Afridi-Pakistan cricket's Messiah and letter to Pakistani President- K. Abbasi

[The Outsider]

Shwetabh, you evil man, you beat me to it! Those were my exact same feelings when I read the article. Warriors? Afridi? WTF! Scary how similar our initial responses were.

Get writing! I can never dream of matching up to what you can churn out on this.:winky:

[CSK Fan]

Man, you know you are a genius, dont you? I hope you are in a line of work that makes use of your creative talents

[Bumper]

Much along expected lines. The beauty with Pakistani cricket is that you could almost predict everything about it. Its fortunes on the cricket field, its composition, fan reactions, post match tantrums, the next captain, the next set of openers and oflate, even the articles that are likely to show up the next morning. It is always the player who did not play in the most recent loss who is being badly missed. You couldnt organize chaos better even if the best architects in the world put their minds into it, in unison. There is nothing worse for Pakistani test cricket than the return of Afretard & Semi. These two take nincompoop-ence (if i may invent such a word), to the next level. Big heart, they say! One bats phaast, the other bowls phaast. But the results are just about the same. However, Mowgli, the jungle boy and Beast, the windmill are great entertainers though. I would not have had half as much fun following Pak cricket without these two.

[yoda]

I love his hair :hysterical: tdigi :hatsoff:

[CSK Fan]

I have posted the image you know where :--D

[Dhondy]

Shwetabh, I am perhaps stating the obvious when I say that Pakistan's cricket has always been India-centric. The requirement was that they had to beat India. It didn't matter that much if they lost occasionally to others, but not to India. It followed therefore that those who did well against India had to be rewarded handsomely. This policy is one reason why Pakistan now find themselves in such a predicament. Every man and his dog has known for years that Kamran Akmal is not fit for purpose as a Test wicketkeeper. But how do you drop a man who has 4 tons against India, three of them, at Mohali, Kolkata and Karachi scored in desperate situations, saving the side from utter humiliation, and once leading to an implausible win from 39 for 6, a situation not unlike the one Australia found themselves here. That reluctance to drop heroes forged in matches against India (or wars, as Abbasi would put it) also extended Afridi's career way beyond the point when he had stopped being useful in Tests for Pakistan. His 142 in what must be one of Pakistan's favourite memories, that 12-run victory at Chennai, ensured immortality...and immunity against selectorial censure. Misbah ul Haq owes his place in the current side solely to his two hundreds against India, the one at Kolkata scored in a back to wall situation with Kamran Akmal, rescuing their side from 150 for 5, chasing 616. Why else would Misbah be in this side? It did not matter to Pakistani selectors that sometimes these "services rendered" were not in Test matches against India. If you could do it in any form the game, you were a hero. Thus Shoaib Malik's myriad hundreds versus the old enemy had to be rewarded with national captaincy...of the Test side. It mattered little that he was the wrong man in the wrong role and couldn't buy a run outside the subcontinent. All irrelevant. It's not that Indian selectors are not prone to such foibles. However, unlike their Pakistani counterparts, their approach is Australia-centred. Nothing else would explain Bhajji's uninterrupted stay in the Test side and near monopoly on the spinner's berth. But perhaps it is a lesser crime to judge your players (troops, Abbasi?) by their achievements against the best side in the world, as Laxman fans would testify. Pakistan's quagmire is therefore of their own making. Several players in those eleven routs by Oz were India specialists...but not fit for purpose against Australia. Will they learn? Certainly, going by the ranting of Abbasi, it would not appear so. He shares the same lack of insight that blights the selectors he is bagging here.

[vvvslaxman]

That is correct. They value importance of performance against India. We also value. But if they fail against others we drop. Look at Rohit Sharma. He has done reasonably well against Pakistan. But we don't really keep him for that.

