There has been a lot of publicity given to the fact that Andrew Symonds was subject to racism during the course of the last 3 ODI's in the recently concluded Future Cup. And more attention has been focussed on the North Stand at the Wankhede in Bombay. I personally feel all this is a load of rubbish. The North Stand in Wankhede is one of the best stands to be watching a match in the country. Apart from Bombay, I have seen matches in Kolkata,Pune and Bangalore, and i can safely say that the most knowledgeable,sporting and fun loving crowd in the country can be found in the North Stand. A major chunk of the spectators in the North stand consists of young professionals and students, the last thing one can expect from them is being racist. It is true that they give the opposition a tough time with the kind of chants they come up with(which is all in good humour), but they also appreciate a good perfomance when they see one. Now Australia of all countries has no moral right to complain about racism.
First of all calling somebody a monkey is not racism by any stretch of the imagination. So this not racism. What is even more ironic is this accusation is coming from Australia- a country where visiting teams are given the toughest times by spectators. The Aussies have deprived themselves in the past of watching Murali in action because of the way they treated him. The Proteas would also vouch for the fact that the spectators are racist(to put it in mild terms). They have been at the receiving end of a lot of racial slurs during all of their tours down under.
The 4 spectators who were ejected from the North Stand can't be seen as its representatives(a few rotten apples). The same North Stand gave a standing ovation to Mark Waugh in the 96 world cup game for his splendid 126. Nobody went beserk(unlike other stadiums) when we lost test matches to South Africa, Australia and England. I have to keep on reiterating that they aren't sore losers.
So before anybody goes ahead and brands the North Stand as being racist, please get your facts right and don't give undue inportance to all of this nonsense.
Wednesday, October 24, 2007
Saturday, October 20, 2007
THE RISE AND FALL OF MUMBAI CRICKET
When i was writing about Agarkar and Powar it just occurred to me that the representation in the Indian team of Mumbaikars has been dwindling since the early nineties. The only player who has a permanent spot is Sachin Tendulkar. There have been many who have made it into the national side but haven't been able to maximize the oppurtunity. The Harris Shield, the Kanga league et all have produced the likes of Gavaskar,Vengsarkar,Shastri,Wadekar,Manjrekar to name a few.The past couple of decades have given a few names to reckon with thought i would just profile them:
Salil Ankola:
Right arm fast medium bowler. His first tour was to Pakistan in 1989. Had been in and out of the team. His last appearance was in the 96 world cup. After that he made a career shift into acting and has been quite successful at that.
Samir Dighe:
Wicket keeper and right handed batsman. Many say he was brought into the team at the behest of Sachin Tendulkar (during his captaincy). That decision drew a lot of flak and what added fuel to the fire was that he was promoted as a pinch hitter during an ODI at the MCG and he failed miserably. In his defense, he was chosen for a pretty hostile Down Under(which tour isn't?)and everybody was on the look out for scapegoats. He was a part of the test side during the historical 2001 series against Australia. He and Harbhajan took us home in the last test at Chennai. After that he is nowhere to be seen.
Nilesh Kulkarni:
Left Arm off spinner. His tall lanky physique could lead to anybody mistaking him to be a pace bowler. Again many feel he was in the team because Sachin was captain. Didn't make a huge impact when in the team and hence wasn't seen much. Off late had been vacillating between the ICL and Mumbai Ranji team. First he committed to the former then after rethinking it came back to Mumbai.
Sairaj Bahutule:
An orthodox leg spinner. He dropped Sachin early on in his innings in the Harris Shield match where Sachin and Kambli went on to have the world record partnership(he is remembered more for that than his exploits in the Indain team). Did exceedingly well while playing for Mumbai. He also was a part of the test team during the 2001 test series against Australia. Playing under the shadow of Harbhajan in that series sealed his fate.
