Preview to the India tour of South Africa.

After winning the Test series at home against Sri Lanka last November and dethroning South Africa of the top perch in the Tests, the Indian Test team has continued to play some consistent and fearless cricket over the last twelve months. It was indeed a remarkable effort by the Test team to attain the number one status, but let’s not forget, maintaining the number one status is a herculean task and far more difficult than actually aspiring for the top spot. But the manner, in which the Indian team has gone about maintaining their top position in Test cricket, goes to show the confidence and enormous self-belief that they are playing with. The team has won 12 Test matches and lost just two out of the 23 Matches they have played over the last two years. It’s a staggering record to say the least.

Despite having such an incredible run in the Tests, many cricket pundits and fanatics are baffled and are not entirely convinced over India’s numero uno position in the Tests. They have also expressed their disagreement with ICC ratings, stating, that despite being unable to win a Test series either in Australia or South Africa, how India can be rated as the top Test team. Although, team India has done reasonably well in Australia over the last few tours, the same cannot be said about its success when it comes to touring South Africa. Judging by its record in South Africa, one can say, it’s not been a happy hunting country for the Indians.

HISTORY:
India in South Africa - 1992/93.

The Indian team travelled for its maiden tour to the Rainbow Nation in the year 1992, after the Proteas were readmitted into international cricket. The result though, did not go in India’s favor, as the South Africans stamped their authority on the Indians by beating them 1-0 in the Tests and 5-2 in the one-day internationals. The seamer-friendly conditions clearly disconcerted the Indian batting line-up and runs were hard to come by for the batsmen, which resulted in their undoing. The Indians after their debut tour, visited South Africa on three other occasions. Sadly, history repeated itself, as the Indians were absolutely overwhelmed by the Proteas in both the formats. On their last tour to South Africa in 2006/07, The Indians once again got off to a dismal start, as they were whitewashed 4-0 in the one-day series. But the Indians showed great character and bounced back in style with a victory in the first Test match at Johannesburg, thereby, ensuring that they registered their first ever Test win on South African soil. This tenacious comeback was due to an intoxicating opening spell of fast bowling by Sreesanth, who with his prodigious swing left the South African batting in tatters. But despite being in the driver’s seat, Indians inexplicably let the home team to get back into the series, by lifting their foot off the accelerator. The end result, India lost the series 1-2. This was a major disappointment, as the team once again returned having lost the series.

Team India’s strengths:

Yes, India’s record in South Africa is not outstanding by any stretch of imagination, but be that as it may, it still has all the firepower to conquer the Proteas in their own den. The current Indian team with the dazzling talent and experience at their disposal has a golden opportunity to turn the screws on South Africa this December.

India are playing impeccable and ruthless cricket at the moment, and the players are in terrific shape to tour South Africa. Unlike the previous touring squads, this squad has a nice blend of youth and experience. The players are extremely hungry for success and are desperate to make a strong statement to the cricketing world. With the youngsters coming through the ranks, the intensity and the pace in which the team plays has certainly gone up. It is a cohesive unit and they are playing like a family which is very pleasing to see. They also have a shrewd leader in M.S.Dhoni, who leads from the front and comes across as an individual who shoulders his responsibility to the very best. Above all, the never-say-die attitude of the players in the squad makes this team quite a formidable force to reckon with. Considering the above factors, it wouldn’t be an overstatement to say that, this is the best Indian team which will be touring South Africa.

A Glance at South Africa:

Meanwhile, the Proteas too, are playing some tough cricket at the moment. Before losing their top spot to India, they too were going through a purple patch in Test cricket. There climb to the top spot was largely due to their impressive showing in England, Pakistan and Australia. Unfortunately, they could not sustain the number one ranking after having lost their home series to a very potent English side. With that being said, the South Africans are also in a bit of rebuilding phase. They along with India and England are blessed with a lot of talented youngsters coming into their team. The arrival of Hashim Amla and the versatile AB de Villiers has considerably bolstered their batting line-up. Hashim and AB have both taken the onus upon themselves to navigate their teams batting. On the other hand, their bowling is arguably the best bowling attack in the world at the moment. Dale Steyn, who for the last two years in succession has been rated as the top ICC bowler in the world is sending shivers down the opposition batsmen’s spine. With his fiery pace and his ability to move the ball both ways makes him quite a tough customer to handle. To support his outburst, he has the company of Morne Morkel and Wayne Parnell, who have also managed to grab wickets at regular intervals. These three are capable of running through any side in their home conditions. So, India’s success will depend much on how the Indian batters negotiate the South African bowlers.


