PCB hands over lead-tainted equipment to the Chinese*

*I'm just kidding about the equipment being lead-tainted. Just letting my readers know that I'm up with the times, and I read other stuff too.

So this is nuts. Not only do the Chinese have over a billion people. But now they have over a million Rupees of Pakistani cricket equipment. I wonder what they sent?

Cricket equipments to the tune of Rs 1.2 million were formally handed over by Pakistan Cricket Board to Chinese Cricket Association (CCA) in Beijing recently.

As per an APP report, the equipments were sent by PCB as a symbol of good will gesture and for the promotion of cricket in China.

The APP mentioned that while presenting the equipments, General Secretary of Multi ball game Administration Liu Rong Yao, Director External Affairs Terry, Director Cricket Development Committee, Z Y Jiang and national coach of CCA Rashid Khan were also present.

APP reported that a senior official of the Chinese Cricket Association (CCA) has lauded the Pakistan Cricket Board for sending these equipments which will enhance Sino-Pak relations in the field of sports and also help harness the skill of the young Chinese cricketers.

So the official of the 'Multi ball game Administration' was present as well. Hmm. I wonder what that's all about

Should cricket's administrators be ex-cricketers or dentists?

Doesn't ex-cricketer sounds too much like ex-con...if you say it really fast, and with an accent?

Anyway, I feel we all must recognize that cricketers themselves know more about the game and its demands than do working professionals. In my previous post about Kallis, I vented about how board leadership must have had experience in cricket. Atheist over at LeftArmChinaMan feels otherwise.

Now I realize that ex-cons, I mean ex-cricketers, are sullen bunch. They're know-it-all bastards, with something to say about everything. They're always ready to say a choice thing or two about Murali's arm, or Vaughan's knee. Point is, they make themselves heard even though we don't really like that much.

Naturally I would want leadership that communicates well with players. While I feel that not every ex-cricketer has a role to play in administration, surely there must be a few here and there, that know how to build bridges (metaphorically), and understand where players are coming from. It just seems that there is no much bad blood between the boards and their players, that something needs to change. I'm sick of boards telling the players what do, disciplining them for fickle reasons, fining them for supporting their teammates in public. They should serve the game and serve the players and quit ruling with an iron fist.

Good for Imran Farhat - Balls to the PCB

So Imran Farhat has just become the first Pakistani player to sign for the ICL. The PCB has subsequently cancelled whatever contract he had with them, and will probably ban him from ever playing in Pakistan.

Excellent! I love it when the Pakistan cricket board gets needled. I just hope Asim Kamal, Yousuf and Razzaq all sign with the ICL. Fuck the PCB and their high and mighty ways. It's bloody immature of them to ban a player for protecting his future. If someone else is paying for his services, then either you should counter the offer, or shut the fuck up. Besides, Farhat wasn't exactly playing well for Pakistan. It might have done him good to play in the ICL, improve his game, and make himself available for national selection.

And just what is the big deal about the ICL? I think it'll be fun! Well that, and I love anything or anyone who pisses off the cricketing boards around the world.

Dang! Kallis actually wants to play

Jacques Kallis is a strange fellow. I respect the dude, but doesn't he seem like he never wants to play cricket? He seems to treat it like a job, reluctantly bowling when asked to with a scowl. Well, I'm wrong. He's threatening to retire from South African cricket because the board has dropped him from the twenty20 world cup.

I don't think he should retire. That's a bit childish on his part, but he's right in thinking, "What the fuck?"

He's such a great allrounder. The twenty20 SA squad could certainly use one experienced player. It's only 20 over cricket. He'll bowl 4 overs a game max. How exhausted could he get?

Constant struggle between cricketing boards and players

Save for Australia, it seems that almost every national cricket board tussles with its players continuously.

The PCB is constantly fining Shoaib Akhtar, while someone or the other is bitching about the PCB leadership. Most recently Razzaq cussed out the board on some television show and will probably be censured. One wonder who the hell selected the board? Obviously there must be something wrong with the leadership, otherwise everyone wouldn't be pissed off. In Pakistan, the embattled president chooses one of his cronies to head the cricket board; Mr. Ashraf being the crony. But do these chaps have anything to do with cricket? Mr. Ashraf is a doctor by profession, his predecessor was a soldier. In India, the board presidents have included politicians and lawyers.

Shouldn't cricketing boards be run by ex-cricketers for the cricketers? Don't they have a right to vote and select the new board. Things need to change! The West Indian team, it seems has been fighting with their board for so long, I pretty much ignore the news coming out of their camp. Players in general, it is no secret, do not like their respective boards. However, the fans aren't big enthusiasts either. I pretty much slam the PCB on every page of my blog.

Rather than representing the rights of the players and improving the game, their agenda is self serving and financially motivated. It's a sad state of affairs when no one respects the decisions of the governing bodies of our cherished sport.

So why can't you play cricket today?

Majid Haq's reasons for not playing Ireland this coming week were hilarious. I guess this is how it has to be when teams don't play professional and international cricket. Cricketers need to rely on other sources of income. The quote is from Cricinfo.

"My dad runs a takeaway in Paisley and I have to help out this weekend because my mum and brother are both away in Pakistan, one of our chefs is unavailable and our delivery driver has gone to jail for three weeks."
Well, that's one reason (or two) to make yourself unavailable for Scotland. With a few players withdrawing from the Ireland match, Majid Haq's excuse was the most bizarre

Twenty20 squads have no room for test players...

...unless of course you're Ricky Ponting, or some other batsman of that calibre. And I agree with this sentiment. In order to succeed in Twenty20 cricket, squads need to be picked that include young, aggressive batsmen that have experience in the twenty over format. England, recently picked their team and included only their 20 over specialists. It is pointless to include test players or even ODI middle order batsmen. I disagree with the idea that a good batsman is a good batsman over the course of 100 overs, 50 overs, or 5 overs. Not true at all.

I'd much rather have Shahid Afridi bat for 12 balls, then Mohammad Yousuf bat for those 12 balls in the shortest format of the game. England plays the most twenty20 games in the world today, and have selected players that have the most experience. Regardless of how good an international star is, or his career statistics, this format of the game is best suited to strokemakers and bashers.

