Pakistan made an inauspicious start to their West Indies Tour, losing their first T20 game against a spirited, new look West Indian team. The Windies have injected new blood into their side. The leg-spinner Bishoo was impressive with four wickets. Leg spinners are proven match winners in the shorter forms of the game, because of the variety of spins they can apply on the ball. Although occasionally they are carted for runs, the fact that they are wicket-takers means that they can significantly influence the course of a match. Shahid Afridi has delivered splendidly for Pakistan in this role. And then we have the excellent Abdul Rehman and Saeed Ajmal, the latter being able to bowl the doosra. Rehman, with his sharp spin and changes of pace, is the ideal bowler for ODIs and T20s. Perhaps there could be a need for a specialist leggie like Kaneria, in spite of his fielding shortcomings.
The West Indies batsmen flattered in the early stages only to deceive after Simmons had scored a quick fire half century. Darren Bravo also chipped in but the rest of the innings was the same old story, the middle and the tail failing all too often. Pakistan’s batting was anchored by Umar Akmal. The rest of the batsmen never looked like playing a long innings. This is worrying for Pakistan and the management has to make them realize that in ODIs and even in T20s, the batsman has to craft an innings. It is not an out and out slog. Pakistan and the West Indies now a play a five game ODI series – the first of which would just have finished by the time you read these lines. Pakistan’s bowling, with its superior pace and spin, ought to carry the day, if the batsmen can scrape together enough runs. As they grow accustomed to the West Indies conditions, their performances should improve, especially as the ODIs will give them a better chance to get set.
The World Cup controversies refuse to die down. People are coming out with SMS messages and Facebook pages in which the results of matches, including our semi final are laid out in amazing detail…before the matches. What does one make of this? Has cricket been reduced to tongue in the cheek, wrestling matches? The jury is still out on this. What is surprising is that the PCB has accepted a semifinal position as a good result. That should be fine and dandy. But even had Pakistan won the Cup, the oddly structured chase against India should have been grounds for an inquiry. The chase was so badly planned and so much time was wasted needlessly that it has raised eyebrows. Would it have been better, in the later stages, to throw caution to the wind and go for a win rather than be strangled to a certain loss as was the case? Obviously, the first option would have been more desirable.
Then there was the controversy of the power play. Why was the management not involved more in the decision making on the field? In baseball, every pitching and hitting decision is controlled by the coaches through an intricate coded signaling system. Batters are told which ball to hit and where. Pitchers are told where to place the ball. While in cricket, there sits the coach and the manager, perusing their finger nails. There is a case for more influence over on-field decision making from the objectivity and detachment of the pavilion. Of Nadal, Ferrer and Indo-Pak Express: The summer clay season on the international tennis calendar is well under way. In the absence of Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal had everything his own way in Monte Carlo. He came through easily although a resurgent Andy Murray did win a set before being swamped in the decider. Roger Federer was upended early by Jurgen Melzer, leaving the draw open for the doughty David Ferrer to continue his good season.
Although beaten in straight sets in the final by good fiend Nadal, Ferrer will be a force to reckon with in the tournaments leading up to the French Open, especially if draws are laid open by upsets. An immensely strong player with the playing style of a bull terrier, Ferrer has threatened in a few Masters events, as well as the Grand Slams. He will certainly be a contender at Roland Garros. But the favourite at the French Open will be Novak Djokovic. He is unbeaten this year and has displayed a combination of technique, temperament and speed that has proved too much for everyone else, including Nadal. His game matches up well with Nadal, because his two handed backhand neutralizes the high kicking Nadal forehand, something that has been so difficult for Federer to handle.
Were Federer to return Nadal’s forehand with a slice backhand, he would have two advantages. He would be taking the ball as it is rising, thus generating its own pace, rather than on the drop with his top spin backhand, where he would be deeper into the court and would be giving Nadal time and space, a decisive advantage. Also, Federer’s slice would stay low, would not have much pace and would rush Nadal, making him dig up a slow, low ball. But now, the players are no longer afraid of Federer and that is half the game. His best chance would be at Wimbledon. The French is a bridge too far.
The Indo-Pak Express, Aisam Qureshi and Rohan Bopanna, have been a regular feature in the doubles draws. They have done reasonably reasonably well on the American hard court season. At Monte Carlo, they defeated Max Mirnyi and Daniel Nestor convincingly, yet they have not fulfilled the promise after their heroics at the US Open. Clay should not be their favourite surface, as the slow courts dull their powerful serves, leaving them vulnerable to the strong returners.
In Barcelona as well, they went out early, losing to a couple of clay-courters. The pairing should be looking forward to finishing the clay court season on a strong note at the French Open. They should then build on this momentum on the grass tournaments of England, culminating in Wimbledon. If they were to consider their best chance of winning a major, it would be at Wimbledon.
