Too much media hype can be disastrous

Too much media hype can be disastrous

By Zakir Hussain Syed

The pakistan Under-19 cricket team have returned home after the poorest ever performance by any Pakistan team in the history of this event. I realise and understand that victory and defeat are part of all sports and one should take them in their stride but if the performance is below even the worst expectations, it is time to look into realities of such disappointments. The Pakistan U-19 team were managed by Haroon Rashid, a former Test cricketer and now a full time employee of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), with Sabih Azhar of Islamabad Cricket Association as the coach.

There was lot of publicity before the departure as to how the team had prepared for this event. This team were sent well in advance of the tournament to ‘acclimatise.’ Their victory against their Australian counterparts in a three-match practice series before the actual event was projected as if half the battle had already been won.

I just could not rationalize projection of the team members praying or fasting. They are Muslims and there is nothing extraordinary in what they were doing. The Pakistan hockey teams and players, right from the days of Brig Hamidi, have always been very particular about their prayers but this religious duty by hockey stars was never publicized.

A victory at the start of the tournament was made to look a big achievement with special praise for coach Sabih Azhar. However, the biggest claim from coach Sabih Azhar came before the match against their Indian counterparts just before EID when he said that the team would give the nation a ‘good news’ obviously implying that their victory against the Indians was almost guaranteed! This did not happen and thus the ‘good news’ never materialized. In fact the defeat against India was the beginning of an unprecedented downhill slide in which the Pakistan U-19 squad ended up in their worst and lowest ever position in this event since its inception.

Sports events and teams invariably get decent publicity in the press but what was the need to carry a non stop projection of the team and coaches! It certainly has backfired. This is precisely what happened when the proposed home series against Bangladesh was constantly given non stop projection. I was the only one to sound a word of caution at that time saying that a three or four days visit was never going to be an earth shattering event and should therefore not be projected the way it was being done. The proposed tour was then canceled on a flimsy pretext thereby causing immense disappointment.

There have been newspaper stories about U-19 team management dictating strategy from outside including instructions to let fast bowlers bowl all their overs during the middle of the innings against India and also field placing suggestions. The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) must look into all these stories and get to the root cause of this debacle. In any case full time employees of PCB should never be sent as coaches and managers simply because in case of their failure, their very credibility and competence becomes questionable. Let Haroon Rashid and Sabih Azhar submit their tour report and then a committee, preferably headed by Javed Miandad, hold an in depth meeting with the team management to find out what exactly went wrong. It is only when failures are analyzed scientifically that future improvements can be ensured.

(Zakir Hussain Syed is Pakistan’s internationally renowned sports administrator, sports broadcaster and sports analyst)

Whatmore happy with Pakistan’s progress as final Twenty20 today

Whatmore happy with Pakistan’s progress as final Twenty20 today

DUBAI: Pakistan coach Dav Whatmore on Sunday said he was happy with the team’s progress in the shortest format of the game ahead of this month’s World Twenty20, saying the team was responding well. Pakistan pulled off a sensational super over win against Australia in the second Twenty20 here on Friday, taking an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-match series with the final match also in Dubai on Monday. Whatmore said it was good to have wins on the board. “I am very much delighted,” Whatmore told reporters.

“We can’t do any more than to win two out of two, it was an exciting finish but it’s good to have the experience of the super over leading up to the World Twenty20.” The 58-year-old former Australian batsman said his team responded well after losing the preceding one-day series 2-1. “We played consistent cricket and the players have responded well after the ODIs because there was just one day in between the change of the format,” said Whatmore, who took over in March this year. “There is a very strong bond between the players, that’s very good and they support each other and are ready to play for each other and for the country,” said Whatmore, who also coached Sri Lanka to the 1996 World Cup title.

Whatmore said he was sure of the team’s combination for the World Twenty20, where Pakistan is in Group D along with Bangladesh and New Zealand. “I am sure of the combination. We certainly need to know the conditions in Kandy where our first two matches are to pick the best combination. We don’t have easy opponents because we think all the teams are tough,” said Whatmore. Whatmore hinted Pakistan might not risk Shahid Afridi on Monday after the allrounder injured his left hand in the third one-day but was confident off-spinner Saeed Ajmal will recover from a shoulder problem.