Paras Mhambrey:
Right arm fast medium bowler. Picked for the 96 tour of England as support for Javagal Srinath and Venkatesh Prasad, he failed to do much and couldn't yield any returns on the selectors investment in him. After that has been keeping himself occupied with coaching responsibilities.
Atul Bedade:
Not many may remember him. He was branded as a hard hitting southpaw when he was inducted into national colours. Unfortunately for him, he made his debut at Sharjah against Pakistan at a time when Pakistan + Sharjah= Doom for the opposition. Couldn't blame him much for not delivering the goods against Akram and co. unfortunately in India, the first impression is the ever lasting one and his fate was sealed.
Abey Kuruvilla:
Right arm fast bowler. I have seen him bowl and you dont realise where the ball once until you see the wicket keeper moving to collect it. Unfortunately for him he was a part of the team when we were going through a horrible phase in 97. He was there on the tour to West Indies and also played a couple of home series. The team's performance compelled the selectors to search for scapegoats and unfortunately for him he fitted the bill. One quality about his batting worth mentioning is the uncanny ability he had to whack the ball 7 storeys high,but it would never cross the 30 yard circle!! Like Paras Mhambrey he also is into coaching now.
Praveen Amre:
Right hand batsman. He burst onto the international scene,with a century on debut in South Africa against South Africa. But that seemed to be his peak and it was downhill for him from there. Presently incharge of the Mumbai Ranji team.
Vinod Kambli:
I seem to be using the term prodigal son quite a lot these days. But the epitome of that term has to be this gentleman. There was a time in 93 when he was more popular and prolific in run scoring compared to Sachin. Back to back double centuries and he was touted as India's reply to Brian Lara. But success got to his head(literally also, every series we saw him in a different hairdo) and he never was able to cement his place in the side. The 96 world cup saw him and Sidhu saving us from a horrific defeat against Zimbabwe and in the same tournament we saw hum weeping of the field at the Eden Gardens with India at 120/8 in the semi finals against Sri Lanka. The final nail in the coffin came in the 97 series against Zimbabwe where while fielding he twisted his ankle and fractured it in the process. That was the last time we would see him in national colours. He acted in a couple of movies after that and i dont think he can give Salil Ankola a run for his money.
These are the few i could think of. One particular player who could never make it to the team but had the potential was Amol Muzumdar- a classy batsman and a prolific run scorer in the domestic circuit. He has to be one of the unluckiest guys around.
Of the present players in the team Agarkar and Powar i have already written about. Wasim Jaffer has more or less made the opening position in tests his. Its too early to comment about Rohit Sharma but the signs so far are good.
So what is the reason for the fact that after Sachin nobody from Mumbai is good enough for the Indian team?? Is it because the quality of cricket has declined in the Shivaji Parks and the Oval Maidans or has it risen in other parts of the country?? I still am not able to figure it out!!
Salil Ankola:
Right arm fast medium bowler. His first tour was to Pakistan in 1989. Had been in and out of the team. His last appearance was in the 96 world cup. After that he made a career shift into acting and has been quite successful at that.
Samir Dighe:
Wicket keeper and right handed batsman. Many say he was brought into the team at the behest of Sachin Tendulkar (during his captaincy). That decision drew a lot of flak and what added fuel to the fire was that he was promoted as a pinch hitter during an ODI at the MCG and he failed miserably. In his defense, he was chosen for a pretty hostile Down Under(which tour isn't?)and everybody was on the look out for scapegoats. He was a part of the test side during the historical 2001 series against Australia. He and Harbhajan took us home in the last test at Chennai. After that he is nowhere to be seen.
Nilesh Kulkarni:
Left Arm off spinner. His tall lanky physique could lead to anybody mistaking him to be a pace bowler. Again many feel he was in the team because Sachin was captain. Didn't make a huge impact when in the team and hence wasn't seen much. Off late had been vacillating between the ICL and Mumbai Ranji team. First he committed to the former then after rethinking it came back to Mumbai.
