ALL BASES COVERED – The previous week has witnessed some major sporting convulsions; Pakistan making a mockery of England’s number one ranking was one of them. Then there were massive local rivalries that concluded on both ends of the status quo in Spanish football and the NBA. Meanwhile the chasing pack is vying to change the monopoly over majors of the top three ranked players in tennis.
PAKISTAN OVERPOWER THE BEST
The monotonous landslide in Dubai, that saw Pakistan outmaneuver the English side in every possible way culminated an 18 month search for redemption for Pakistan. Having a 1-0 lead might not be decisive as far as the series is concerned but the overpowering performance, against the world’s best, has completed the transformation of our cricket side – from being the butt of global scorn to now being a veritable cricketing power. The fact that the zenith of our recent past has been traced against the side against whom we located our nadir in an unceremonious summer of 2010 is truly the icing on the cake. All the same, we must guard against complacency – something that captain Misbah-ul-Haq has been keen on ensuring – because England is too good a side to perform as wretchedly again. And yes, labeling the English performance as ‘wretched’ is incredibly generous on the part of this writer.
Being on the receiving end of a 10-wicket bashing flattered England to be honest; had their tail not wagged in both the innings they would’ve had been staring down the barrel of an innings and 200 odd run mauling. To be fair, the English bowlers did a reasonable job, and toiled hard on a not-so-conducive wicket. But their batting left a lot to be desired (generosity again); and it’s hard to envisage a formidable lineup putting up similar shifts in the next two matches. However, one should take nothing away from Pakistan who stuck to their game plan, and executed it masterfully. The triumph against England is the biggest coup that the Pakistani side has conjured up in the realm of test cricket for many a year.
Whilst it was a genuine team performance, there are two individuals that stand out – two talismanic figures that have been the vanguards of Pakistan cricket’s resurgence over the past year or so. While Misbah-ul-Haq the batsman has been a dependable wall throughout this transformation, it’s Misbah-ul-Haq the captain that has possibly been the best thing to happen to Pakistan cricket for over a decade. It’s the off-field stability and the dressing room harmony, that Misbah has synthesized, that has resulted in the on-field metamorphosis of a team that was shrouded by scandals not so long ago. Then there is Saeed Ajmal – the man of the match at Dubai; a top three bowler in all three cricketing formats – who has evolved into the best spinner – if not the best bowler – in world cricket during the same time span.
Lesser mortals would have succumbed to the disparagement following St Lucia 2010 and Mohali 2011, but the fact that the respective careers of Ajmal and Misbah picked up after these demoralising lows, speaks volumes about their mettle and resolve – the two characteristics, that despite having all the cricketing talent in the world, Pakistani players have failed to put on show, especially in the current millennium. If the team can continue to showcase this mental fortitude and grit, we’ll continue to climb up the pecking order in cricket.
CHALLENGING THE TOP THREE
The top three in men’s tennis; Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer combine for a mammoth 30 Grand Slam titles between them. In fact, over the past seven years since the Australian Open in 2005, there has only been a single major title which has not been won by someone called Djokovic, Nadal or Federer – Del Potro’s US Open triumph in 2009 being the sole anomaly. While it’s Federer and Nadal who have the biggest shares of the pie – amassing 26 of the aforementioned 30 majors – it is Djokovic who is the current man to beat, winning three of the four majors last year amongst scores of other titles. Having to compete with one of them would have been a gargantuan task; but now with three humongous mountains to climb to reach promised land, the chasing pack are clutching at straws to trace any inkling of optimism.
Of the men striving to change the status quo in tennis and break their respective Grand Slam noughts it’s Andy Murray’s name that inevitably stands at the head of the queue. Murray’s “so close yet so far” exploits in majors have been well documented, not only in this column but any piece of tennis literature that the readers might get their hands on. Now with Ivan Lendl pulling the strings attached to the Scott’s neurons, things might finally come together for the world number four – since the Czech has his own final hurdle melancholies to share with Murray. Murray is on collision course with the current favourite Djokovic for a semi final showdown, and if the two meet it could be an ideal opportunity for the Lendl-Murray team to assess themselves against the very best in the world.
Nevertheless, the Muhammad Ali of tennis, Jo-Wilfred Tsonga might lie in the wait for Andy Murray in the quarters, and the Frenchman has his own duck breaking to do at the biggest stage in tennis. If matters go according to seeding, Murray versus Tsonga would be the pick of the quarters, and one that Djokovic will be on the watch out for.
REAL IN BARCA’S POCKET
Spanish champions Barcelona again came from behind to give their archenemy the proverbial hand gesture in the shape of a 2-1 triumph at the Santiago Bernabeu in the first leg of the Copa Del Rey quarter final. Barca would now be the overwhelming favourites to progress into the semis with the second leg due at the Nou Camp in the coming week – which would be the 1875421st El-Classico being played out in the last year or so. Real Madrid have now won 22 of the last 24 games in all competitions and much to the agony of the Madrid faithful the two losses have come at the hands of Barcelona. Mourinho has tried everything to curtail Barcelona’s hegemony over El-Classico – deploying three holding midfielders to disturb the Catalan side’s possession play in the latest edition for example – but he is failing to do one over the archrivals, which has resulted in three home defeats for Real against Barca in the past 12 months. Even with a five point lead over the European champions in La Liga and being in the last 16 of the Champions League, Madrid’s season is on the verge of disintegration. Nonetheless, despite the hullabaloo surrounding the game every single time, the scribe believes that El-Classico is an overhyped, overblown, over-politicised footballing show in an undoubtedly skewed league anyway – for genuine passion and rivalry the Old Firm derby beats El-Classico any day.
CHANGE OF GUARD IN L.A?
The Clippers took a massive step in the right direction by overcoming their Los Angeles rivals Lakers last Sunday 102-94 at the Staples Center arena, as the former continues its quest of coming out of the shadows of the latter. Chris Paul had a big game with 33 points, six assists and three steals with Blake Griffin providing able support with 22 points and 14 rebounds. Kobe Bryant had a huge game for the Lakers with 42 points, but it wasn’t good enough to save his side from a momentous defeat – that ended the 16-time NBA Champions’ five game winning streak. Lakers had won 16 of the past 22 meetings and three of the four games last season, but with Chris Paul coming to the fore, the Clippers look a formidable unit this year. Heading into Sunday’s conquest Paul averaged 16.1 points and 8.8 assists per game, and the all-star guard is the one being touted as the defining factor that can turn the tilted intra-city rivalry finally in the Clippers’ favour and making his side a force in the NBA, after having spent ages lurking in periphery of the league and under the apparition of their illustrious neighbours. And if the Chauncey Billups inspired 91-89 win over defending Champions Dallas Mavericks is anything to go by, it’s not only the Lakers that need to be wary of the Clippers’ resurgence.