Yes, India thus far has not had a very celebrated tour to South Africa. But, given the current form and the balance of the team, it wouldn’t be a surprise if India pulls off a series victory in the longer as well as the shorter version of the game. The batters no doubt, have to pile on the runs, but they also need support from the bowlers, especially from the quickermen. The fast bowlers need to make full use of the conducive conditions and try making in-roads into the South African batting. As far as the batting goes, there are plenty of experienced batsmen, who have been to South Africa before and of course, there are those young batsmen who have played a lot of IPL and Champions League cricket in South Africa in the recent past. This experience will certainly help them adapt and play better. The Indian team also, has Gary Kirsten as their coach, who will provide the necessary inputs based on his experience of playing in South Africa. Remember, ever since Gary was roped in by the BCCI to coach the team, it has gone on to achieve success in the longer format of the game. So, in all fairness, India can’t ask for more. The situation is tailor-made for the team to travel to South Africa and avenge their previous defeats.


Irrespective of what happens in the series, Test cricket fans are in stored for a treat, as the four big giants of Test cricket will do battle in two corners of the world. While India will be looking forward to winning the series in South Africa and justifying their number one ranking in the Tests. Australia will be desperate to regain The Ashes when they lock horns against the Englishmen. Undoubtedly, these two high-profile series will be a perfect way to market Test cricket to the world.

Is the Indian batting wall cracking?

You generally don’t associate scores of 18, 44, 3, 23, and 7 with Rahul Dravid in any form of cricket, and it’s all the more shocking to know that these low scores have come in the Test matches. The numbers above indicate the runs scored by Dravid in the last five Test innings that he has played. For a man whose batting revolved and evolved around consistency all throughout his career, these figures don’t make good reading. And as a result of these low scores many experts and fanatics have started to question Dravid’s place in the Indian Test squad, and are voicing their opinion to see him being replaced by a young blood.

Dravid since making his debut in England at Lords in the English summer of 96, where he made an impressive start to his Test career with a brilliant 95, has not looked back, and has always gone from strength to strength as far as the longest format of the game is concerned. Like the current low phase, Dravid went through a lean patch at the end of 2008, when the Aussies and the English toured India, with the scores of 11, 11, 0, 3, 3, and 4. Yes, it’s quite normal for any batsmen or for any sportsmen to go through a low phase in their career. But, in Rahul’s case he is going through a bad phase just at the fag end of his career, and let’s face it he is not getting any younger. So, keeping all these factors in mind, many people are doubting his ability to bounce back and get amongst the runs.

Now let’s look ahead to what factors might have contributed to his downfall?

After watching Dravid struggle to score runs in the series against Sri Lanka, one could make out that, he was clearly short of match practice. Batting well in the nets is alright, but what matters is, how one fares out in the middle. It’s not very easy for any professional cricketer to just come into the team and start flourishing right from the word go. Mind you Dravid has had a pretty long lay-off, before coming into the Tests, as these days he is not a part of the limited over format set up of team India.
So, it is understandable, that Dravid would take some time to get into the groove.
His dismissals in the Tests showed that he wasn’t reacting quickly and was more often than not late on the ball, which led to his demise. This is certainly not the Rahul Dravid of the yesteryears. And one wonders, whether the Indian batting wall has started to crack?

But having said all that, it would be foolish to write off the man of Dravid’s caliber, he has done it all in the past, and can certainly repeat his heroics in the future. Let’s just go down the memory lane and look at his outstanding feats in Test cricket.
Who can forget the number of matches he has won for the team? The number of series he has won, both home and away.

There are some special innings that stand out in people’s memory. Straight away, the innings played at the Eden Garden in Kolkata in the year 2001 comes to mind, he featured in an epic partnership of 376 runs with VVS Laxman, and ended up scoring 180. When the Indians were dead and buried against the Australians, and by the virtue of his and Laxman’s contribution India ended up registering a famous win against the Aussies.

Rahul played another brilliant innings in the second Test at Adelaide in the year 2004, He scored a massive 233 in the first innings, and then followed it up with 72 runs in the second, his first innings contribution was largely responsible for India’s memorable win against the Aussies.

The words determined, courageous, and tenacious perhaps best describe Dravid. And all these three attributes to his batting was exuded, when the Indian team travelled to England in 2007. After having lost the Test match at Lords, India drew the second Test, and was desperate to win the third Test at Leeds. On a seamer friendly pitch, with overcast conditions, the English bowlers were looking to make serious in-roads into the Indian bating line-up, and they managed to get rid of Sehwag early, and then came Dravid, who rose to the occasion by scoring a brilliant 148 under extreme circumstances, thus enabling India to pile on a massive total and beating the English by an innings. This magnanimous effort by Rahul also earned him the man of the match.