Sairaj Bahutule:
An orthodox leg spinner. He dropped Sachin early on in his innings in the Harris Shield match where Sachin and Kambli went on to have the world record partnership(he is remembered more for that than his exploits in the Indain team). Did exceedingly well while playing for Mumbai. He also was a part of the test team during the 2001 test series against Australia. Playing under the shadow of Harbhajan in that series sealed his fate.
Paras Mhambrey:
Right arm fast medium bowler. Picked for the 96 tour of England as support for Javagal Srinath and Venkatesh Prasad, he failed to do much and couldn't yield any returns on the selectors investment in him. After that has been keeping himself occupied with coaching responsibilities.
Atul Bedade:
Not many may remember him. He was branded as a hard hitting southpaw when he was inducted into national colours. Unfortunately for him, he made his debut at Sharjah against Pakistan at a time when Pakistan + Sharjah= Doom for the opposition. Couldn't blame him much for not delivering the goods against Akram and co. unfortunately in India, the first impression is the ever lasting one and his fate was sealed.
Abey Kuruvilla:
Right arm fast bowler. I have seen him bowl and you dont realise where the ball once until you see the wicket keeper moving to collect it. Unfortunately for him he was a part of the team when we were going through a horrible phase in 97. He was there on the tour to West Indies and also played a couple of home series. The team's performance compelled the selectors to search for scapegoats and unfortunately for him he fitted the bill. One quality about his batting worth mentioning is the uncanny ability he had to whack the ball 7 storeys high,but it would never cross the 30 yard circle!! Like Paras Mhambrey he also is into coaching now.
Praveen Amre:
Right hand batsman. He burst onto the international scene,with a century on debut in South Africa against South Africa. But that seemed to be his peak and it was downhill for him from there. Presently incharge of the Mumbai Ranji team.
Vinod Kambli:
I seem to be using the term prodigal son quite a lot these days. But the epitome of that term has to be this gentleman. There was a time in 93 when he was more popular and prolific in run scoring compared to Sachin. Back to back double centuries and he was touted as India's reply to Brian Lara. But success got to his head(literally also, every series we saw him in a different hairdo) and he never was able to cement his place in the side. The 96 world cup saw him and Sidhu saving us from a horrific defeat against Zimbabwe and in the same tournament we saw hum weeping of the field at the Eden Gardens with India at 120/8 in the semi finals against Sri Lanka. The final nail in the coffin came in the 97 series against Zimbabwe where while fielding he twisted his ankle and fractured it in the process. That was the last time we would see him in national colours. He acted in a couple of movies after that and i dont think he can give Salil Ankola a run for his money.
These are the few i could think of. One particular player who could never make it to the team but had the potential was Amol Muzumdar- a classy batsman and a prolific run scorer in the domestic circuit. He has to be one of the unluckiest guys around.
Of the present players in the team Agarkar and Powar i have already written about. Wasim Jaffer has more or less made the opening position in tests his. Its too early to comment about Rohit Sharma but the signs so far are good.
So what is the reason for the fact that after Sachin nobody from Mumbai is good enough for the Indian team?? Is it because the quality of cricket has declined in the Shivaji Parks and the Oval Maidans or has it risen in other parts of the country?? I still am not able to figure it out!!
Friday, October 19, 2007
HARSHA ON SACHIN
Came across this video last night. I think this was during one of the management talks he gives.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i5Fsnv6wHJo
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i5Fsnv6wHJo
Wednesday, October 17, 2007
TOP 10 SACHIN TENDULKAR MOMENTS/INNINGS
Here is a list of my top 10 Sachin Tendulkar moments/innings. All this is from what i can recollect from memory. So here they are in descending order.