[The Outsider]

Interesting angle, Dhondy! Kamran Akmal has been a disaster waiting to happen for years - it's just that he would score some runs occasionally and a lot of his drops came in the first innings or in heavy losses where they were glossed over. This one has got to hurt - magnified by the manner in which Channel 9 kept rubbing it in till kingdom came! I just went back to his blog site and read some of the comments there - it's the same muck. Bring back Javed Miandad as batting coach, Afridi for captain in tests comparing him to Kallis, bring in Hassan Raza. I bet when I visit it later in the evening people will be quoting Afridi's and Miandad's test averages to justify their comebacks I can understand a lot of this from the average fan - I bet India has it's fair share though not to that extent. What is a freaking medical doctor and supposed cricket expert doing writing this Afridi, the warrior, and Asif, the terrier lingo!

[The Outsider]

So looks like Shahid Afridi, Abdur Razzaq, Rana Naved, Sarfraz Ahmed have been called up for the third test. There are other dangerous tailunts waiting in the wings like Ghumman, Jhumman, Mazzaq, Wahab, Talha, Walha, Shehzaad. Just listening to all their names sends the tremors in my spine thinking how world cricket is about to be conquered. In fact those names sound so dangerous that I wonder what these guys are doing playing cricket - Taliban would disarm immediately if they are sent over with their weaker names like Ali, Azhar, and Osama.

[Sachinism]

If Pakistan cricket in trouble then go back to an old, tried, test and failed method

[Dhondy]

So looks like Shahid Afridi' date=' Abdur Razzaq, Rana Naved, Sarfraz Ahmed have been called up for the third test. [/quote'] Dear Christ in Heaven! I'm struck speechless! Do these guys realise they are behaving like some kind of mafia warlords handing out punishment?

[vvvslaxman]

What happened to their "under-19(21-29)" team players?

[Dhondy]

What else can you expect from fans who feel that a guy averaging 0.50 against Australia this decade should make the all-comers XI ahead of Tendulkar?:hysterical:

[The Outsider]

I bet when I visit it later in the evening people will be quoting Afridi's and Miandad's test averages to justify their comebacks

Here you go :

Posted by: Ghazanfar Abbas at January 6, 2010 4:56 PM I absolutely agree will Mr Kamran. I think the selectors are simply being careless and overlooking Afridi for the test squad. Afridi has a very good track record in tests. Being a die hard fan of Afridi I went through statistics, which prove that the averages for the first 30 test matches of batting greats like Lara, Sehwag and Tendulkar, were lower than that of Afridi.

And as a cherry on the cake :

Posted by: Imran Aziz at January 6, 2010 4:57 PM Asslamuallikum to all Muslim brothers.The problem lies not in winning or losing a match,it lies in our attachment with the game.We should take it as a game,nor taking it as our life and death issue.I remind my self saying of our beloved prophet(may peace be upon him) that success will be granted to those who are honest and failure to those who are dishonest.we are Muslims and Muslims have something more to do.If a non Muslim do cheating he might not be punished in this world but if a Muslim cheat,failure is his fate no matter how much hard work he will do.Faisal Iqbal edged a delivery in the first innings,he should have walked of the field,but he didn't.And i am sure no one in the Pakistani camp had criticized him for doing that.As a result Pakistan lost the match.Same in galle cricket stadium in Sirilanka,Mohammad Yousuf was on 54 and he edged a delivery and was caught,umpire didn't given him out,and he stayed and didn't walked,the target was easy but Pakistan lost the match

[Guest Hiten.]

Posted by: Imran Aziz at January 6, 2010 4:57 PM

Asslamuallikum to all Muslim brothers.The problem lies not in winning or losing a match,it lies in our attachment with the game.We should take it as a game,nor taking it as our life and death issue.I remind my self saying of our beloved prophet(may peace be upon him) that success will be granted to those who are honest and failure to those who are dishonest.we are Muslims and Muslims have something more to do.If a non Muslim do cheating he might not be punished in this world but if a Muslim cheat,failure is his fate no matter how much hard work he will do.Faisal Iqbal edged a delivery in the first innings,he should have walked of the field,but he didn't.And i am sure no one in the Pakistani camp had criticized him for doing that.As a result Pakistan lost the match.Same in galle cricket stadium in Sirilanka,Mohammad Yousuf was on 54 and he edged a delivery and was caught,umpire didn't given him out,and he stayed and didn't walked,the target was easy but Pakistan lost the match

:WTF: How the **** did Kamran approve that post in the first place ?