Indian batting over the last decade has much depended around the likes of Tendulkar, Ganguly, Dravid and Laxman. And these legendary players will definitely go down as one of the best batsmen to have played cricket for India. And these batsmen made it almost impossible, for the other batters to sneak into the squad, largely due to their performance and also reputation. Yes, these players did hit a lean patch at some point, but the selectors were not very brave enough to replace them abruptly. The selectors did persist with these batsmen as long as they could. But then, with Ganguly’s dip in form, they had no option but to give Yuvraj a chance to prove his credentials to all. But the strong character that Sourav was, he made it into the team with some strong performances in domestic cricket, and then ended his Test career on his own terms, even when he was amongst the runs.

Similarly, Dravid too now is feeling the heat, as there are a whole bunch of outrageously talented Indian batsmen waiting in the wings. There are a lot of young and promising batsmen who are looking forward to cementing their place in the Indian Test squad. The likes of Suresh Raina, and Yuvraj Singh are already in the scheme of things, but the likes of Rohit Sharma, Ajinkya Rahane, Manoj Tiwary and Virat Kohli are still trying to make an appearance in the Test squad. All these players have already made it into the Indian one day setup, and have drawn a lot of attention. But, the one name that is often being discussed as an ideal replacement for Dravid , is of Cheteshwar Pujara of Saurashtra who has been doing exceedingly well in first class cricket.
Cheteshwar Pujara is arguably one of the most promising young batsman in India today, he has been consistently knocking at the doors of Test cricket for quite some time now.

His technique is classical, looks compact at the crease and is strong on both sides of the wicket. He was also one of the top run-getters in the 2007-08 Ranji Trophy season, Pujara also, signed a lucrative deal with the IPL franchisee Kolkata Knight Riders in March 2008. In October he was picked for the Challenger Trophy and later scored two triple- centuries for Saurashtra in the under-22 tournament. He followed this performance, with another triple-hundred against Orissa in the 2008-09 Ranji Trophy season.

The Saurashtra player had a very fruitful tour of England and Scotland recently, not only as a player but also as a captain of the India ‘A’ team. He scored a double century 208 not out against the West Indies ‘A’ in a Test.
Many experts were miffed with Yuvraj’s selection ahead of Pujara, and strongly felt that Pujara should have been in the touring party to Sri Lanka, after his consistent performance at the first class level.

Another batsman not so young in Subramaniam Badrinath is also, trying to make his way into the team. Badrinath has been the main stay of Tamil-Nadu batting since some years now after scoring heavily for them in the domestic circuit. Badrninath too, has been waiting for an opportunity to establish himself in the Indian Test squad, he was initially selected in the squad for the home series against Australia in 2008, but did not make his debut, he was finally given a chance to debut against the visiting South Africans, unfortunately he did not do too well to impress the selectors to keep his place in the team.

So, one has to wait and see whether he will be given another chance to prove himself.
The Indian team is lined up to play eight Tests before going into the World cup, with Australia arriving for two Tests at home and the Kiwis will follow for another two Tests, but the Indian tour to South Africa for the three Tests is certainly going to be the most demanding task, as it will test the Indian batting. Ideally one would like to have batsmen of Dravid’s stature in the team, on a tough tour. As, we all know he thrives on such situations. So, will the selectors be brave enough to ignore Dravid for the upcoming Tests series? Well, one wouldn’t think so, but if they do it will be at their own peril.

The dilemma for the selectors is that, all the youngsters are consistently performing at the first class level and some have even made it to the one day squad, so the selectors might just feel that the time is appropriate to give the youngsters a chance to represent the Indian team in the longer version of the game.
The predicament doesn’t end there for the selectors, as there is stiff competition amongst the youngsters. This is giving the selectors a bit of a headache in making a choice. But this is indeed a very good sign for the future of Indian batting, that a whole bunch of talented cricketers are coming through the ranks.

Future of Sri Lankan spin bowling looks bright with Mendis, Herath and Randiv.

So, the greatest off spinner ever Muttiah Muralitharan has finally bid adieu to Test match cricket after playing his last match at his favourite venue Galle against the Indians. It was a fairy tale ending to his much celebrated Test career, as he went on to grab those eight wickets to reach a phenomenal landmark of 800 test wickets. There by, becoming the only bowler to have achieved that feat. And that he contributed to his teams victory, was an icing on the cake for him. Looking back the great Murali could not have written the script any better.

So, the greatest off spinner ever Muttiah Muralitharan has finally bid adieu to Test match cricket after playing his last match at his favourite venue Galle against the Indians. It was a fairy tale ending to his much celebrated Test career, as he went on to grab those eight wickets to reach a phenomenal landmark of 800 test wickets. There by, becoming the only bowler to have achieved that feat. And that he contributed to his teams victory, was an icing on the cake for him. Looking back the great Murali could not have written the script any better.

And the Sri Lankan team has been extremely blessed in this factor, as they have Ajantha Mendis, Rangana Herath and Suraj Randiv coming up the ranks.

Mendis, Randiv and Herath have all played fair amount of cricket, to take up the responsibility of shouldering the Lankan spin attack. The three of them even played in the Tests against the Indians and put on an impressive performance by picking up wickets at regular intervals.