10) 241* at the SCG against Australia,4th test 2003-04 series
Sachin wasn't at his peak throughout the series,coming into the last test match he was determined to prove a point. Majority of his dismissals in the series till then were brought about by him flashing outside the off stump. So he came up with a strategy you wouldn't associate with him,anything outside off was left alone. He used to play at the ones on middle and leg. What followed was a fruitful partnership with Laxman to take India past the 700 mark. Sachin was the only batsman in the lineup who hadn't clicked till then in that series. Ganguly scored 144 at Brisbane,Dravid got 233 at Adelaide,Laxman too contributed at Adelaide and was at his consistent best throughout the series,Sehwag scored 194 at the MCG. Sachin decided it was time for him to join the party,given the circumstances and the way the series was poised,this innings finds a place in my top 10.
9)Hero Cup semi finals and finals,1993
This finds a place not for his batting but for his bowling. Those who were watching the semi finals will vividly remember the last over, Sachin snatching the ball from Kapil and taking it upon him to win the match for India. Defending 190 odd runs at the Eden Gardens and being successful at it is not an easy task. That last over of the semi finals was the most thrilling over I've ever seen. Sachin followed it up in the finals,he played a cameo towards the end of the innings along with Kapil Dev and with the ball got 2 wickets,the crucial one being that of Brian Lara. It is an unforgettable sight, Sachin bowling round the wicket,Lara surprisingly beaten for pace and the off stump sent cart wheeling to the boundary. That was one truly happy diwali!!!
8)165 against England at Chennai,2nd test ,1993
This was Sachin's first test century on Indian soil. What also started was a lovely relationship with the Chepauk. The way he got to his century was quite amazing,3 consecutive boundaries of Deven Malcolm,the last one,a straight drive,being the best. This also was one of the rare occasions we saw Sachin batting with a cap. This series was a 'brown wash' with India winning it 3-0 and gave hope of a new spin trio in the offing-Rajesh Chouhan,Venkatapathy Raju and Anil Kumble. However only the last person achieved what set out to do.
7)2nd test,Australia series,Kolkata,2001
10) 241* at the SCG against Australia,4th test 2003-04 series
Sachin wasn't at his peak throughout the series,coming into the last test match he was determined to prove a point. Majority of his dismissals in the series till then were brought about by him flashing outside the off stump. So he came up with a strategy you wouldn't associate with him,anything outside off was left alone. He used to play at the ones on middle and leg. What followed was a fruitful partnership with Laxman to take India past the 700 mark. Sachin was the only batsman in the lineup who hadn't clicked till then in that series. Ganguly scored 144 at Brisbane,Dravid got 233 at Adelaide,Laxman too contributed at Adelaide and was at his consistent best throughout the series,Sehwag scored 194 at the MCG. Sachin decided it was time for him to join the party,given the circumstances and the way the series was poised,this innings finds a place in my top 10.
9)Hero Cup semi finals and finals,1993
This finds a place not for his batting but for his bowling. Those who were watching the semi finals will vividly remember the last over, Sachin snatching the ball from Kapil and taking it upon him to win the match for India. Defending 190 odd runs at the Eden Gardens and being successful at it is not an easy task. That last over of the semi finals was the most thrilling over I've ever seen. Sachin followed it up in the finals,he played a cameo towards the end of the innings along with Kapil Dev and with the ball got 2 wickets,the crucial one being that of Brian Lara. It is an unforgettable sight, Sachin bowling round the wicket,Lara surprisingly beaten for pace and the off stump sent cart wheeling to the boundary. That was one truly happy diwali!!!
8)165 against England at Chennai,2nd test ,1993
This was Sachin's first test century on Indian soil. What also started was a lovely relationship with the Chepauk. The way he got to his century was quite amazing,3 consecutive boundaries of Deven Malcolm,the last one,a straight drive,being the best. This also was one of the rare occasions we saw Sachin batting with a cap. This series was a 'brown wash' with India winning it 3-0 and gave hope of a new spin trio in the offing-Rajesh Chouhan,Venkatapathy Raju and Anil Kumble. However only the last person achieved what set out to do.
