| Event: | Australia in British Isles 2005 |
DateLine: 15th August 2005
My old friend Hasib Ahsan has launched a scathing attack upon the cricket establishment for caving in too early to the England and Wales Cricket Boards (ECB) pressure and thus depriving Karachi of a Test match when England tour Pakistan later this year.
He has also had a go at poor (no offence meant!) Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Shahryar Khan, accusing him of surrounding himself with a coterie of friends in a concerted endeavour, with the help of these novices, to destroy Pakistan cricket. Are you not being a bit harsh, old chap? It would, perhaps, not be a bad thing if Hasib were to have a word with one of the senior cricket board functionaries to ascertain the reasons for Karachi missing out before seriously following up his suggestion for the issue to be probed by an independent body. The honorable senators are already in a fairly advanced state of agitation in this and other matters pertaining to the PCB and thirsting for blood. They do not require assistance from another handful of frustrated and disgruntled anti-PCB persons with mayhem on their minds! Such are the people out to destroy Pakistan cricket and not the likes of Shahryar and his team.
Pakistan coach Bob Woolmer has hoped that England will select its best team for the forthcoming tour and one hopes such will be the case. If Englands current form continues, Pakistan will be in for a torrid time. At the time of this writing (at close of play on day two and before play commences on day three), the third Ashes Test is in progress and it is quite evident that, in tennis terms, the score is 'advantage England'. Despite Warne's magic and Lee's pace England piled up 444, helped by captain Vaughans big hundred and good contributions from Trescothick, Bell, Flintoff and wicket keeper Jones. Australia fared poorly and at stumps on day two were tottering at 210 for eight wickets, still 234 adrift and requiring 35 runs to avert the follow on. In the event of Australia following-on, it will be the first instance since 1988 against Pakistan!
This series has seen the world's fastest bowlers in operation. Lee for Australia, Harmison and Flintoff for England have bowled consistently at speeds in excess of 90mph. Hoggard and Jones have been almost as fast and certainly quicker than the medium paced McGrath and Gillespie. Left arm spinner Giles has exploited conditions (bowler's foot marks) to torment Australian batsmen, as did Warne when England batted. In dismissing Trescothick he claimed his 600th Test victim and added three more in the innings. It is evident to a neutral observer such as the writer that England have batted, bowled and fielded better than the Australians. The bowling of 'reverse swing' particularly by Flintoff and Simon Jones has been praiseworthy and something that Wasim Akram and Waqar Younis would be proud of. Flintoff, of course, learnt the art from Wasim when the great left hander played for Lancashire.
I would say that England today boasts the best bowling attack in cricket. The quick bowlers, all well over 6 feet tall, take full advantage of their height to 'hit the pitch hard', as compared to a 'shorter' Lee, who bowls equally fast.
For Pakistan, Shoaib Akhtar and Mohammad Sami will need to be 100 percent fit to bowl consistently fast and maintain a disciplined line and length to counter the England fast men. One hopes that our injury prone quick bowlers will last the course. The contest between Ashley Giles and Danish Kaneira will be interesting. I am ashamed to add that, not withstanding the class of Inzamamul Haq, Yousaf Yohana and possibly Younis Khan, England are a better batting side. And finally, Andrew Flintoff has got to be the best all-round cricketer in the world today... another Keith Miller, but not quite a Garry Sobers? He is also not an Ian Botham Mark II, but simply Andrew Flintoff. It looks as though England will regain the Ashes after 18 years!
(This article first appeared in 'Daily Times on 14 Aug 2005')
(Article: The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author only. This article is published courtesy of Daily Times
Copyright © 2005 Daily Times)