So now, let’s look at how these three spinners have evolved since their first appearance for their national side.

Ajantha Mendis announced his arrival into the international cricket, after he completely destroyed the Indian batting line up in the Asia cup finals in 2008, and then again bamboozled the Indian batters on their tour of the emerald islands in the same year. The Indian batsmen couldn't’t come to terms with his barrage of carrom balls, the quicker ones and of course the googlies. And it left them in dire straits.

But over a period of time, the Indians have solved the Mendis Mystery and are far more comfortable negotiating him. But having said that, he is still able to make inroads into any batting line up. He also bowled a superb spell against the Indians in a warm up match before the Test matches started, and he once again had them in trouble picking 6 wickets in one innings. Despite such a good show, he was strangely ignored for the first Test by the selectors, and then was brought back for the second, after Murali decided to leave the stage. Mendis, was in action once again as picked up 4 wickets in the first innings, with important scalps of Laxman and Raina.

Mendis is not a prodigious turner of the cricket ball, but it’s his accuracy and his deception in the air and of the wicket, that makes him a very difficult customer to contend in conditions conducive to spin bowling.

Meanwhile, Rangana Herath is another spinner who, after much struggle early in his career seems to be cementing his place in the Sri Lankan line up.

Herath ever since the time he made his debut in the Tests for his team more than a decade ago, has been in and out of the squad for various reasons. Whenever an opportunity was presented to Herath, he did reasonably well for his side especially in home conditions, and let’s not forget that he always had to live under the shadows of Muralitharan. This certainly wouldn’t have been easy. Time and again Herath was dropped, as he couldn’t produce the goods that his senior colleague Murali could. But Herath consistently kept doing well in the domestic circuit and was knocking on the door of the selectors.

But, of late he has been featuring regularly for the Lankans in the Test matches. And has added the carrom ball and the quicker delivery to his bowling repertoire. Now that Murali’s gone, Herath is probably the most experienced spinner left in the Lankan squad. So, obviously he has to respond well to the situation, and at the same time should help in guiding the young spinners in the squad.

The second and the third test match against the Indian’s saw another exciting lanky spinner in Suraj Randiv come to the fore. Suraj comes across as an orthodox offie, with a neat action, who relies more on his spin and guile to beat the batsmen, and with his height, he is able to get the extra bounce, which the batsmen don’t like.

Suraj played fifteen ODI’s before getting a chance in the Tests. But, he waited for his time and when he was given the opportunity to play, he did not disappoint his captain and the selectors. Although, he did get only a couple of wickets in his first test, but mind you none of the bowlers in either side managed to do well, as the pitch in SSC Colombo was a graveyard for the bowlers. But Randiv immediately, put up a stellar performance in the last match of the series by picking up 9 wickets in the match. He pouched 4 wickets in the first innings, and claimed all the 5 Indian wickets to fall in the second innings. His dismissals included the priced scalps of Sehwag, Dravid, and above all, of the master Tendulkar. His team may not have won the match despite his splendid bowling, but his ability to create problems for the batters was clearly evident.

No doubt, that Murali’s absence will be felt by the Sri Lankan team, but having said that, the three spinners are capable of carrying the work load in the future, and they certainly have all the accolades to produce results for their team. It remains to be seen, how well these three spinners are able to complement each other, when they are operating together.

But the bigger challenge for all the three spin bowlers will be to get wickets when they are playing on foreign soil. Especially on the Australian, English and South African wickets, where historically the Sri Lankan spinners have struggled. The talent and the ability is very eminent in them, but they will have to show a lot of character and most importantly a lot of patience to prevail in those conditions. For the moment though, the future of Sri Lankan spin bowling is certainly in the good hands of Mendis, Herath and Randiv.

India, Sri Lanka & New Zealand tri-series preview

So, India and Sri Lanka are at it again, battling against each other in the Test match series in Sri lanka. In about 2 weeks time from now, the two teams will be again going at each other, this time involving the New Zealanders too, in the Tri series, in Sri Lanka as well.

When these three nations lock horns to do battle, it will almost be like a déjà vu for the viewers. The reason, the same nations played against each other just a year back, in the same country.

Before, the start of any series, there is a strong build up towards it. But sadly, for this tournament, there is no such build up. The viewers have had innumerable matches being contested between Sri Lanka and India.

One can question the necessity to stage this tri- series at this point in time. 50 over cricket is struggling to keep its place in the international circuit. And the administrators, who run the game, are giving more and more of repeated one day international series.

Apart, from good practice and few ICC ratings, there can isn’t much incentive for the participating teams.

But this series allows the teams to experiment with their players, in today’s grueling schedule, it’s very essential for the players to take breaks from the game. The series will also present a lot of youngsters to perform and stabilize their position in their respective sides, just before the world cup.