7)2nd test,Australia series,Kolkata,2001
This match is always remembered for Laxman's 281,Dravid's 180,Harbhajan's hat-trick and the fact that India was only the second team in cricketing history to win a test match after being asked to follow on. But what people tend to forget is that Ganguly may have delayed his declaration in the second innings which may have caused the match to end in a draw. In the last session on the last day, Sachin came into bowl and got the crucial wickets of Gilchrist,Hayden and Shane Warne. The wicket of Warne was a beauty,because he castled the king of leg spin with a perfect googly,this is one of the reasons it finds a place in my top 10.
6)155 against Australia,Chennai,1st test 1998 series
This was the first time Sachin was facing Warne in India and there was quite a lot of hype surrounding this contest. Prior to this match,Sachin scored his first double century in first class cricket while playing for Bombay against the Aussies. In the first innings of this match the excitement got to Sachin and he decided to attack Warne from the word go,but unfortunately he succumbed to it. In the second innings Sachin came back with a bang. He gave a beautiful display of how to play a world class spinner on a crumbling track. Warne bowling round the wicket made absolutely no difference to him and he turned the match back in India's favour.
5)136 against Pakistan,Chennai,1st test 1999 series
This series was marketed as the Sachin v/s Saqlain series. It followed a very similar script to the Sachin v/s Warne contest. Saqlain got the better of him in their first meeting.The second encounter however was under different circumstances.India were chasing a total in the 4th innings and on the fifth morning India were reduced to 82/5. What followed was an awe inspiring fightback from Sachin and Nayan Mongia. One shot of Sachin that is still fresh in my mind is a cover drive he played of Waqar Younis, the ball was slightly overpitched and swinging away from the off stump, the execution of that shot couldn't have been better. Sachin himself has admitted to weeping at the end of this match when India failed to win.
4) 111 against South Africa,Jo'burg,1992 series
Coming into bat at 27/2 and further being reduced to 77/4 Sachin played one of the best counter attacking innings ever seen. Imagine facing the wrath of Donald and McMillan and coming out trumps against them when the rest of the team around him were crumbling. Sachin's score was almost half of the team's 227 on that day.
3) 119 against Australia,Perth,1991-92 series
Playing at the WACA is analogous to playing on a marble surface-the pace and bounce separate the men from the boys. Sachin hadn't turned 18 till then but still displayed the grit and class of a player who had been around for 18 years. He handled Hughes and McDermott with panache.As would become the norm in the coming years,the entire team would collapse without offering any support to Sachin.Nonetheless,this innings gave the Aussies a taste of the stuff they could expect in the coming years.Sachin rates this as his best so far.
2) Operation Desert Storm- 143 and 134 against Australia,Sharjah,Coca-Cola cup,1998
This was undoubtedly Sachin's best year in International cricket(statistics may beg to differ ,but i am basing it on the kind of form he was in).The reason i am clubbing these innings together is that the second one seemed to be a continuation of the first and what made them even better was Tony Greig's commenttary!!.The first one helped India qualify for the finals(had it not been for umpire Javed Akhtar India would have gone on to win that match) and the second one won the finals for us. It was one of the rare occasions when we were chasing stiff targets(284 and 273 respectively),the team rallied around Sachin. Nayan Mongia was good support to him in the finals.Even in the finals,Javed Akhtar gave another atrocious decision in favour of the Aussies and Sachin's 25th birthday ended in controversial style.
1) 97 against Pakistan,Supersport Park ,Centurion,World Cup 2003
March 1st 2003,the setting was perfect,India v/s Pakistan in the World Cup,India fighting to maintain their unblemished record against Pakistan in the World Cup,and set a target of 270 plus to win and ensure their place in the next round. What followed was a Sachin blitzkrieg,it was triggered in Shoaib Akhtar's first over,the sequence of the last three deliveries were-square cut for 6,a good length ball on middle flicked to the square leg boundary and the icing on the cake was the sublime straight drive which went for another 4 runs. This set up the match beautifully and Sachin raced on to 97 of 75. A bout of cramps forced Sachin to call for a runner(which i think has always been a bad omen for him). It took a peach of delivery from Shoaib to bring his innings to an end with 100 runs required for victory. Dravid and Yuvraj completed what Sachin had started. This was the second time Sachin got the Man of the Match award in four World cup games against Pakistan,the earlier one was for his 54* and two wickets in the 92 world cup at the SCG.