Australian batsman Cameron White said his team was preparing well for the World Twenty20 despite dropping in the rankings below Ireland. “The bigger picture from the preparation point of view is that we are experiencing tough conditions and similar conditions to what we are going to experience in Sri Lanka,” said White, former Twenty20 captain. “Obviously we have not been winning, but we have made great steps from the first game to the second and I think we are heading in the right direction. From a prepration point of view it is fantastic,” said White. afp

Bolt rounds off amazing season with victory

Bolt rounds off amazing season with victory

BRUSSELS: Jamaican sprint sensation Usain Bolt overcame a terrible start to round off his season with a victory in 9.86sec in the 100m at the Diamond League meet here on Friday. Bolt’s reaction time out of the blocks left him chasing St Kitts and Nevis veteran Kim Collins in front of a packed King Baudouin Stadium. Fresh from claiming a second successive treble gold medal haul at the London Olympics, Bolt’s pick-up was also slack, but his trademark strong drive phase saw him surge past the rest of the field.
The towering Jamaican even had enough room to ease up a full 10 metres from the line before quickly undoing the laces of his spikes and hurling them into the crowd. Bolt’s compatriots Nesta Carter (9.96) and Kemar Bailey Cole (9.97) finished in second and third positions. “I’m just happy to have got through the season,” said Bolt. “The key coming here was for the fans and just to get through injury free. “Coming into this, I did a start yesterday and I said to my coach I’m so tired. I went through the motions, it was an okay race - I didn’t lose. “To go to the Olympics and push yourself drains you mentally because at the start everyone was saying you’ll lose, so you push yourself. “Mentally you’ve got to be in the game. The Olympics are a big stage and you don’t want to make mistakes so you push yourself mentally and physically, and at the end of the season, the level goes down fast.”
Bolt played down fears that he would be overwhelmed by his return to Jamaica after his amazing season. “When I’m at home, I’m always at home, chilling. Over time it (the attention) will calm down, I’ll be alright,” said the Jamaican, who was to play a DJ gig in the Belgian capital before leaving Europe. Bolt’s training partner Yohan Blake, double sprint silver medallist in London, failed to upstage the master, also coached by Glen Mills. Blake, who has not raced Bolt since the London Games, was eyeing Bolt’s world record of 19.19sec in the 200m, having previously run 19.26sec on this track. After nailing the bend, Blake faded slightly at the bell to win in 19.54sec, still the ninth fastest time in history. “I came off the turn, felt no one beside me and couldn’t push it,” said Blake. “I’ll focus next time and get some more out of it. “I came off the turn wanted some more push, but I was running too close to the line. Next year, I’ll be coming back strong.”
The stage had been set for Bolt and Blake’s exploits by Olympic champion Aries Merritt of the United States, who clocked a stunning world record of 12.80sec to win the 110m hurdles. Merritt smashed the previous record of 12.87sec set by Cuban Dayron Robles in June 2008 in Ostrava, Czech Republic. “I was just trying to get under 13sec to cap off a good season,” said Merritt. “I can’t believe I ran that fast! “What is this time I’m seeing?! I’m in shock,” he joked. Merritt added: “I’m finally living up to my potential after a lot of injuries... with people telling me to go and get a proper job. “It’s the first season I’ve been able to put it together. It’s the best season ever. “I have no memories (of the race), but I think it was perfect. I had a good start and I wasn’t as high over the hurdles” as he had been in recent performances.” The 27-year-old Merritt, who ran 12.92sec to win the Olympic title in London, bolted out of the blocks and by the fourth hurdle was ahead of the strong field. Fellow American Jason Richardson finished second in 13.05sec, with Jamaican Hansle Parchment completing the podium in 13.14sec, to mirror the medal positions from the London Games last month. afp

Pietersen left off England contract list

Pietersen left off England contract list

LONDON: There was no place for Kevin Pietersen among the 10 England players awarded central contracts on Friday by the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) for the 2013 season. Pietersen has been in England exile since being dropped following the second Test against his native South Africa in Leeds last month. But the ECB did not completely close the door on Pietersen being added to the list for what will be an Ashes year, saying in a statement Friday: “In respect to Kevin Pietersen discussions are on-going and they remain private.”
Officials, already frustrated by availability rows, were furious when it emerged Pietersen had sent “provocative” texts to South African players – some allegedly critical of then England captain Andrew Strauss. That meant the 32-year-old batsman missed the final Test against the Proteas at Lord’s and the subsequent one-day series, which ended in a 2-2 draw with one no-result after the tourists’ seven-wicket win at Trent Bridge on Wednesday. Pietersen, who last month reversed his retirement from limited overs internationals, will also miss England’s defence of their World Twenty20 title in Sri Lanka later this month, despite being man of the tournament when they won the 2010 edition in the Caribbean. Strauss announced his retirement last week, although he insisted it had nothing to do with the latest row involving Pietersen, his predecessor as England skipper.
Alastair Cook, already leading the one-day side, was named as the new Test captain. He now has a role in deciding Pietersen’s future, although there appears to be little time for the ECB and the player to reach agreement if, as anticipated, the squad for the tour of India starting in November is announced next week.
Pietersen has been contracted to the ECB since 2006 and is in the top bracket of the pay scale, with a deal reportedly worth £250,000 a year in basic salary but rising substantially with win bonuses and appearance fees. The contract ties the player to the board and he can only play in tournaments such as the Indian Premier League with a release agreement from the ECB. afp