Now let’s take a look at how the three teams are placed. Let’s start with the home team Sri Lanka.

It was the home team that won the tri-series involving the same nations just a year back. So the Sri Lankans will clearly fancy their chances in the tournament. But they will be wary of the strong Indian side who lately defeated them in their own backyard in the Asia cup.

The Sri Lankans going into the tournament have a nice blend of youth and experience. They may not feature Sanath Jayasuriya, in their squad, who has not been given a central contract by Sri Lanka Cricket. But they have now found a decent opener in Upul Taranga, who compliments the aggressive Dilshan. Their bowling attack looks as strong as ever with more variety than India or New Zealand. Apart from the likes of Dilshan, Sangakkara and Jayawardene their success will also depend on the likes of Lasith Malinga and Angelo Mathews. Lastly, they will also have Muttiah Murlidharan operating for them, after announcing his retitrement from the Tests matches. The Sri Lankan selectors can too, give their seniors a bit of a breather, by introducing some exciting young talent.

With the overall balance of their side Sri Lanka will be a very tough team to beat in their own backyard.


The Indian side though, no doubt will be looking forward to win the tournament. But it’s an appropriate time for the selectors to give a whole bunch of players an opportunity to represent their country. The Indian selectors should be a little cautious about their senior players, and should consider resting them for a long season ahead, as in coming months the Indian side will be playing a whole lot of one day internationals, tests and t20s, both home and away.

For the Indians the return of Sehwag and Yuvraj, will be a huge plus. Sehwag, who was ruled out of the Asia cup, due to injury, will be keenly looking forward to perform with the bat. And Sehwag has an outstanding record in Sri Lanka. So, one can expect him to fire. Yuvraj too, who has been going through a lean patch and has been bothered by injuries, too will be looking forward to this opportunity, to make amends and come back to form.

The fast bowlers, too, have a good chance to impress the selectors. The selectors may try a whole new bunch of fast bowlers to try and figure out the best combination going ahead in the future.

Having said all that, the Indian team will be once again looking forward to repeating their Asia cup heroics in Sri Lanka.

Meanwhile, the Kiwi’s are entering the tri-series without their regular captain Daniel Vettori and their explosive wicket keeper Brendon McCullum .Vettori will not be going to Sri Lanka as the tour coincides with the birth of his second child and New Zealand Cricket (NZC) supports his wishes to spend time with his family. Mccullum too has been given a much needed break by the NZC (New Zealand cricket board) which will help him in the long run. Due to the absence of Vettori and Mccullum , Ross Taylor has been appointed as the captain to lead the side and his deputy will be the fast bowler Kyle Mills.

Returning to the squad after injury lay-offs are allrounder Grant Elliott and batsman Jesse Ryder. "Grant Elliott comes back after a lengthy period out of the game. He was a key member of our ODI team prior to his injury, and it is great to have him back," Greatbatch said. "Jesse Ryder is also returning to the team having sustained an elbow injury during the World T20 in the West Indies. Kane Williamson gets his first tour with the Blackcaps based on his excellent domestic first-class one-day form.

After being appointed the captain for the tri-series an excited Ross Taylor said “his latest elevation was an honour."It was a pretty special feeling when the selectors approached me,”

No doubt the Kiwis will miss the service of Mccullum and Vettori but they have a good bunch of youngsters who have come into the team. This is the ideal time for all the youngsters to perform and establish their pace leading into the 50 over world cup in the subcontinent.

The tri-series is scheduled between August 10 and 28. Last year it was India winning the finals against Sri Lanka, the kiwi’s though didn’t even make it to the finals. For the kiwi’s to go one step further or even win the tournament, they will have to play out of their skins and more importantly play as a unit.

The above article was published in August edition of Cricket Today magazine.

Umar Akmal and Mohammad Aamer the future of Pakistan cricket

Now that the ICC & MCC are trying to make amendments with the 50 over format and the Tests to preserve them for the future, Pakistan cricket too is in the middle of their re-building phase.

The entire cricketing fraternity knows that, Pakistan cricket has been hounded by controversies & security issues in their backyard. It’s no surprise, because, traditionally, Pakistan cricket and the scandals involving them always go hand in hand. Ever since, the attacks on the touring Sri Lankan team in the year 2008, Pakistan have not staged any International game in their country, due to the reluctance of other nations to tour Pakistan. And rightly so, which team would want to risk their lives in touring Pakistan, where there is no guarantee of security. As a result of all this, the ICC decided to completely isolate the venues in Pakistan, for international cricket. This has prevented Pakistan from staging the 50 over world cup matches, which will now be played in India, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh.