So this was my top 10. While compiling this there were a couple of innings which i couldn't accommodate since it was only top 10(top 12 sounds pretty weird) but they are definitely worth mentioning.
90 against Australia,Wankhede,96 World Cup
Steve Waugh wishes in his autobiography that he should have been in the stands enjoying the innings rather than the receiving end on the field.Sachin usually doesn't perform at the Wankhede in ODI's and that makes this innings even more special.One shot that seems like it was played yesterday is a front pull of McGrath which was aimed between deep mid wicket and long on and hit bullseye. Unfortunately the wish of every cricket fan of Sachin scoring a ODI hundred at the Wankhede still hasn't been fulfilled. Sachin was stumped of a wide ball of Mark Waugh,which was thought of to be smart bowling,but we would later on come to know that there was nothing intentional about it!!
38 against Australia,Nairobi,ICC Champions trophy 2000
One may wonder why i was considering an innings which produced only 38 runs in Sachin's top 10. Those who remember this match may tend to agree with me because it was in this match that we got to see a totally different Sachin. He took the attack to the Aussies,he sledged Mcgrath(yes HE sledged Mcgrath),he sledged him with the bat too, coming down the pitch and spanking him over mid off and following it up with a majestic pull which i quote from Harsha Bhogle " He hit the ball out of Nairobi".He eventually succumbed to Lee but he had made his impact on the game,with debutant Yuvraj scoring 81 and the Indians playing out of their skins to win the match.
So there it is,the consolation prizes,if you feel i may have missed any innings or moments please do let me know.
Cheers for now.
Tuesday, October 16, 2007
AGARKAR AND RAMESH POWAR- THE PRODIGAL SONS OF INDIAN CRICKET
I was reading the paper today and one particular headline caught my eye,it said Agarkar and Powar destroy Western Railways(not literally,although come to the think of it,Powar could pull it off!!),the tournament was the Times Shield Division A match between Tata Sports Club and Western Railways. Check out these bowling figures Agarkar 8.2-3-23-4Powar 11-4-13-3
When was the last time we saw Agarkar bowl a maiden over??(Apart from Fatima Ghadially) And he actually went on to bowl 3 out of his 8 overs. This was the same Agarkar who got thwarted all over the Oval which forced Dravid to bring on Yuvraj in the last over of that match and the rest as they is history. Now i may not have the credentials to criticise Agarkar and Powar,which mind you i am not doing,rather just trying to figure out this conundrum as to what happens to Agarkar when he comes onto the international stage?? It would be a little early to talk about Powar but from what ever indications we get of his career so far one just hopes he doesn't go the Agarkar way.
This is not restricted just to their bowling.In the same match where they had these astonishing bowling figures,both players came well with the bat also. However when it come to representing the country they seem to be totally different players. Agarkar has shown flashes of brilliance with a century at Lords,but is remembered more for his 007 tour of Australia in 99-00(he got 7 ducks on that tour). Another instance was a ODI in Sharjah against Sri Lanka where we were chasing and Agarkar finished it off well for us. 10 years into international cricket and he still hasn't cemented his place in the Indian side. Makes one wonder whether cricket is played more in the mind? Even Powar for that matter is considered to be a very dangerous batsman for Mumbai but when it comes to the international stage, all he has to show is one half century in 3 years.
Harsha Bhogle keeps talking about this and even he hasn't been able to figure out the cause of this. Agarkar and Powar are two transformed players when they play for Mumbai. Yes the quality of opposition may not be good but as long as one sticks to the basics,it doesn't matter whom you are playing against.