The Pakistani squad for the Twenty20 WC just got selected and Mohd. Yousuf wasn't included. I think its a great squad! Osman Samiuddin over at Cricinfo was more than a bit peeved at this decision however. He writes...

From this they took a not inconsiderable leap and concluded - on what basis is still not clear - that Misbah-ul-Haq (ostensibly the replacement) might do the job better than Yousuf has been doing over the last year. Perhaps Misbah's impressive domestic Twenty20 average (just under 50) got him the nod over a man with over 14,000 international runs, 35 international hundreds and just off a patch so purple, popstar Prince would have been jealous.

Needless to say, that's convincing enough for me. Misbah has average of 50 in this version of the game, has played dozens more games and is reputed to be the most sold batsman in Pakistan's domestic scene. Yousuf is not cut out for 20 over cricket. We don't need someone who has a strike-rate of 100. We need batsmen with S.R's over 150 or 200. And Misbah has a shot at international cricket way too long ago. That really can't be reason enough to discount his ability. That was years ago and only a few games. Give the guy a chance!

As far as Razzak being knocked out. Well, this was a decision that finally makes sense. Pakistan cricket should be about winning games using the best players at our disposal. Why should stars of yesteryear be selected purely on the weight of their statistics. That's unfair to the current players, unprofessional and undeniably stupid. Fawad has his ODI shot and admittedly bungled it. Big deal. It was only one game. This kid has had such a tremendous year in domestic cricket that he deserves few more shots at the top level.

In any case, Twenty20 is any ones game on any one's day. Zimbabwe have as good a shot at winning this World Cup as do South Africa. Selection in this format is much less of a gamble than it is in test cricket. It's meant to be a fun format, for the crowds, so why bother getting worked up about selections? Just choose great fielders, accurate bowlers and aggressive batsmen. That's it. And if predictions are anything to live by, I feel that the Twenty20 cup will save the game and give it that breath of fresh air that it so desperately needs.

Guess who's back?....back again!

Nope, It's not Slim Shady. It's me!

So what gives? Where in the world did I disappear to? Well, to be frank, the amnesia after a dull world cup, coupled with Woolmer's death, and the usual crap state of affairs in Pakistani cricket were certainly not inspiring events. But more importantly, I needed to prioritize my work towards the end of June, as I needed to get my research back on track. (I'm a graduate student). Sigh...

However, being a cricket blogger, I like blame. As a result, most of the blame for sucking up my cricket time this summer lies squarely on the fluffy shoulders of the newest rascal in my apartment. Let me introduce you to Oscar. Doesn't he look pretty guilty as well?I knew getting a puppy would be tough, but had no idea it would be this hard. But with persistence and patience, he's come a long way. We are both are getting along just fine after a tumultuous and rocky initial period, where we were trying to figure each other out. I think I am just about ready to restart writing about cricket. Here's another picture for you to shoot darts at.

Cricket = Action = Art

Just a heads up on this new blog by Marty D, a fellow enthusiast from New Zealand. He shot me an email a while back to exchange links. Real cool stuff on his blog. He photoshops pictures that most of us have seen here and there and he adds all these effects to them. Neat stuff. Take a look! Naturally, no serious picture based cricketing blog would be complete without participating in King Cricket's Rob Key campaign. Here is Marty's apt contribution...

Forgettable debut for Fawad Alam

Do I feel bad for him or what? Golden duck against Fernando and did not bowl a single ball. Poor chap. Rehman, another left arm spinner, had reasonable figures today, as did Hafeez. When Asif was being spanked all across the park, why did Malik not bowl Fawad Alam?

I had a feeling his debut wouldn't be that far off, especially since Razzaq didn't do anything useful in the 2nd game. By having won the series already, Pakistan could afford 2 debuts this morning. I have no clue about Fawad Alam, but from what I read on Ahmer's blog and in the news, he seems like he might be pretty cool.

However, in terms of utility players, unless and until Afridi, Razzaq, Hafeez retire, Fawad is still some ways off. Sadly he had his chance to bat and to prove himself, but a surprise full toss did him in on the first ball he faced.

Does this mean his time is up? I doubt it.

I think he'll be back, but I don't think he's ready for a permanent place in the playing XI just yet. I have no clue how he bowls, and he seems to be bringing the same thing to the table as the other allrounders on our squad. Sadly, there is no denying that a fighting debut 50 from him today might have made his place on Pakistan's next 15 member squad a certainty. Too bad for him.

A decline in modeling standards?

No offence to Ms. Sayle, I am sure she's a great gal, but modelling isn't really her thing. While glancing through Cricinfo's pictures database, I came across a picture of Alastair Cook posing to raise money for a charity. Perfectly honorable! But the picture description reads

"How's that? Alastair Cook poses with model Emma Sayle for a sports calendar to raise funds for the CHASE Ben Hollioake Fund, Chelmsford, Essex, May 10, 2007"

Here is the picture..This chick is a model? Hmm, lets ignore the yellow color for now, but what is that pouch around her, you know..? Plus she is holding the bat the wrong way. Anyway, I'm not hating on you, Ms. Sayle. Just suggesting an alternate lifestyle...and career.

Alastair Cook, on the other hand, never ceases to disappoint us...

Cricket at the crossroads

A couple of weeks ago, we had a few lengthy discussions about why it is that we found this World Cup boring. It must be understood that we are a pair of die-hard fans who grew up on the game; fans whose earliest cricket-watching memories are those of Imran Khan lifting the coveted trophy in 1992. So if we are left horribly unsatisfied by the sport’s premier event, then how can we expect the Scots and the Dutchmen of the world to chance upon the tournament on TV and suddenly start giving a shit about the sport?

Is it even possible to spread the game of cricket?

Therein lies the strange vicious cycle-esque dilemma. Imagine, for a moment, that the ICC isn’t a money-grubbing pack of wolves, and then ponder its dilemma about the nature of the game itself. Should it try to spread the game to all corners of the world that are even remotely interested, or should it maintain cricket’s status as a strange exclusive club of 9 or 10 countries and leave it at that?

Here’s the catch. The more countries the ICC tries to include, the more boring the World Cup, and the more frustrated people like us get. And the fewer countries it includes, the more it alienates the rest of the world.

Where does this leave ODI cricket?