To add insult to injury, none of the IPL franchises picked up the Pakistani cricketers, in their team, despite having featured in the auction list, fearing any impediment. This act, again, was an embarrassment for the Pakistan cricketers and their ardent fanatics. The lack of cricket & match practice, eventually back-fired on the national team, as they couldn’t defend their ICC world t-20 title in the Caribbean and a month later failed to reach the Asia cup finals too.

Luckily, The ECB, keeping in mind the Spirit of cricket, were very kind & gracious in allowing Pakistan to host their home matches in England, till the time matters get resolved in Pakistan.

But despite all the drama surrounding Pakistan cricket, they have been extremely lucky to have produced two exciting youngsters of the game in Umar Akmal and Mohammed Aamer. One wonders, as to how Pakistan is able to deliver such incredible talent time & again. Since the emergence, of Mohammed Aamer and Umar Akmal, the younger brother of wicket- keeper batsman Kamran Akmal Pakistan cricket is blossoming into a very strong unit. Their immense talent and exuberance has indeed added a bit of spark to the squad.

Umar Akmal, from the time he has burst on to the scene, has gripped the imagination of the cricketing world, with his batting. He comes as a naturally gifted batsman, who bats aggressively, and can play all the shots in the coaching manual, and when required can be a little unorthodox and cheeky. He has been making steady progress since his arrival into the international cricket, scoring consistently in all three formats of the game. Umar Akmal, announced himself to the cricketing world, after getting a splendid 102* against the Sri Lankans at Colombo in his fourth One Day International, and helped his side to victory. And, one can never forget the way he hammered the Kiwi’s in their own backyard at Dunedin, on his test match debut, where he scored an attacking 129 of just 160 balls in his first innings and 75 in the second. The kiwi attack mind you, included the likes of Bond and Vettori.

He then, went to Australia and took on the Aussie attack, without exuding any fear. Scoring consistently, throughout the tour.

Umar, though, has the uncanny knack of gifting away his wicket to the opposition, with some reckless shots. And understandably so, still being relatively new into the international arena, Umar has to improve on his temperament, which is very essential for any batsman to survive and sustain at the highest level of cricket.

Unfortunately, for Umar, he has come into the Pakistan team, at a time, when their cricket is in absolute turmoil and in the middle of a restructuring period. And, he is one of their main batsman, with the likes of Mohammad Yousuf and Younus Khan missing from their ranks. So, to shoulder such a huge responsibility is indeed a daunting task for him. Although, there is a cry by the former Pakistani players to have Yousuf and Younus back in the squad. If they, are called back into the side, then Umar can express himself in a much better fashion. Playing in their shadows will certainly keep him in good stead for the future.

But, for the time being the future, for Umar looks very bright, and he has got all the accolades to become one of the greatest batsman to have played for Pakistan.


Meanwhile, the 18 year old Mohammad Aamer is another sensation in the rising. Aamer, since his debut has shown tremendous promise. Aamer too has impressed one and all in his tour to Sri Lanka, and then Australia, where he unleashed himself with his swing bowling. He clearly, has the Australian batmen in trouble. Aamer has this gift of swinging the ball both ways, and with raw pace, which makes him quite difficult for the batters to handle. Apart, from being talented, Aamer, is also a very smart operator. He is a thinking cricketer, and is always on the look out to out fox the batsman.

At only 18, Aamer is already leading the Pakistan bowling attack and is consistently picking up the wickets. Who, can forget the way Aamer, got the priced scalp of the master Sachin Tendulkar, with a lovely teasing delivery just outside the off stump, in the recently concluded Asia cup. And, the way, Aamer troubled the Aussie Skipper Ricky Ponting at lord’s, before finally getting the better of him.

With a smooth run-up to the crease and a quick arm action much similar to the former Pakistani great Wasim Akram, Aamer is clearly a great prospect for Pakistan and for world cricket. The key, though for him would be to maintain his fitness, in today’s grueling schedule.

Aamer was recently praised by the former Pakistan captain Ramiz Raja when he openly said “I think Aamer is more mature than Wasim at 18. Aamer’s progress augurs well for Pakistan and I hope he continues to work hard and take Pakistan cricket forward,”

Legendary fast bowler Wasim Akram too agreed with his former team mate, he said “Aamer is much clever than I was at 18. It was exciting to watch Aamer bowl so well at lord’s. "He is a special talent and has pace, nip and can swing the ball both ways which is ideal for a paceman, and augurs well for his future. Aamer has got a good head start and is a quick learner, so I see no reason why he can’t go on to become the leading fast bowler,”

The danger though, for both Umar Akmal and Mohammad Aamer is the way Pakistan cricket is administered. We all know the history of Pakistan cricket and how quickly they can get themselves into a mess. The talent of both these youngsters is very prominent, but the secret to their long term success in the international arena depends, on how their Pakistan management handles them and how their talent is nurtured and harnessed.