Imran stunned by Ajmal’s omission from ICC awards

Imran stunned by Ajmal’s omission from ICC awards

DUBAI: Cricketing legend Imran Khan led a protest of former Pakistan captains over off-spinner Saeed Ajmal’s omission from a list of annual awards, terming it a great injustice. The wily spinner was not included in a shortlist of four players for the best Test player of the year category in the International Cricket Council (ICC) annual awards to be held in Colombo on September 15.
A 32-man independent jury comprising former players, officials and journalists provoked anger in Pakistan after omitting Ajmal from the shortlist, Sri Lanka’s Kumar Sangakkara, Australian Michael Clarke and South Africans Vernon Philander and Hashim Amla. Ajmal, 34, took 72 wickets in 12 Tests from August 2011 to July this year, including 24 wickets in a 3-0 rout of then world ranked number one England in January-February. The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) earlier this week lodged a protest with the ICC demanding a review of the shortlist but the game’s governing body rejected it. The PCB said it was considering boycotting the ceremony. Khan said Ajmal’s omission was unjust.
“It is a great injustice to a player who is a match winner in all formats of the game and his omission was surprising,” Khan told reporters during the second Twenty20 match between Pakistan and Australia here on Friday. Another former captain Ramiz Raja said Ajmal was hard done by the jury. “I feel that Ajmal was hard done by the jury and it is a serious case for review because if performers are not picked then the credibility (of awards) is missing,” Raja told AFP. Raja said an award is an honour for the player. “It’s a great honour for the player to win an award and it hurts not only Pakistan but the whole community,” said Raja, now a renowned commentator. Former captain and coach Waqar Younis said he didn’t understand the system. “I don’t know how this system is working,” said Waqar of the process. “Maybe the system needs to be reviewed because 32 people are too much. “On the basis of performance you can’t overlook Ajmal and it comes as a great surprise to me.” afp

Kallis leads South Africa to victory against England

Kallis leads South Africa to victory against England

CHESTER-LE-STREET: Jacques Kallis guided South Africa to a seven-wicket win over World Twenty20 champions England in the first Twenty20 international at Chester-le-Street on Saturday. The Proteas were in trouble at 29 for three, chasing a seemingly modest 119 for victory. But opener Kallis, returning to international duty after being rested from the drawn one-day series between the two countries, made 48 not out of 44 balls with seven fours.
Together with left-hander JP Duminy (47 not out) he shared an unbroken stand of 90 in 91 deliveries as the Proteas, who won with an over to spare, went 1-0 up in a three-match series ahead of this month’s World Twenty20 in Sri Lanka. South Africa saw hard-hitting opener Richard Levi caught in the slips off Jade Dernbach and Twenty20 international debutant Faf du Plessis lbw to fast bowler Steven Finn. De Villiers, who helped Hashim Amla add 172 in South Africa’s seven-wicket win in the fifth one-day international at Trent Bridge on Wednesday which squared that series at 2-2, was then caught behind by Craig Kieswetter, a former Proteas junior international, off South Africa-born seamer Dernbach for 10. South Africa were now 29 for three and England, all but out of the contest at the mid-innings break, were now very in the game.
But if South Africa could produce one decent partnership bat they would win and in world-class all-rounder Kallis and left-hander Duminy they had the men for the job in the absence of the rested Amla. England Twenty20 captain Stuart Broad, like Kallis rested from the one-dayers, brought back Finn in a bid to break the stand but to no avail. Ultimately England’s 118 for seven -- their third lowest total in this format – did not give their bowlers enough of a score to defend. Spin bowling, long regarded as the the Proteas’ Achilles heel, accounted for four England wickets with off-break bowler Johan Botha (two for 19) and left-armer Robin Peterson (two for 27), strking after de Villiers won the toss.
Meanwhile ever-reliable fast bowler Dale Steyn took one for 13 in his maximum four overs. At 85 for seven, England were in danger of posting their worst Twenty20 total before an unbroken stand of 33 in 27 balls between Broad and Graeme Swann, who both finished on 18 not out, gave them a foothold in the match. No England batsman made more than opener Kieswetter’s 25. England’s collapse started with a needless run out. Alex Hales, who made an England Twenty20 best 99 against the West Indies in June after replacing the still exiled Kevin Pietersen, charged down the pitch for a non-existent single and, turning back, was run out by Kallis’s direct hit on the stumps. Kieswetter then fell when he was plumb lbw to Botha’s first ball.
And Ravi Bopara, who averaged just 5.50 with the bat during the one-dayers fell cheaply in familiar fashion when he edged a good length Steyn delivery to Botha at slip. Botha then struck again when he bowled dangerman Eoin Morgan for 10, after the former Ireland left-hander bottom edged a pull-sweep. Peterson bowled Jos Buttler before fellow young gun Jonathan Bairstow holed out off paceman Albie Morkel. Then a well-judged catch by Kallis saw Peterson dismiss Patel. The series continues in Manchester on Monday. afp