ODI cricket is at a funny stage in its life. A stage at which it needs to decide its identity once and for all. If it is to stick around, then countries need to be granted ODI status the same way they are given test status, otherwise it is just making it more painful for the rest of us. Besides, just because these teams are in the World Cup doesn’t mean their countries are watching. Take a survey of Canadians and ask them if they even know about their 3 Cricket World Cup appearances. Then ask them how proudly they all watched their team get knocked out in the first round of their only FIFA World Cup. For that matter, Pakistan has won four Hockey World Cups and I’ve never seen a single hockey match from start to finish.

So the way to win these countries over is not to invite them to a boring party, but to leave them at the window looking in on a proverbial bash and trying desperately to get fake IDs. Cricket is an unusually technical game, and the closest it has ever come to being accessible to the casual viewer is twenty20. And let's face it, twenty20 is the only form of the sport that is likely to spread to countries that don’t currently play the game.

Can twenty20 be cricket's savior?

The immense popularity of 20-over-a-side cricket is still a bit disconcerting to the traditionalists amongst us, but its appeal is understandable. It offers sustained excitement and a shorter game that one can actually watch without taking a day off from work. Most importantly however, the shorter time-span makes the game a great leveler. It is way easier for a minnow to win a shorter game against an established team. So if minnows want to play, they should play twenty20s and leave ODIs to the big boys.

Does this mean the rise of the twenty20 and the death of the ODI as we know it? Well, if it does, then so be it. Everything must evolve. As the World Cup and also Cricinfo’s recent list showed, fewer and fewer ODIs are close games these days. As far as tactics go, there isn't a whole lot of mystery left. Teams know how to win from a winning position, so that a 7-hour game is often decided in the first 45 minutes. And if this trend continues, then what’s the point? This is not something we can even blame on the ICC or the television companies, as we have become so wont to do these days.

The ICC is usually blamed incessantly for packing in tournaments close together, but it's interesting to note that nobody is complaining about the twenty20 World Cup which is to be held in South Africa at the end of this year. That's because the cricketing community is yearning for change, excitement, and something to look forward to. Perhaps we are quietly confident, after the series of disappointments that the ODI World Cup became, that the shorter version will be the explosive revival our sport desperately needs.

Cricket needs to either change as rapidly as the world around it - with increased globalization, shorter attention spans, and less leisure time to watch sports - or else stubbornly refuse to ever change and stay put firmly where it is. This slow crawl into the 21st century is neither here nor there, and it’s leaving us all frustrated.

Co-authored by Billu @ www.billu.net

OmarLovesCricket is back

Hey fans! Yes, I'm talking to the 3 of you still reading my blog! Omar Loves Cricket is now back on the reg-u-lar. Sorry for the delay and the lapse folks. Being busy at work was the primary reason. Allow me to list the other reasons exactly why I didn't publish over the past month.

1. Work. Yes, Work, meetings, project deadlines
2. Boring bloody world cup. Not much excitement, right?
3. I started playing World of Warcraft again. I am a Tauren warrior. Don't hate.
   
4. Family was visiting from here and there
5. That's about it, really

See you guys on the blogosphere!

Omar @ OmarLovesCricket

Imran Farhat's father in law has declared war

Not really sure why Imran Farhat is complaining to his father in law about not making it into the team. That makes him even more a pussy than we thought him to be. Here is a picture of Farhat getting bowled and looking like a fool.

So apparently Farhat phoned the selectors asking them why he hasn't been included in the squad. Well, Farhat, you're not exactly a great player, plus you wear a bandana. And lastly, you make your daddy-in-law fight your battles for you.

The selectors have put him on probation for 6 months. Does this mean he can't play for the international team for 6 months? Let's hope so...

Cricket Hall of Fame?

Didn't even know a cricket hall of fame existed. I also didn't know that it's in Hartford, Connecticut. How odd? Here is the email I got regarding Mushtaq Mohammad's induction ceremony.

On September 22, 2007 Mushtaq Mohammed will be one to the International cricket players to be inducted into the International Cricket Hall of Fame located in Hartford, CT.

He has graciously accepted his nomination and will be present at the ceremonies. Ceremony will be held at the Hartford Downtown Marriott.

A table of ten is rated at $600.00 and a single ticket is $70.00. All of our inductees receive a hall of fame ring valued at $1000.00, the person or people who sponsor the ring will have the honor of presenting that ring to Mr. Mohammed.

Alrighty, the website says its an open bar too. Sweet!

The international inductees have a lot of West Indians on the list. Maybe I'm ignorant, but I have no clue who the local inductees are. Are they the local Hartford Connecticut stars? Not sure...

Too many allrounders in Pakistan squad for Abu Dhabi series

One would have thought thing might have changed with a new selection committee, new captain, and new goals for the PCB after the disastrous World Cup. But seems like they are continuing the trend of pumping the side full of allrounders. Since Inzamam and Younis Khan are not in the ODI squad, the logical strategy would be to search far and wide for some authentic middle order batsmen. I liked the 31 member camp before this squad was selected. It seemed like they were on the right path. There were plenty of specialist batsmen in that unit.

Why in the world do we require 8 chaps to bowl in every team that goes on to the field? This squad has no less than 10 bowlers, 5 of which are specialist!

Bowlers: Mohammad Asif, Mohammad Sami, Umar Gul, Rao Iftikhar, Najaf Shah.

Allrounders: Shoaib Malik, Mohammad Hafeez, Shahid Afridi, Fawad Alam, Abdul Razzaq

Batsmen: Yasir Hameed, Salman Butt, Imran Nazir,Mohammad Yousuf, Kamran Akmal (?)

We have no batsmen
Out of the remaining members, Imran Nazir also bowls a bit, which I suppose counts for something, because he can't bat too well. Salman Butt is back the squad. It is his turn after all, while Mohammad Yousuf is the only guy on the team who can actually bat. Akmal is no batsmen. On a side note, I hope they don't make him open. Even I am better than him against a seaming ball. In fact, this should be a sub-heading.

Please don't make Akmal open
Not much more to say about this. He sucks.

I feel bad for Yasir Hameed
He went to South Africa just before the WC in the squad. Now he gets selected for the next tour right after the World Cup. Yet he wasn't good enough for the WC. He must be cursing the PCB...as am I. Fucking douchebags!