I just hope and pray that Agarkar and Powar,whenever they are given the chance to play for India next, come good with the bat,as that may solve a lot of our problems with regards to the lower order and all-rounders.(literally,Powar already takes care of the latter!!)
When was the last time we saw Agarkar bowl a maiden over??(Apart from Fatima Ghadially) And he actually went on to bowl 3 out of his 8 overs. This was the same Agarkar who got thwarted all over the Oval which forced Dravid to bring on Yuvraj in the last over of that match and the rest as they is history. Now i may not have the credentials to criticise Agarkar and Powar,which mind you i am not doing,rather just trying to figure out this conundrum as to what happens to Agarkar when he comes onto the international stage?? It would be a little early to talk about Powar but from what ever indications we get of his career so far one just hopes he doesn't go the Agarkar way.
This is not restricted just to their bowling.In the same match where they had these astonishing bowling figures,both players came well with the bat also. However when it come to representing the country they seem to be totally different players. Agarkar has shown flashes of brilliance with a century at Lords,but is remembered more for his 007 tour of Australia in 99-00(he got 7 ducks on that tour). Another instance was a ODI in Sharjah against Sri Lanka where we were chasing and Agarkar finished it off well for us. 10 years into international cricket and he still hasn't cemented his place in the Indian side. Makes one wonder whether cricket is played more in the mind? Even Powar for that matter is considered to be a very dangerous batsman for Mumbai but when it comes to the international stage, all he has to show is one half century in 3 years.
Harsha Bhogle keeps talking about this and even he hasn't been able to figure out the cause of this. Agarkar and Powar are two transformed players when they play for Mumbai. Yes the quality of opposition may not be good but as long as one sticks to the basics,it doesn't matter whom you are playing against.
I just hope and pray that Agarkar and Powar,whenever they are given the chance to play for India next, come good with the bat,as that may solve a lot of our problems with regards to the lower order and all-rounders.(literally,Powar already takes care of the latter!!)
A TRIBUTE TO INZY
This may be a little late,considering the fact that there are already millions of posts doing the rounds about Inzamam-ul-Haq's retirement,nonetheless here are a few incidents i remember from his career,some good some bad.
October 2007 and March 1992 saw two defining moments in the in the life of one of the sons of Multan. The former saw him being given a hero's sendoff from his mates and the latter is what made the cricketing world stand up and take notice of him. The former took place thousands of miles away from the latter. Although the person involved in both the scenes was the same, the toll 17 years of cricket had taken on him was quite evident and he seemed to be a changed man.The Inzy who was having the New Zealand attack for breakfast,lunch and dinner and the Inzy who was stumped trying to smash his way into the record books in his final test innings were two totally different people.
In the 1992 world cup Inzy's timing was perfect(technically and literally),what better stage than a world cup semi final where you come into bat with the asking rate seemingly impossible to achieve and give a practical session of the Scorpions song-"here i am....rock you like a hurricane". The images are still fresh in my mind-the florescent green Pakistan jersey,Inzy coming to bat without a helmet and finally Javed Miandad with the white helmet standing out against his jersey, running of the field with the black caps stunned into silence.
Post 1992 world cup he became the mainstay of the Pakistan batting line up. Whenever he scored runs,Pakistan won. Credit for that also should go to his team mates- remember the test match against Bangladesh where was batting with the number 9 and 10 batsmen and won it from there?? You could credit him for being a good finisher- a tag which many of his contemporariesfailed to achieve.
There was also a comical side to him- whether it was intentional or unintentional only Inzy can say. I can never forget him bowling his left arm 'dibbly-dobblies' to Sachin at Singapore,it looked like he was asked to bowl to add some entertainment value to the match!! Then there was his standard speech as captain at the presentation ceremony-which led to the very famous joke about his wife expecting a baby.
The dark side of Inzy came out in the Sahara Cup and one Mr.Thind would vouch for that.Losing his cool after constantly being chided, Inzy picked up one of Sourav's bats and charged into the stands. It wasn't a very pretty sight and thanks to that he now has a criminal record in Canada.