With the 50 over world cup not very distant, it is very imperative, for Pakistan cricket that, both, Umar Akmal and Mohammad Aamer stay physically and mentally fit. Because, clearly, Pakistan’s best chance to put up a good show in the world cup lies in the hands of these two incredible talents.

The above article was published in the Aug edition of Cricket Today magazine.

Wake up call for Yuvraj

So, after two successive disappointments for team India in the ICC world T-20 and the tri-series in Zimbabwe, they now look forward to resurrect their pride and fortune in the forthcoming Asia cup, the biggest Asian battle for cricket supremacy, in the emerald islands Sri Lanka.

Going into the series, there has been a lot of talk about the inclusion and exclusion of some players. The selectors, rested most of the senior players for the tri-series in Zimbabwe, and presented a whole chunk of youngsters an opportunity to play for their country. Unfortunately, they didn’t do much to impress the selectors, as a result failed to keep their place in the Asia cup squad. But the one that stands out is the axing of Yuvraj Singh, which has drawn a lot of mixed reactions.

Yuvraj has been dogged with controversies and injuries over the past couple of months. It all started before the IPL, when the Kings X1 Punjab management decided to strip Yuvraj of the captaincy, and handed it over to the Sri Lankan skipper Kumar Sangakkara. Since that occurrence, it’s only been a downward spiral as far his game is concerned. He failed to perform as a batsman for the Kings X1, scoring a mere 200 runs with a highest score of 43. He then, carried on his poor form with the bat in the ICC world T-20 where he was completely out of sorts and was in total disarray. Matters only got worse from there for Yuvraj, as he was issued a show-cause notice by the BCCI for an alleged pub brawl in St Lucia following India’s exit from the T-20 world cup. And to add insult to injury, he was even overlooked for the tri-series in Zimbabwe. So, with all that’s transpired with Yuvraj over the last few months, it certainly won’t be an overstatement to say that this has certainly been the lowest phase in his career thus far.

It surely, wouldn’t have been an easy decision for the selectors to ignore Yuvraj, who not very long ago was one of the main pillars of the Indian batting line-up in limited overs cricket. Yes it’s a very bold decision to sideline a player of Yuvraj’s caliber, but it’s probably the correct decision taken at the appropriate time, considering the 50 over world cup which is not very distant.

"I'm not going to speak about any individual player," said the chairman of selectors, K Srikkanth. "A lot of stress was given on the fitness of a player. Fitness and fielding are very important. In recent past, we lost some matches or struggled in some matches because of poor fielding. So the selectors put lot of stress on fielding."

The decision to drop Yuvraj was openly questioned by former selector Kiran More, who said "You can always send a message to Yuvraj,"sit on the bench. You'll be in the reserves, we are playing somebody else but be part of the team, get your fitness right, get your act right and get disciplined also.' That would give him more encouragement. But only one player has been pointed out, and they've dropped him from the Asia Cup. They are making a mistake, if the world cup is so close by I will not fiddle with the team. I will not drop Yuvraj from the fifteen,”

But one has to also, consider Yuvraj’s poor run of form lately. In the last 11 ODIs, Yuvraj has averaged just 24.7, and has only managed to score a best of 43 in the 14 IPL games. His last 5 innings in the world t-20 has only yielded 74 runs, with a highest of 37.


So, the message sent out to Yuvraj from the selectors is quite clear. Sort out the fitness issues, and be eligible for the national reckoning.

Now then, Yuvraj has his work cut out, he has been plagued with several injuries over quite some time. He now has a dodgy shoulder and knee, the latter needs surgery, which he has been putting off since the year 2006. He suffered a wrist injury during the IPL, which deprived him of a good show. The injuries have also, prevented him from field at backward point position, which he made his own in the Indian team and was simply electrifying there.

But, one gets a feeling that apart from the injuries there are a lot of other activities which have led to his downfall. One thing that straightaway comes to mind is his removal from the captaincy post by the Kings X1 management. This event may have been a huge psychological blow for Yuvraj. Because historically, Yuvraj has performed incredibly well, when he has had his brain in proper gear. And such happenings are bound to affect his mind and eventually will show in his game. Also, the late night IPL parties might have been a distraction for Yuvraj, yes these parties are optional to the players, but Yuvraj is very much vulnerable to such parties, which can hamper his progress in the game.

From now on, it’s not Yuvraj’s talent or skill, but it will be his attitude and application that will determine how much cricket he plays. Perhaps, a self-assessment is much needed for him at this stage. He needs to make sure that cricket again takes top precedence over everything in his life. He needs to challenge himself and take things very positively, because, there is no questioning his ability with the bat. When On song there are very few who can match his standards of batting.