Fawad Alam makes the squad. Will he make the team though?
Ahmer should be pleased as hell about this selection. It was deserving, it would seem, from the mountain of runs he has scored on the domestic circuit. I wish it was in place of Razzak though, rather than alongside him. They bring the same thing to the table. I doubt they will both play.

Pakistan Cricket Board refuses Richard Branson's Virgin Airlines sponsorship

Billionaire Virgin Business Group boss, Richard Branson has offered to sponsor the Pakistan cricket team, currently reeling after a string of tournament defeats....

However, the embattled Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has politely refused the generous multi-million-pound offer by the cricket-mad magnate. As one harassed Board official snapped: "We can't have VIRGIN written on our shirts, when we're getting fucked in every match!"

Congratulations Australia - Finally it's over!

Australia were clinical throughout this tournament and they bludgeoned the Lankan bowlers in the final as well. Too bad the weather didn't allow for a complete game, but at least the winner was obvious towards the end. Playing in complete darkness for the last 10 overs was the stupidest thing I've ever seen. This WC has been the worst that I've witnessed.

I guess we'll find out over the next few days about what really went on between the umpires, Ponting and and Jayawardene, but for now, it's all about Australia. They rocked the entire time, they won convincingly and thoroughly deserve the accolades.

Somehow, or the other, the rest of the World needs to figure out just how to beat these bastards...

World Cup 2007 final - Sri Lanka vs. Australia

1300 GMT
Too bad Vaas is being pummeled around a bit. Usually he's the conservative one. This does jar Jayawardene's plans a bit. Also there is no movement on the wicket or in the air. A bit surprising. 46/0 after 10 overs. Australia looking good right now, but this is their lowest 10 over score to date in this World Cup.


1305GMT
Great. Fernando just got smacked by Gichrist for 16 runs. He dropped a really difficult chance too. At least they have Hayden quiet for the time being. Bring on Murali. Oh wait. Murali's on. Cool. Someone out there is listening to me!

Bring me ice cream!

Hmm...that didn't work out as well.

Decent first over from Murali.

1330GMT
God damn Gilchrist. 112/0 after 17 and the 2nd power play is left. This is awful. I think 270 is what they are aiming for. 240+ is difficult to get. Atherton is right. In the shorter form of the game, Australia hold the advantage. They have the big power hitters. Sri Lanka have just Jayasuria and Tharanga compared to Gilchrist, Hayden, Ponting, Symonds, and Watson. And as I write this, Gilchrist smashes another 6. This is carnage...

1507GMT
281/4 is the final score. I guess Sri Lanka did well to restrict the Aussie to under 300. At one point, one assumed a score of 320 was possible. What was interesting is that they scored at 7.5 runs/over throughout their innings. Though the desire was there, there wasn't an acceleration at the end to 9 or 10 runs an over. Anyway, I think Australia have batted Sri Lanka out of this game. I just Jayasuria can get them close.

1631GMT
couldn't. Okay. The Sri Lanka are 100/1 needing 8.16 runs/over. Could this be the game? Can this be the partnership. Sangakarra and Jayasuria are waking up. The last 5 overs have yielded 54 runs. The pitch feels the same to me, but it was strange how Bracken was swinging the ball while Vaaspowerplay is over. These guys need to stay at the wicket and keep getting a boundary every couple of overs. Or someone just needs to go berserk. I volunteer Jayasuria.

This is looking like a great game! The crowd is electric. Wow. This is what was missing throughout the cup. And this is what a Caribbean crowd is supposed to sound like! It's not too late for this crappy tournament to end on a high.

Dammit. It's drizzling.

Oh, and Red Sox - Yankees. Top of the 2nd. Game still tied.

Retarded Dishnetwork Rap video

Oh my God. Here is the video. This song is terrible.


Hahaha. This is fucking hilarious. Check out that thug at the back carrying a cricket bat! haha

I hate the World Cup Song

Man, dancehall totally isn't my thing, but why the fuck do they have to put the World Cup song on repeat while we're waiting for this match to start.

Play, in this beautiful game
Where the rules and aim
Remain the same
It's the game of love unity

What fool came up with these lyrics? This is pretty dumb. They even got their facts wrong. How do the rules remain the same? Every WC format has been different. Then they add power plays. Anyway, even if they do, what a silly thing to sing about. Does the songwriter even know what cricket is about? I'm sure there are other things to sing about. Like fast bowling, wickets, the pitch, match fixing and nandrolone....

Anyway, this song is pissing me off. Oh, and don't even get me started on that retarded rap about countries and sixers, that's alternating with the WC song, and spit out by two tripped out idiots.

Oh for heaven's sake. Change the CD! I wonder if other markets around the world are getting this shit too? Or is it just us in the US suffering....

Sri Lanka has my support, but Australia holds my bet

Comparing the Aussies and the Lankans isn't terribly hard. Both are two very different teams.

Sri Lanka has a more varied bowling attack. Yet their 4th specialist bowler is the weak link. Australia on the other hand have 4 bowlers, who on the whole, may be a bit more one-dimensional, as compared to the Lankans, but are more effective. Both teams utilize their all-rounders for the 5th bowling option, so they are pretty much even out there.

The glaring difference is the middle order. Sri Lanka's middle order, is nowhere close to Clarke, Hussey and Symonds. Their is an over reliance on Jayasuria, Tharanga, Sangakarra and Jayawardene.

Though I really want Sri Lanka to win, I feel this over-reliance on the top order will be their downfall. But it can't be helped now. I was thinking maybe giving Attapattu a game earlier might strengthen the batting, but its too late for that now. If I were Sri Lanka, I would bat first, because I don't think their batsman can withstand a pressure of a chase against the Australians. Their strength is their bowling, and Jayawardene knows how to utilize his bowlers to apply the pressure and get 10 wickets.

It's going to be tough. The Australians play a brutal game. Sri Lanka is the one team that has looked close to beating the Aussies in this cup. I certainly hope that happens on Saturday...

Is it just me, or has this World Cup been a bit dull?

As an avid fan of cricket, I feel disillusioned with the quality of our sport's premier event. These have been a handful of good games, but nothing much else to speak of. The semi-finals were great cricket matches in their own right, but so much more was expected of them.