[Bumper]

Excellent insight there Dhondy! It is very true how we make heros and zeros out of players based on their performances against countries we love to beat.

So looks like Shahid Afridi, Abdur Razzaq, Rana Naved, Sarfraz Ahmed have been called up for the third test. There are other dangerous tailunts waiting in the wings like Ghumman, Jhumman, Mazzaq, Wahab, Talha, Walha, Shehzaad. Just listening to all their names sends the tremors in my spine thinking how world cricket is about to be conquered. In fact those names sound so dangerous that I wonder what these guys are doing playing cricket - Taliban would disarm immediately if they are sent over with their weaker names like Ali, Azhar, and Osama.

Looks like normal service is over, premium service has resumed :-) Overreaction, vindictiveness and living in denial are an inherent part of Pakistani culture. These retarded fools masquerading as cricket administrators have no idea how to groom players. They get lucky once in a while & unearth an Aamer, Asif or Umar. But predominantly most of their decisions are cr@p. If you are a hero you can cheat, tamper with the ball, resort to drugs -- no problem. PCB will gleefully protect you. If you happen to lose a test match like this, heads must roll. I always wondered why Pakistan loses test matches by huge margins. I think i got the answer. The 170 odd run defeat at the MCG just invoked a customary shake of the head, disapproval from the PCB & fans. Younis Khan wasnt required, as Faisal & Misbah were doing a good enough job. A 36 run defeat here & all of a sudden, heads roll. Its almost as if the incentives in their system are built to lose heavily.

[EnterTheVoid]

They sound like a tribe stuck in stone age with their warriors sharpening their arrows and praying to the moon while the rest of the world has moved on to drones and nuclear bombs

:hysterical: And to think fans exert so much effort in following this dribble. How can anyone have confidence in this team when the team don't have confidence in themselves.

[Anakin]

How I would love to see Afraidi captaining in the tests

[coffee_rules]

Pakistan rush Sarfraz Ahmed to Australia - report Cricinfo staff January 6, 2010 Kamran Akmal's poor showing behind the stumps for Pakistan during the second Test in Sydney has prompted the selectors to rush promising wicketkeeper Sarfraz Ahmed to Australia ahead of the third Test in Hobart, PTI has reported. "The call up has come as a pleasant surprise and if I get a chance to play I will do my best for my country", the agency quoted Sarfraz as saying before flying out of Karachi. The third Test, a dead rubber, begins on January 14. Akmal had a torrid time behind the stumps on day three of the second Test, dropping Michael Hussey three times off Danish Kaneria and missing a run-out chance earlier in the day. Hussey went on to score an unbeaten 134 and helped stretched Australia's lead from 80 - at the end of the third day - to 175. Pakistan were the favourites to win on the fourth day but collapsed to 139 and lost the match, by 36 runs, and the series. Sarfraz had toured New Zealand recently as an understudy to Akmal but was sent back home before the team headed to Australia, because the selectors wanted to trim the squad. Sarfraz, who has played eight ODIs for Pakistan, had replaced Akmal for the 2008 Asia Cup. Akmal has since been the first choice wicketkeeper and was even publicly backed by his captain Mohammad Yousuf during the Sydney Test because of his abilities as a batsman. --------------------------------------------------- :rotfl: He was a understudy to Akmal. I hope Akmal has imparted his gainful knowledge in wicketkeeping to young Sarfaraz.

[EnterTheVoid]

On the far left corner of Tdigi's pic, theres a donkey. Nice touch.