he did not score much. I would like to see Afridi play in this series as well as Mushtaq.

SA was better on the day as the Indian batting did not play well at all except for a wonderful century by Yuvraj and a late resistance by the lower middle order. He belongs up there in the top 4 given his talent and he proved it yesterday. Credit to SA for bowling well and to India for reaching 249 after being 45/5 at one point.

[Akhtar]

I can't stop smiling... I just can't.

[princeali]

I can't stop smiling... I just can't.

I know how you feel.....I'm with you buddy

[Anil4]

I can't stop smiling... I just can't.

Akhtar, I thought you lived in England !!!!!!!!!!!!

Anil

[tracknest]

I expected England to beat Pakistan today, they lost by 22 runs.

I expected India to beat South Africa today, largely based on their showing against Sri lanka. They lost by 5 wickets.

Last but not least, I expected Uruguay to at least draw their soccer match against Australia tonight. Instead Australia won on penalty kicks and are headed to the World Cup finals in Germany next year, after an absence of 32 years.

Funny thing Sport. Things dont turn out the way you expect them to turn out.


Anil

Yes Anil Bhai. Sports are like life, unpredicatable and full of surprises.

I did congratulate our Pak members for the win but no acknowldegement whatsoever. This is what happens when people go overseas and settle they forget their 'Tehzeeb"

Yeah I thought SA played well but credit to Yuvraj and others for making a total that I thought was a winning total but the bowlers bowled badly specially Pathan.

Consistency Pathan bhai...

I am sure India will fight back and win the series.

[Akhtar]

I can't stop smiling... I just can't.

Akhtar, I thought you lived in England !!!!!!!!!!!!

Anil

Live in England, par dil to pakistani hi hai.

[princeali]

Just as I had thought. Thanks Shoaib and Kaneria for proving my analysis right. This is why cricket is the greatest game.

Greatest because your analysis was proved right, Mr T?!
Just kidding.
Yes, a great game, cricket. Not necessarily the greatest.
And a great match towards the end, Pak vs England.
India managed to get about 250 after being 35/5... Good ton by Yuvraj. After thrashing SL, some taste of tough cricket for the Indians...

Yeah may be not the greatest but greatest for me as I have played it for many years. It has the most fan following in the world only next to soccer.

Cricket is not as global as soccer. In other parts of the world where it isn't played, people haven't even heard of it. There is a huge fan following mainly in places where the sport is played alot. Mostly everyone knows about soccer and has knowledge about the game, but can't say the same about cricket.

I wish cricket was more popular in other parts of the world since its a lovely sport. The thing is people are not interested in learning the basics of the game because they find it boring and slow. But they are missing alot !

[Akhtar]

Mohd. Yousuf playing well so far.

[princeali]

Yousuf was unlucky to get out, it cost him a century. Inzi and Afridi will hopefully make big hundreds and take the team to a good score. Wonderful entertainment, especially from Afridi on Day 1.

[Anil4]

Wonderful entertainment, especially from Afridi on Day 1.

Wish I could have seen those four sixes from Afridi !!!!!!!!

[tracknest]

As I said be4, Afridi must be in every Pak X1. He is a match winner in both one days and 5 days. I am pleased that he has proved me right once more.

Inzy was solid and should score a big 100. This Pak team is more balanced than the one they had in the first test match.

Tough days ahead for the poms.

[visuja]

Anyone saw the way Inzy got out ? any comments ?

Heres an article from cricinfo.

Pakistan v England, 2nd Test, Faisalabad, 2nd day

An affront to cricket
Sambit Bal
November 21, 2005

The scorecard will record the dismissal of Inzamam-ul-Haq in the first innings of the Faisalabad Test as a run out. The truth is it should be put down to ignorance. Every cricketer learns to take wrong decisions on the chin and move on, but this stroke of injustice will no doubt rankle Inzaman much more because he was done in, not by a judgment the umpire had to make in a split second, but because of lack of knowledge of cricket's laws from the men appointed to implement it. It was appalling. And an affont to cricket.

Inzamam was declared run out after Steve Harmison, the bowler, knocked down the stumps at the striker's end when it was clear that Inzamam was not attempting a run. Such throws are not uncommon, not the least from aggressive fast bowlers intent on keeping the batsmen in their territory. He was within the rights to appeal too. But to anybody who saw it, either live or on television, it was patently clear that Inzamam moved away to avoid the ball hitting him. And this is what the law says:

"...a batsman is not out Run out if (a) he has been within his ground and has subsequently left it to avoid injury, when the wicket is put down"

It is natural to lay the blame at the doors of Nadeem Ghauri, the third umpire, who pressed the red light after surveying the evidence. He had enough time and access to enough replays to consider his decision. That he should have limited himself to the line call - Inzamam's right foot had left the ground for a moment and it was in the air when the ball hit the leg stump - and not look at the broader picture could be down to two things. He was trying to stay with his perceived jurisdiction (of delivering only the line decision), or worse, he simply didn't know the rule. That half of the professional commentators, all of them former international cricketers, were not aware of the law either - Ian Botham paraded his ignorance spectacularly - merely makes the matter more shocking, but it's no excuse.

But the field umpires cannot escape culpability. Simon Taufel and Darrell Hair are respected and experienced umpires from the ICC's elite panel. Taufel was in perfect position at the bolwer's end to see Inzamam take evasive action and Hair called for the replay from square leg. Both had enough time to consult, and if needed, use the walkie-talkie for further confirmation. In the end, they all abetted in the execution of an illegal decision. Shouldn't they be hauled in before the match referee and asked to explain their action? If this was an act of collective ignorance, cricket lovers have a right to know.

That Pakistan themselves were beneficiaries in a similar situation in a Test at Kolkata in 1999, would hardly be of any comfort to Inzamam. The victim in that case was Sachin Tendulkar, who had grounded his bat after completing a run, but then left the crease to avoid colliding with Shoaib Akhtar, the bowler, who was moving to collect the throw from Nadeem Khan. The throw hit the stumps, Pakistanis appealed and Tendulkar was given out, a decision that led to a mini riot. Two horrible wrongs don't make a right.

Sambit Bal is the editor of Cricinfo

© Cricinfo

[Anil4]

Anyone saw the way Inzy got out ? any comments ?

Vivek

I saw your query, and said to myself, typical of Inzy, getting run out, once again. I had seen the scores on another web site which had just stated Inzy being run out. Then I read the article from CricInfo, and also checked the BBC web site to get their version. Seems to me he was hard done by.

Here in Australia, Brian Lara(once again) got a bad decision yesterday, coming on top of a similar bad decision in the Brisbane test.

We have umpires and match referees fining players for all sort of things like showing a batsman the way to the dressing room after dismissing him etc etc. I wonder if the time has come to "fine" match referees and umpires for their bad decisions !!!!!!!!

Anil

[Akhtar]

Was very hard done by indeed!!!!

That umpire deserves a kick up the backside !!!!!

I certainly hope somebody takes him to the opticians, the buerk!!!!