One might argue, and say that I am only irritated because Pakistan and India are not a part of the cup, but I don't believe that is the reason. I follow most cricket and watch games that don't involve either country. I think the cricketing world (the bloody ICC) really needs to think about the direction in which they are taking this sport. If people like me, who are born into a cricketing system, are feeling slightly disconnected from the premier cricketing event, then how can we expect new countries and new followers to absorb the game.

Several questions came to mind while discussing this tournament and cricket's state of affairs in lengthy conversations with my friend at Billu.net. These questions will be addressed by us, either in collaboration or individually, over the coming weeks.

1) What is the role of the minnow countries? Is throwing them into the deep end every 4 years really helping them out? Would something regular and structured be more appropriate?

2) Was the format of this World Cup flawed? Was it too middle-heavy (Too many games in a league type structure) with not a lot of room for unpredictability?

3) If the ICC is hellbent upon expanding cricket's reach outside of the traditional nations, then how can it truly attract audiences?

4) Cricket's influence in India, Pakistan, and the West Indies is receding with competition from soccer, rugby and basketball. Should attempts be made to reverse this trend? And if so, how can the ICC go about doing it?

I finally win something!

That's right folks, Omar at omarlovescricket finally wins a competition related to cricket. The email that was sent to me, announcing me as a winner, had this fancy animation on the left.

Does that mean I am now the undisputed name in cricket blogging? No, not really.

So does this mean I am the best cricket quiz taker west of the Suez? No, not really.

Does this mean I owe KingCricket a drink at a bar for picking my name out of his hat. Probably!

So KingCricket held a competition on his blog and I, amongst many people, got the answer right and was lucky enough to be chosen as one of the 5 winners. Thanks to king and thanks to the publishers who held this competition. I received my price, a book entitled, "Penguins stopped Play", in the mail this past week. I haven't read it as yet, but it seems amusing. A review from me is in the works!

However, if you're interested, be sure to check out these other reviews which I came across. Tim de Lisle, who we all know, enjoyed the book and discussed it in the Guardian. While, the book enjoyed some more praise on Sarah Bookarama's blog.

ESPN's E-ticket covering Woolmer's murder

An insanely detailed article regarding Coach Woolmer's murder has just been pointed out to me by my brother. Turns out, ESPN sent one its correspondents to the Caribbean to cover the investigation and the story is thorough, insightful and from a unique perspective.

Shoaib Malik - a poor choice for test captain - Bring back Younis

Well, the good news is that Salman Butt isn't the captain. Butt, naturally would be disappointed. After hearing his name as a possible choice in the media for a couple of weeks, he must have thought to himself, "Well, maybe I can get a game or two now, if they make me captain!" Well, that's not to be. Don't worry Salman, Imran Nazir will soon be out of the team, and you will make a comeback, score a 100, then a 50, then a string of zeros. But, that's not the point of this post.

Good thing Yousuf isn't the captain. Now is not the time to give the responsibility to another devoutly religious man with a beard till his knees. We need focus, we need direction and we don't need distraction from mullas or the tableeghi. We needed change and change is what we have gotten. Shoaib Malik is now the captain, and this blogger is pleased from the point of view of ODI's, but certainly not with tests.

This chap has 16 test matches under his belt, is by no means, a a test player, or a certainty in the squad and is now the test captain? Rubbish. Test match cricket is truly what cricket is all about and if the PCB have any sense of responsibility, they would do their utmost to convince Younis Khan to become the test captain. That would be ideal in my opinion. Shoaib Malik as ODI captain, and Younis as test, with neither playing playing in the other format, so there is no conflict. Shoaib doesn't deserve to be in the test team, while Younis is possibly, the worst 1 down player, Pakistan has ever produced.

Cricket advertising in the US is apparent

I recently read the press release by Directv and Elephant Advertising about bring the World Cup to consumers in the US. Though it came out a month back, a recent billboard advert caught my eye the other day and well...here we are. So this latest drive is pretty much concentrated in areas where Indians live. Perfectly understandable as that is the market these days.

Elephant Advertising has installed over 45 DIRECTV branded plasma televisions across the country in restaurants, grocery stores, community centers, and banks which cater to the Indian American community. The venues selected for this extensive "Public Places Program" have some of the highest foot traffic by Indian consumers in America. The program includes venues across New York, New Jersey, Chicago, Atlanta, Dallas, Houston, the Bay Area, and Los Angeles.

Anyway, while returning from New York, going home towards Jersey, I drove out of the Lincoln Tunnel and saw this enormous World Cup cricket billboard. My digital camera was on me and I just had to take a picture for the blog. So its definitely Sachin and I think, a reflected picture of Lara on that board. Pretty cool, right? And it was right outside the Lincoln Tunnel exit.

Why is Salman Butt a choice for captain?

It's amusing to read news reports claiming Shoaib Malik and Salman Butt are the front runners to take over the captaincy mantle. I assume the decision, which will be taken real soon, will probably be with regards to both the test and ODI teams.

If it is truly for both squads, then its ridiculous because Salman Butt is not even in the bloody squad. On the other hand, Shoaib Malik has played less than 20 test matches. I just hope they're talking about the ODI team...

Though Butt being an option clearly proves that my opener rotation policy is in full effect at the PCB.

On the bright side, I'm glad Younis Khan is thinking about retiring from ODI's. Good riddance.

The PCB are a bunch of fools and will probably bungle this up. Anyway, at this crucial juncture in Pakistani cricket, being as its all a joke anyway, I'd like to raise my hand and officially announce my candidacy for the Pakistan team captain.

Well, if nothing else, would it be possible to scribble my name in between Imran Farhat and Taufeeq Umar when the next opener rotation round comes about?

Is Flintoff overrated as a batsman?

While watching England play these days in the World Cup, I can't help but feel that nothing much is going to happen whenever Flintoff comes into bat. To me, its the start of the English tail, which isn't exactly too great. Agreed, Flintoff is in a big slump as of late, but is he just simply overrated? Raza, who commented on my "Vaughan needs to go" post, is of the opinion that Flintoff is indeed overrated, so I wanted to check out his stats and see what's going on.

Here is Flintoff's run breakdown by year since he made his debut in 99.