And then he has all the support of his team mates, The Indian captain MS Dhoni has said “ I am a fan of Yuvraj. He is a tremendous batsman and a match winner. Hopefully, we will not miss him in Sri Lanka. But, being the kind of player he is, we might be forced to miss him,”

Whereas, Virender Sehwag has openly said out in public that “I am a big fan of Yuvraj, he is the Jewel of our team,”


Former Indian cricketer and coach Madan Lal said “I think the selectors have taken the right call, the main concern with Yuvraj was his fitness more than his form. This is a much needed break for him, as this will give him more time to reflect on his game. I feel he should be brought back into the squad for the test match series against Sri Lanka, because it will allow him to play himself and get amongst the runs. I strongly feel that Yuvraj will make it to the world cup team if he stays fit,”

Former Indian cricketer and coach Anushuman Gaikwad said “Yuvraj is a proven match winner for the team. But of late he has not been performing to his potential. He has been troubled by frequent injuries, and has been out of form. I believe that the selectors should have picked him to play the tri-series in Zimbabwe, which would have allowed Yuvraj to get amongst the runs. As far as his comeback is concerned he should show the selectors that he is truly match fit,

Meanwhile senior journalist Ayaz Memon said “I think the selectors were on the back foot. Yuvraj has had a string of poor performances, he has been suffering the ill effects of injury. He should take this as a challenge, and improve on his fitness. He has already visited the NCA to get his issues sorted which is a good sign. Yuvraj should look at the bigger picture now, the 50 over world cup. He should not rush himself until he is fully fit,”

The above article was published in the July edition of Cricket Today magazine.

Fantasy cricket gripps the nation

Cricket is undoubtedly the most popular sport in India, as a matter of fact it’s a religion in our country. So anything, related to the game of cricket is bound to capture the imagination of cricket fanatics. Fantasy cricket is one such product, which, ever since its emergence in our country a decade ago, has enthralled and captivated most cricket enthusiasts.

In India, every fan has his or her own opinion about the game. He or she more often than not is unhappy with the selection policy, and are questioning the credibility of the selectors in picking the team for any series. And also, imagine being the owner of your own team like a Shah Rukh Khan or Mukesh Ambani without any real investment. Fantasy cricket gives the fans the opportunity to pick and manage their own teams and compete with their friends on a global level.

So, how does one play fantasy cricket? Well, it’s not very complicated. It’s all about getting the permutations and combinations right in your team. A fantasy player gets to choose 11 players, within the allocated points who will feature in his team for a particular match or a tournament. A player also needs to nominate a captain, who will be instrumental in giving the team the required boost. At the end of the day, the fantasy player only scores points if his real life counterpart scores them. The incentive is huge for any user if his team does well, as he stands to win attractive prizes at the end of the tournament.

Today, there are many fans playing fantasy cricket, especially with the arrival of Dream11.com, who happen to be the real pioneers of fantasy cricket in our country. The influx of Dream11 has certainly revolutionized fantasy cricket, the reason being their focus is primarily on fantasy cricket.

Dream11.com was conceptualized by a group of cricket enthusiasts with a goal to create the world’s best fantasy cricket platform, where millions of fans could not only select and manage their ‘Dream11’ but also compete and connect with the global cricket community. It is a unique and innovative fantasy cricket website that offers the world’s first graphical fantasy cricket game. Although, Dream11 is still at a nascent stage, it has still managed to sign up over 450,000 registered users, enjoying up to 9 million page views per month, and users are spending an average of 16 to 20 minutes per visit on the web site.

With cricket being played all throughout the year, Dream11.com offers an ideal platform to enjoy the simulated thrill of the sport by providing its user to live their cricket fantasy. Dream11.com website also helps out the users in giving them the player profiles, live scores, schedules, standings, statistics and latest happenings in the world of cricket, which is beneficial for the player to build his team.

It’s interesting how fantasy sports has evolved all over. Initially, after its introduction the players were unsure, as to what they were getting into, they had a different perspective towards fantasy, many were apprehensive and cynical about the format. But today, fantasy sports is a $4.48 billion industry in the U.S and Canada alone, with an estimated number of over 60 million active players worldwide, some of whom have been playing the game for a period of 9 years spending about 5.2 hours a week managing their teams, and an average of over 34 minutes per day thinking about fantasy sports. These staggering numbers clearly are an indication of the progression of fantasy sports in India and abroad.

Dream11 since its inception a year ago, has been taking leap strides forward in the fantasy and gaming industry. The latest being, that Dream11 has been appointed the official gaming partner of the Mumbai Indians. By the virtue of this Dream11.com will now give MI fans a chance to play as a cricket selector and experience being a team owner on the Mumbaiindians.com website, and win cool Mumbai Indians merchandise.

Speaking of the growth and future of fantasy cricket, The founder and CMD of Dream11.com Harsh Jain said “ I think with 60 million fantasy players worldwide, and cricket being one of the world’s popular sports, the potential for fantasy cricket to grow domestically and globally is phenomenal,”

The above article was published in the June edition of Cricket Today magazine.