One aspect of his career that Inzy would be proud of is the wins against India in India. I think he would be one of the most loved Pakistani cricketers on this side of the Wagah border. When in the 'zone' his massacres on the Indian attack caused heartbreak for a lot of Indian supporters but would have been a treat to watch for a neutral.
His last year as captain wasn't the greatest-the 2007 world cup being the lowest point . 17 years of non stop cricket culminating in a loss to Ireland and being knocked out of the world cup in the first round and the death of the Coach.Inzy's final test innings was a bit of an anticlimax. One big one away from being the highest run scorer for your country. Going for that big one against a newbee called Paul Harris and missing it completely. Not the kind of ending you would like to associate with Inzy, but i am sure he would be remembered more for the way he arrived than the way he departed.
The reception he got on the field from the South Africans and from his team mates is testimony to his greatness and his impact on the game.Unlike a lot of other Pakistani greats,he got a fitting farewell from his team and the PCB.
Here's to Inzy!!
October 2007 and March 1992 saw two defining moments in the in the life of one of the sons of Multan. The former saw him being given a hero's sendoff from his mates and the latter is what made the cricketing world stand up and take notice of him. The former took place thousands of miles away from the latter. Although the person involved in both the scenes was the same, the toll 17 years of cricket had taken on him was quite evident and he seemed to be a changed man.The Inzy who was having the New Zealand attack for breakfast,lunch and dinner and the Inzy who was stumped trying to smash his way into the record books in his final test innings were two totally different people.
In the 1992 world cup Inzy's timing was perfect(technically and literally),what better stage than a world cup semi final where you come into bat with the asking rate seemingly impossible to achieve and give a practical session of the Scorpions song-"here i am....rock you like a hurricane". The images are still fresh in my mind-the florescent green Pakistan jersey,Inzy coming to bat without a helmet and finally Javed Miandad with the white helmet standing out against his jersey, running of the field with the black caps stunned into silence.
Post 1992 world cup he became the mainstay of the Pakistan batting line up. Whenever he scored runs,Pakistan won. Credit for that also should go to his team mates- remember the test match against Bangladesh where was batting with the number 9 and 10 batsmen and won it from there?? You could credit him for being a good finisher- a tag which many of his contemporariesfailed to achieve.
There was also a comical side to him- whether it was intentional or unintentional only Inzy can say. I can never forget him bowling his left arm 'dibbly-dobblies' to Sachin at Singapore,it looked like he was asked to bowl to add some entertainment value to the match!! Then there was his standard speech as captain at the presentation ceremony-which led to the very famous joke about his wife expecting a baby.
The dark side of Inzy came out in the Sahara Cup and one Mr.Thind would vouch for that.Losing his cool after constantly being chided, Inzy picked up one of Sourav's bats and charged into the stands. It wasn't a very pretty sight and thanks to that he now has a criminal record in Canada.
One aspect of his career that Inzy would be proud of is the wins against India in India. I think he would be one of the most loved Pakistani cricketers on this side of the Wagah border. When in the 'zone' his massacres on the Indian attack caused heartbreak for a lot of Indian supporters but would have been a treat to watch for a neutral.
His last year as captain wasn't the greatest-the 2007 world cup being the lowest point . 17 years of non stop cricket culminating in a loss to Ireland and being knocked out of the world cup in the first round and the death of the Coach.Inzy's final test innings was a bit of an anticlimax. One big one away from being the highest run scorer for your country. Going for that big one against a newbee called Paul Harris and missing it completely. Not the kind of ending you would like to associate with Inzy, but i am sure he would be remembered more for the way he arrived than the way he departed.
The reception he got on the field from the South Africans and from his team mates is testimony to his greatness and his impact on the game.Unlike a lot of other Pakistani greats,he got a fitting farewell from his team and the PCB.
Here's to Inzy!!
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