Year	M	Inns	NO	50s	100s	HS	Runs	Avg
1999	9	6	0	1	0	50	100	16.67
2000	11	9	1	1	0	84	206	25.75
2001	8	6	1	0	0	46	144	28.8
2002	18	17	1	3	0	52	397	24.81
2003	20	20	6	6	0	*70	631	45.07
2004	14	13	2	2	3	123	633	57.55
2005	18	15	1	2	0	87	490	35
2006	7	7	0	0	0	41	102	14.57
2007	15	14	2	1	0	*72	330	27.5
Overall (9)	120	107	14	16	3	123	3033	32.61

His overall batting average falls from 32.61 to 30.81 if one removes the minnows. Here is his performance in ODI's by opponent.

Versus	M	Inns	NO	50s	100s	HS	Runs	Avg
Australia	21	19	1	1	0	87	519	28.83
India	21	20	1	4	0	99	580	30.53
New Zealand	11	11	1	1	1	106	277	27.7
Pakistan	14	14	2	3	0	84	443	36.92
South Africa	6	6	1	1	0	54	129	25.8
Sri Lanka	10	9	1	1	1	104	222	27.75
West Indies	11	9	1	1	1	123	295	36.88
Overall (13)	94	88	8	12	3	123	2465	30.81

It's pretty consistent and thus doesn't tell us much, but its important to put it up to indicate that its not the opponent that's the problem. What about batting position?

Position	Inns	NO	50s	100s	HS	Runs	Avg
Opening
No. 3	9	1	0	0	*42	143	17.88
No. 4	11	0	2	0	52	260	23.64
No. 5	40	8	9	3	123	1448	45.25
No. 6	34	3	3	0	84	808	26.06
No. 7	12	2	2	0	64	358	35.8
No. 8	1	0	0	0	16	16	16
No. 9
No. 10
No. 11
Overall	107	14	16	3	123	3033	32.61

Well, he currently bats after Collingwood at number 6, yet even this graph isn't too telling. It does show us, however, that he is uncomfortable against the new ball, which isn't exactly news either. As an aggressive stroke maker one would expect a hard seaming ball to disturb him. He has been tried at one-down with not much success.

So obviously he is in a slump in the past two years, and his confidance is shot, but he had an average of 35+ from 2003-2005, so I can't conclude that he is overrated. His average over 13 innings in 2004 was almost 58, including 3 centuries against New Zealand, West Indies and Sri Lanka. That's no fluke by any stretch of the imagination.

But his position in the lineup is what irks me most. He is no 4 down batsman, and England should get a proper middle order batsman and shift Flintoff down by 1 to 5-down. I wrote something similar a couple of weeks ago, asking for my reader's opinion. The Atheist suggested a change of approach, rather than a change in batting order. Its true, but a change of approach doesn't solve the problem of a weak late middle order. England aren't aggressive enough when they really need to grab the bull by the horns. Nixon and Flintoff just don't have the ability to last 10 overs. And KP can't be expected to do everything with regards to approach, can he? Homer, in my opinion, made more sense and suggested inserting Dalrymple up the order, as he is a grafter, and can buy England some time in the middle and save Flintoff for some big hitting at the end.

Thoughts?

Vaughan needs to go

If England wants to be competitive in the one day arena, then they really can't afford to bugger around with a useless contributor like Michael Vaughan. For a while, it was amusing that Vaughan was playing, more so as a captain, rather than a batsman, but how long can this facade go on?

It's pretty much expected from the opposition that England will be losing their openers pretty soon after they start batting. Vaughan has had a terrible World Cup as a batsman, and he hasn't done anything to extraordinary as captain either. I would let Ed Joyce play with Strauss at the top. At least Joyce has had some success in this WC, while Strauss is just out of form. As far as ODI's go, Vaughan has never really ever been in ODI form. In fact, his position in the ODI side has always been debated. He's a good test opener, but in ODI's, every person needs to contribute accordingly and England are feeling the brunt of losing wickets at the top of the order too fast. One can't expect the middle order to bail them out every time. On that note, Collingwood, Bell and KP are doing a great job, but is it fair to ask them to score 80% of the runs?

Sure, Strauss failed today, but Vaughan has failed in the last 6 games. Might as well bring Joyce back in and pull out Vaughan. At least England will get some runs out of it. If they desperately need captaincy, Vaughan can bring in the drinks and dictate field placings and what not from the sidelines. It's what is best for England...

England frustrate me. They had the game by the throat at 160/2 at the 30th over, and they let the friggin Australians go.

Concept of 'reserve day' doesn't sit well

The West Indies - Australia game, dated March 27th, spilled over to the reserve day on the 28th and was eventually won by Australia by 100+ runs. Now I am not such a big fan of this concept of a reserve day. An ODI cricket match should be played within a single day, or abandoned completely. It is not fair on the teams, for a match to spill over to the next day, because the circumstances are different. According to the rules of the tournament....

From cricinfo...
Every match has a reserve day although every effort will be made to complete the game on the first day, with over reductions being used throughout. Only if each side is not able to face 20 overs on the scheduled day will the reserve day be used. In the event of the reserve day being needed, the match will be continued and not restarted.

Naturally, the biggest difference is that there is more rest for the players to play another day. But what happened with the West Indies was, that they played 3 straight days of cricket during that time which is just awful.

Playing on the second day, the team think-tanks also get more time to think about strategy, to reassess the situation and bowl accordingly. Cricket relies heavily on environmental conditions and the advantage and/or disadvantage of the toss or the conditions is nullified.

I agree that the reserve day is there for the fans, so that we can watch a full 100 overs of cricket. That's all well and good, but it doesn't disguise the fact the match isn't the same anymore.

Fake Cricinfo frontpage during the World Cup 2011

I've certainly been uploading a lot of fake headlines today! Anyway this was hilarious. The good folks at the Cricinfo commentary team for todays SL-WI game referred us to this Indian cricket forum where this picture was uploaded. Brilliant.

