Sports This Week –
Every few years, there happens in cricket, what can best be described as a “perfect storm”. It is a combination of ideal conditions coupled with a batsman or a bowler in “the zone” allied with a not so hostile opposition.
In the past one had heard of Don Bradman’s triple hundred in one day, although most of Bradman’s career could be termed a perfect storm. We hear of Stan McCabe’s big hundred against England in 1938. Then there was Jim Laker’s stupendous 19 wickets in a match against Australia, a record which could not possibly be broken. Hanif’s sixteen hour knock in 1958 against the West Indies, although glacial by present standards, should qualify.
In ODIs, the game between South Africa and Australia, where the South Africans chased down 438 was a perfect example. And then, last Thursday, it was Virendar Sehwag who broke Sachin Tendulkar’s ODI batting record. He took full advantage of a placid track, friendly bowling and short boundaries to hit 219 in 47 overs. Had he batted the full complement of 50 overs, there is no telling how much he would have scored. Sehwag scored over 150 of his runs in boundaries. There came a time in his innings when bowlers started shying away and bowling wides just to escape the onslaught.
It would not be an exaggeration to say that Sehwag is a more destructive batsman than Tendulkar. Their batting averages are quite similar, with Tendulkar having scored many more runs because of his longer career. But the sheer demoralizing effect of a Sehwag onslaught is something Tendulkar cannot approach and it is a moot point as to which batsman has influenced more matches with his presence at the crease. Sehwag’s two triple hundreds in Test cricket, compiled at a blazing pace testify to his ability to stay at the crease for extended periods. He must surely be one of the all time great batsmen.
What strikes one the most about Sehwag’s batting is the freedom with which he goes about it. There are no fidgety pre-delivery routines, no sign of nerves. Not much hint of footwork or keeping bat and pad together. He realizes that there is no time to think at the crease and every shot is a pre-programmed response, so he keeps the mind clear of any thought process whatsoever. When everything is in place, the results can be devastating as the West Indies discovered on Thursday.
Life tough for Bangladesh
The hapless Bangladesh cricketers are continuing to find life tough at the crease against the Pakistan bowling attack. In the first Test, with the spinners and the pacers firing on all cylinders, the home batsmen were soon hopping around searching for the ball and the results were predictable.
Umar Gul is a true professional, with a perfect bowling action which gives him consummate command over line and length. Aizaz Cheema has been a great find. He is not too tall but makes up for it with an aggressive attitude and the ability to keep the seam steady. As a result, his deliveries seam consistently, making him a handful regardless of prevailing conditions. Moreover, his fastest deliveries are over the 140 mark which is the benchmark of a fast bowler as opposed to medium fast. Backing them up are some of the finest spinners in the game with Saeed Ajmal leading the way. Ata ur Rehman and Mohammad Hafeez are no slouches either.
As the batting starts to mature and the fielders begin to be more confident in their catching, this team will gel into an outstanding side. The only factor that could hinder this is if the management resorts to too much hopping and changing.
Champions Trophy crash
Asian Champions Pakistan have crashed out of the hockey Champions’ Trophy in New Zealand, losing all their group matches to England, Spain and Australia. They salvaged a bit of pride with a win over South Korea in the matches for the lower positions. Our hockey has done quite well lately, having won the Asian Games title, but this was a bit of a letdown. Our boys were simply outclassed by the excellent Aussies led by their striker Jamie Dwyer. The other losses were, however, contrary to expectations. Ever since the hockey surface moved from natural grass to artificial turf, our players have been at a disadvantage against the fast and strong European sides. Dribbling has been replaced by fast passing and sheer athleticism, something at which the Australians excel. The lack of artificial turfs in Pakistan is a big drawback. It is said that Amsterdam has many times more synthetic turfs than all of Pakistan combined. There are factories in Pakistan which have told this scribe that they have the ability to make this type of product. The raw material is available on the international market, so it could not be rocket science to knit the nylon into a synthetic turf. Countries like nearby Iran are making such turf so that would be another option. Clearly some out of the box thinking is required.
Perfect storm in Pak football?
The one big issue with hockey is that it has not caught the imagination of the general public as cricket or football have. Football has a huge following in Pakistan with the youth following the British and Italian leagues passionately. At our sports club in Islamabad, the synthetic ground, made for hockey, is booked solid days in advance for football. Hockey has never been played there.
There is a groundswell of enthusiasm for football in Pakistan, with a telecom company sponsoring Manchester United matches and activity. All it requires is a world class player to emerge and perhaps we will have a “perfect storm” in football in Pakistan.
But let’s not get our hopes up too high. Sport promotion these days is a highly technical management activity and we are not known for good management in any field including the running of the nation. Big business has to step in and bring its managerial skills and deep pockets to organise football leagues. But they will only step in when they see commercial benefit. So its a bit of a chicken and egg situation.
Rafa, the difference
Spain won the Davis Cup for the fourth time, defeating Argentina reasonably comfortably. Rafael Nadal was the difference as he won both singles matches. The Argentinians won the doubles and had hopes of winning had Del Potro upset Nadal. Del Potro has a good record against Nadal and proceeded to run through the first set. But Nadal’s relentless retrieving eventually hooked the giant Argentinian and reeled him in for the victory. Had Del Potro won, Argentina would probably have used David Nalbandian against David Ferrer in the final rubber. Nalbandian, a consummate stroke maker, would have fancied his chances had the tie gone the distance.