Expert Blog

Saturday, May 15, 2010

What a match!

In a semi-final that went down to the wire, Michael Hussey’s stellar batting brought an end to Pakistan’s quest for a third consecutive World Twenty20 final.

The best T20 game and one of the most astonishing batting performances I have seen!

Over the years, we have come to admire Michael Hussey because of his statesmanlike batting but wondered if he had much of a role in T20 cricket. Well, he does and in proving that, he has risen as a cricketer enormously. The finest batsmen are able to play all forms of the game and the reason so many of them are increasingly adapting to this form of the game is that they play correct cricket. And in doing so, are often in very good positions to play shots.

I thought Pakistan did most things right. To get 191 against the best bowling attack was an exceptional effort and even though only 7 came off the last over, you had to believe it was enough on a big day. In fact, I thought Pakistan’s best chance was to bat first, put runs on the board and stifle Australia with their slower bowlers. It worked for 37 overs in the game!

Hussey and Mitchell Johnson put on 53 in 16 balls and Johnson, a free stroking batsman himself, made 3 of those; indeed his best contribution was in taking a single off the last ball! But even as you admire Hussey’s batting, here are a couple of factors that were not immediately apparent; the little 1% things that make a difference.

In the 19th over, Hussey kept coming back for twos which allowed him to retain strike. It was intelligent cricket but also showed his fitness at 35. And in the last over, Hussey got four over short third man; a shot that a better fielding side would have got a hand to.

Pakistan will be devastated but they didn’t lose the game. Australia snatched it away and eventually the best side in the competition found its way into the final!!

http://www.castrolcricket.com/ee/index.php/castrol_weblog/comments/what_a_match/

The blame game

India’s ouster from the third World Twenty20 has brought the daggers out. It’s time for the cricket administration to take stock of the situation before it all gets out of hand.

Sometimes, it is best to wait a while, take a backward step and look at a situation dispassionately. Some of the reporting on India’s exit from the ICC World T20 has been worse than the cricket they were meant to watch. It’s very easy to blame the coach, the IPL, the BCCI, anything that is a convenient hanger to put the blame on.

The fault lies within. The players played 14 games over 45 days. Each game was 3 hours long. I know there was packing and travelling and from experience, I know that can be stressful. But these are young men who should know what is right for them and what isn’t. It is part of the job, it comes with the territory. And so, at the risk of sounding soft, I am going to say it wasn’t the IPL, it wasn’t the coach, it wasn’t the captain, it wasn’t the selectors, it wasn’t anything as convenient as that. It was, quite simply, the fact that India weren’t good enough.

I have heard it said that Ojha and Uthappa and Irfan Pathan should have been in the side. Yes, that is a fair debating point but neither of those is a Bradman or a Sobers. I think the time has come to look seriously rather than emotionally, or with an eye on controversy, at Indian cricket.

If there is one thing you can blame the IPL for, it is that the standard of bowling isn’t good enough at all times. You can actually play off a bowler and try and get runs somewhere else but in international cricket that may not be possible. Yes, the IPL pays a lot and the entertainment distracts a bit but if the players are not putting cricket first, we are picking the wrong players. You cannot give a young executive a company car and then complain that sales are down because of the car.

India needs a tougher system, not an excuse filled system.

http://www.castrolcricket.com/ee/index.php/castrol_weblog/comments/the_blame_game/