Mock interview with Inzamam

Interviewer: Hello Inzi ...
Inzi: Bismillah-ur-Rehman-ur-Rahim ... first, thanks to Almighty Allah for this interview and ...
Interviewer: Of course ... so tell us, what made you finally resign your captaincy and retire from One-Day cricket?
Inzi: Bismillah-ur-Rehman-ur-Rahim ... firstly, thanks to Almighty Allah, the boys prayed well...
Interviewer: You mean the boys played well ...
Inzi: No, the boys prayed well ...
Interviewer: Okay, but they did not play well ...
Inzi: No, first comes praying and thanks to Mushy, Saeed Anwar, Yusuf and Junaid Jamshed for leading ba-jamaat prayers ...
Interviewer: But you guys are paid to play, not to pray.
Inzi: No, only Bob, Danish and Shoaib Akhtar play because they don't pray ...but thanks to Almighty Allah, rest of boys prayed well, especially Yusuf and Yunus and Rana and myself who were in good praying form and inshallah we will win this year's Raiwind Tableegh Cup with help from coaching of Mushy and Saeed Anwar.
Interviewer: Right. Now, can we talk about cricket for a change?
Inzi: Why?
Interviewer: What do you mean, why? You're a professional cricketer!
Inzi: Bismillah-ur-Rehman-ur-Rahim, firstly thanks to Pepsi, 160 million peoples hearts were in their mouths when we beat India at Banglore ...
Interviewer: That was two years ago.
Inzi: Yes, I know ... I also learn math in madressa ...
Interviewer: Right. So, what went wrong at the World Cup?
Inzi: Boys prayed well.
Interviewer: I don't care how they prayed, tell me why did you and the
boys play so badly. Why were you guys so spineless?
Inzi: Rumors and propaganda ... only lies, that's all!
Interviewer: What lies and propaganda?
Inzi: That boys don't have spine. Thanks to Almighty Allah all boys have spine! Tomorrow they will say boys don't have leg, arm and groin ... all nonsense!
Interviewer: Inzi, I was talking metaphorically.
Inzi: Yes ... metavetabally ... thanks to Dr. Naseem Phd. MBBS, LLB Advocate ; boys spine, arm, leg, groin intact!
Interviewer: So, about the World Cup debacle. What went wrong?
Inzi: Bob died.
Interviewer: Yes, but the poor chap died after you guys crashed out of the World Cup.
Inzi: Very unfortunate his death ... very unfortunate. I think it was indigestion.
Interviewer: But he died after you guys lost to West Indies and Ireland ... and he did not die of indigestion. He died of stress.
Inzi: No, no, Bob did not have stress fracture ...
Interviewer: Sigh. Why, because he prayed well too!
Inzi: Juniad, Mushy and me try to convert Bob to pray five times like good Muslim mujahid Tableeghi and said to him look how well Rana ball after keeping almighty beard ...
Interviewer: But Rana was terrible with the ball!
Inzi: Because Bob not convert!
Interviewer: What nonsense!
Inzi: No, you nonsense ... if Bob become Muslim Pakistan surely inshallah, mahshalla win cup!
Interviewer: You mean to say since Bob did not become a Muslim like Muhammad Yunus, you lost?
Inzi: Yes. Very unfortunate that he now dead without becoming Muslim.
Interviewer: Well, what about you? Your career seems dead as well.
Inzi: Bismillah-ur-Rehman-ur-Raheem, firstly thanks to Pepsi and Lifebouy and promotion in Tableeghi Jamaat, Allah has given me many money ...
Interviewer: So why not build a hospital or a school ...
Inzi: Inshallah, Mushy, me and Juniad plan to build mosque and madressa in Lords ground.
Interviewer: What? Why a mosque and why on the Lords Cricket Ground?
Inzi: Because last night Mushy, me and Juniad have dreams in which Bob in white shalwar and green shirt and white, white wings told us to build mosque in Lords ...
Interviewer: But Bob wasn't even a Muslim!
Inzi: Rumors, lies, propaganda!
Interviewer: So, you're saying that he was a Muslim?
Inzi: In our hearts he was Muslim ...
Interviewer: Yes, but in his heart he wasn't.
Inzi: Yes, that's why he die of heart attack!
Interviewer: Inzi, sorry to say this, but for long it has been noticed that with all this Tableegi thing, you and some of your boys have started to lose not only your form, but your grip on reality as well ...
Inzi: Yes, but my boys prayed well and I talk metavetabally.
Interviewer: But who the hell cares if boys prayed well!
Inzi: Bob.
Interviewer: All he cared about was you guys playing some decent
cricket!
Inzi: Are you saying my boys are indecent? Firstly thanks to Tableeghi Jamaat, all boys now naik and clean and decent ...
Interviewer: But what about the boys' cricket and form? Not very clean
and decent.
Inzi: Yes but boys prayed well and Bob drop dead.
Interviewer: Sigh. Okay, tell us what was you biggest achievement as
captain?
Inzi: Bismillah-ur-Rehman-ur-Raheem, firstly thanks to Almighty Allah, many boys of team now have beards, and now they all go to heaven when they too die like Bob.
Interviewer: I see. You know, Rameez said that knives await the Pakistan cricket team when they come back, but I think instead of knives usteras, razors and scissors will be more appropriate.
Inzi: Usteras are ban in my team. They are haraam. Look what happened to Bob?
Interviewer: What happened to Bob?
Inzi: He died.
Interviewer: We know that.
Inzi: Yes. It was a shaving accident!
Interviewer: What nonsense!
Inzi: No, you nonsense!
Interviewer: And it's not your team anymore. You're out, gone, finished!
Inzi: No, only Bob gone.
Interviewer: In a recent statement, Junaid Jamshed said he hopes Bob recited the Kalma before he died. What sort of talk is that?
Interviewer: Good talk, good talk ... all boys say Kalma ... we also tell Danish to say Kalma as well ...
Interviewer: But Danish is Hindu. It's like Dravid asking Irfan Pathan to do the bhajan!
Inzi: Yes, yes, I like aloo ke bhaaji also ...
Interviewer: So what next? Who do you think should be the next captain?
Inzi: Saeed Anwar.
Interviewer: But he retired four years ago!
Inzi: Yes, I know ... I also learn math in madressa ...
Interviewer: Never mind. Thank you for talking to us, Inzi. And good luck.
Inzi: No, thanks to Almighty Allah ...
Interviewer: Yes, him too.
Inzi: You are good Muslim. Here, have a Pepsi.