Amla achieves eighth best rating of 901

Amla achieves eighth best rating of 901

Ajmal becomes number-one ranked ODI bowler

Staff Report

LAHORE: Pakistan off-spinner Saeed Ajmal has moved up two places to replace teammate Mohammad Hafeez as the number-one ranked bowler in the ICC Player Rankings for ODI bowlers. The latest rankings released on Thursday incorporate both the Pakistan-Australia and England-South Africa ODI series. Saeed was the highest wicket-taker in the series against Australia. He picked 10 wickets at an economy rate of 3.41 with an average of 9.9 in the series. His overall rating of 759 is his career-best. Meanwhile, Hafeez has slipped to second position in the bowlers’ table. Hafeez achieved his career-best rating of 762 during the series, but finally ended at 747. However, Hafeez has moved up a place to second in the ICC Player Rankings for all-rounders with a career-best rating of 413. South Africa paceman Lonwabo Tsotsobe, who headed the bowlers’ table before the two series began, is now ranked third.

Other bowlers dropping down the rankings include Morne Morkel in fifth (down by one), Steven Finn in sixth (down by one), Shahid Afridi in 19th (down by three), Tim Bresnan in 38th(down by six) and Sohail Tanvir in 56th (down by nine). South Africa paceman Dale Steyn has re-entered the top 10 in the bowlers’ table. He has moved up four places to 10th.

Steyn’s teammate Robin Peterson, who was the highest wicket-taker on either side in the series against England with seven wickets, has moved up 12 places to a career-best 29th. Peterson’s overall rating of 575 is his career-best.

The other bowlers to make upward movements include Mitchell Johnson in 18th (up by one) Wayne Parnell in 44th (up by 16), Abdur Rehman in 61st (up by 12), Mitchell Starc in 76th (up by 55), Jade Dernbach in 79th (up by 10), Ravi Bopara in 80th (up by 27) and James Pattinson in 87th (up by 47).

ODI batsmen: South Africa’s Hashim Amla, who was the highest run-getter on either side in the series against England with 335 runs, has consolidated his position as the number-one ranked batsman, followed by Virat Kohli in second position and AB de Villiers in third. Amla’s overall rating of 901 is the highest of his career and is the eighth best in history. Jonathan Trott in fifth (up by two) and Michael Clarke in seventh (up by one) have also made gains in the top ten of the latest batting table. Michael Hussey, meanwhile, is now tenth in the table, moving up four places. The other batsmen to make upward movements include Eoin Morgan in 13th (up by five), Ian Bell in 32nd (up by five), Mohammad Hafeez in 42nd (up by one), Craig Kieswetter in 43rd (up by five), George Bailey in 49th (up by 21), Azhar Ali in 52nd (up by 21), Asad Shafiq in 55th (up by seven) and Nasir Jamshed in 78th (up by 35). Pakistan wicket-keeper batsman Kamran Akmal has re-entered the rankings at 78th.

England captain Alastair Cook has moved down two places to eighth. The other batsmen losing ground include Jean-Paul Duminy in 22nd (down by three), Graeme Smith in 26th (down by five), Misbahul Haq in 28th (down by one), David Hussey in 34th (down by two), David Warner in 36th (down by one), Shahid Afridi in 44th (down by two), Ravi Bopara in 49th (down by five) and Francois du Plessis in 73rd (down by 10). The ICC Player Rankings for all-rounders is still headed by Bangladesh’s Shakib Al Hasan.