Amusing...Thanks to my dad for forwarding this to me. I think the role of religion in the Pakistani cricket team, jokes aside, really needs to be looked into.

ICC going after YouTube videos - Damn them!

Now this is fucking ridiculous. In the wake of Viacom suing YouTube, the ICC, thinking that its actually an important organization, has ordered YouTube to remove WC cricket footage. Bastards! They now join my infamous "Omar hates cricketers" list.

The ICC has ordered YouTube, the online video-sharing website, to remove World Cup clips claiming copyright infringement. The ICC and the rights holder to the event, the Global Cricket Corporation, took the action after hundreds of World Cup clips appeared on the site.

"We are here to protect the commercial broadcast rights for the ICC and GCC and there is an issue here," Christopher Stokes, the chief executive of online rights protection agency NetResult, which represents the ICC, told Media Guardian.

Go Stoke your balls, fucker! Now the ICC are starting a dangerous precedent. They're actually messing with the fans now. This cannot be good. Even though the ICC has the legal right to do all this, what exactly could they lose by having cricket videos on the Internet? It's good for the game, awesome for the community, spreads the word, and great for us bloggers.

Put blogging aside for a minute, It's great entertainment too as I'm youtubing cricket all the time watching highlights and such of past games. And its past games. I've never heard of the ICC peddling footage of old games. Are they planning on making more money from this? Fuck you if are! This obsession with money needs to be curtailed.

Cricket was the one sport that was so untarnished by commercialism and video ownership. It's rare to find baseball and basketball clips on the net because they have been completely submerged by legality and lawsuits and all the things that make sport boring. I love the fact that if I want to see Umar Gul bowl Laxman and make him look like a fool, I can do in a second. Here it is. This is the beauty of having YouTube for us cricket fans.

YouTube was reported to have agreed to the request and the clips were gradually being removed from the site. However, one of the problems faced is that as fast as the offending clips are withdrawn, more are uploaded. A search this morning showed only a handful of clips from the Bangladesh v India game, and yet a few hours later it was dozens

Naturally. You're messing with cricket fans, and they're not going to succumb so easily. I say we get back at the ICC. Lets surface some videos of Malcolm Speed and some mammals? It's perfectly okay if they we make them on Photoshop and they look really fake. Malcolm is old and old people are offended by everything.

Andrew Miller's response is worth quoting. A snippet...

Does this game know of any other ways to shoot itself in the foot? Only three days ago it was suggested on this website that the events of the past week might serve as a wake-up call for cricket's fiscally obsessed powerbrokers. Fat chance. A game run increasingly by lawyers for lawyers, has deemed it necessary to go to war on the very online enthusiasts who can spread the word of a game whose reputation has been dragged through the mincer.

Announcing the Omar loves cartoons series

So besides loving videos, commercials and cricket, and hating on a few, this blogger is highly amused by cricket cartoons. I'll try and compile some on this blog. Found the first one on this website. It's some British company selling some amusing t-shirts. These Brits have pretty good humor I've got to say.

The batsman swinging in the 3rd frame is a bit reminiscent of Sreesanth's dance.

I miss the India-Pakistan Sharjah games

Yes, I know its completely besides the point, but its my party and I'll cry if I want to.

I loved watching those killer games on TV. Seemed like Sharjah was the perfect avenue, home ground to neither side, and electric crowds, though it seemed like there was always more Pakistani support. Indian fans though must have loved those epic ODI battles too. Remember all those banners that fans used to put up? "Hey Pakistan, It's not Friday anymore.." and so on! Stuff like that?
Too bad gambling and match fixing took Sharjah completely off the cricketing radar. I really hope we can start playing there again. Did you know that that stadium at Sharjah has hosted the most ODI's in the world? I think I'm right. I could double check, but that would involve me doing work. Can somebody double check for me? I will give you an awesome gift.

Plus, this way I can also see if people are still reading my blog!

Anyway, I haven't written in a while, but that's mainly because I have been a bit disillusioned by cricket in general. The loss of our coach, the issues of throwing matches surfacing again, and the plague of crowd trouble in India and Pakistan is disturbing. But rather than be docile and depressed about it, I want to enter into a healthy debate with my readers and will be addressing these issues over the next few days.

Super 8's preview and predictions

India's out and it just got a bit more boring

Though, we all agree, they deserved to go, while Bangladesh thoroughly deserve it!

But still, one can be sad that the clash between India and Pakistan is not going to happen anymore. That was going to be one fun match. But there are still some epic games left. I am looking forward to Eng-Aus, NZ-Aus, and especially SL playing anyone. More on this in a few paragraphs.

Is the criticism on this World Cup's format justified?

I read some dude talking about how just 2 bad games in the first round was more than enough to kick a good side out of the World Cup. He concluded that such a format was not the right one for ensuring that the best teams play each other in the super 8's.

Well, that's retarded! This is the World Cup after all, teams should be playing their best and their hardest, and yes, 2 bad days SHOULD be enough to boot a good team. If they're good, then they should under-perform. Pakistan and India obviously didn't play well and were beaten by better sides on that day. So, I think the fellow's argument is a bit skewed and he is probably just hurt.

Bangladesh and Ireland's chances

Pretty much zilch to be honest, but Bangladesh have a shot for the semis. They have the capability of beating England, West Indies and New Zealand on their day. I hate predicting stuff, plus I am nowhere as good as this chap, so I'll just discuss match-ups and leave the predictions up to you.

My final four

No sooner than I said I don't do predictions, here I am telling you who I think the semi-finalists will be. I lie.

Australia, South Africa, New Zealand, Sri Lanka.

Yes Sir. That's it. No England. No Ireland. No Bangladesh, and no West Indies. Well, maybe West Indies. It's either West Indies or New Zealand, I believe. But I'll probably change my prediction anyway by the time the semi-finals come around and I find out I was wrong. I'll subsequently edit this entry, announce that I was right in my predictions all along, and that I am the best.

Yeah. That's right. It's not so difficult to edit this blog entry. I have the password.

Who do I want as the WC champion?

Sri Lanka! Yup. I really like these guys. Been a big Lanka supporter for years now. I know you couldn't tell. But lets hope these plucky buggers can bring us the World Cup.