The End Of The Road For The Great Wall Of World Cricket

Dravid is standing down today, my favourite all time batsmen at international level
The 36 greatest qualities of Dravid’s batting, words which you can associate with the great which I always keep in my head:

Concentration
Patience
Stamina
Application
Determination
Gutsiness
Grittiness
Mental Toughness
Unflappable temperament
Spirited Resilience
Perseverance
Persistence
Resistance
Endurance
Unfazed character
Discipline
Responsibility
Steadiness
Stability
Solidity
Calmness
Composure
Coolness
Strong defensive technique
Sharp judgement
Resoluteness
Watchfulness
Repetitiveness
Cunningness
Competitiveness
Relentlessness
Restraint
Self Trust
Chanceless
Stodgy accumulation
Graft

The best Dravid knock in my opinion was back in 2004 at Pindi against Pakistan with the series poised at 1-1. It was a package of some great controlled shots right out of the textbook. This was his career best too.

Dravid was cricket’s greatest ambassador, a man who epitomised the value of determination, competitiveness & unflappability in temperament.

The greatest quality of his batting was his RELENTLESSNESS. The ability to trust himself, back himself, being strict with himself, absorbing the pressure & sticking by his limits in tough situations.

The WALL calls it a day - the greatest ambassador cricket has ever seen - the man who has taken more catches than any test cricketer - the man who has faced more deliveries than anyone else in test cricket - the 2nd leading test run scorer of all time - ICC cricketer of the year 2004 - 1999 WC leading run scorer - India's wicket keeper as they were finalists in the 2003 WC - the man who captained India to a historic test series win in England 2007 - the man who was MOTS even when his side were whitewashed in 2011 against a formidable England bowling line up in testing conditions at 38 - Salute Dravid cricket will miss him

Forget the numbers, here is a career defining quote if there ever was one: - " Dravid believed that the best sportsmen were incomplete if they did not conduct their lives with dignity, integrity, courage and modesty, all of which were compatible with pride, ambition, determination and competitiveness. He was the embodiment of his ideals, and that, over an international career of 16 years is as significant as the runs he made or the catches he took." - By Suresh Menon Sports Writer

England In UAE 2012 Tour Stats

Tests
Most Runs = Azhar Ali
Highest Batting Average = Azhar Ali
Most Time At Crease In Balls = Azhar Ali
Most 50s or more = Azhar Ali & Misbah ul Haq
Most Catches = Asad Shafiq
Most Dismissals = Adnan Akmal with 5 more than Prior
Most Wickets = Saeed Ajmal
Best bowling average = Saeed Ajmal
Most Economical bowler on show = Mohammad Hafeez going at under 2
Most Runs In An Innings = Azhar Ali (157)
Most Runs In A Match = Mohammad Hafeez (103 for 1 wicket)
Most Wickets In An Innings = Saeed Ajmal (7 wickets)
Most Wickets In A Match = Saeed Ajmal (10 wickets in the 1st test)
Most 5 Wicket Hauls = Abdur Rehman and Monty with 2 each
Most Maidens Bowled = Monty with 44 in 2 tests
KP, Bell and Morgan all averaged below 14
Most 4s = Hafeez
Most 6s = Misbah ul Haq
ODIs
Most runs = KP
Highest average = KP
Most 50+ = Cook
Most wickets = Finn
Most dismissals = Kieswetter
Highest Individual Score = Cook
Most 4s = Cook
Most 6s = KP
Most catches by non keeper = Trott
Most runs by a Pakistan batsmen = Misbah ul Haq
Highest average by a Pakistan batsmen = Azhar Ali
Most wickets by a Pakistan bowler = Saeed Ajmal
Best economy by a Pakistan bowler = Abdur Rehman
Best bowling figures = Saeed Ajmal
T20
Most runs = KP
Highest batting average = Bairstow
Most wickets = Swann
Best economy = Swann
Best bowling average = Swann
Most catches = Bairstow & Dernbach
Highest individual score = KP
Best bowling figures = Swann & Gul
Most runs from Pakistan's side = Misbah ul Haq (SR in the low 80s though)
Highest batting average from Pakistan’s side = Misbah ul Haq
Most wickets from Pakistan’s side = Ajmal & Gul
Best bowling economy from Pakistan’s side = Mohammad Hafeez
Best bowling average from Pakistan’s side = Saeed Ajmal
Most catches from Pakistan’s side = Umar Gul
Most 4s = KP
Most 6s = Awais Zia

England In UAE T20 Series Stats

Asia Cup 2012

The Asia Cup has been held 10 times since 1984 which was the very first edition & that was held in the UAE. India were the champions of the inaugural edition.

India have won it 5 times (they are also defending champions)
Sri Lanka have won it 4 times
Pakistan have won it just the once in 2000

However, the last time it was held in Bangladesh the Green Shirts won it in 2000

There has never been a Pakistan-India final in the 10 Asia Cups that have been held
Sri Lanka have featured in all of the 10 finals there have been

There has been a Sri Lanka – India final on 8 occasions
There has been a Sri Lanka – Pakistan final on 2 occasions

Just like 2010 only the 4 main Asian Countries will be participating with no UAE or Hong Kong participating like we have seen in the previous editions of 2004 and 2006 when it was extended to 6 teams

This is the 3rd Asia Cup that is being held in Bangladesh after 12 consecutive years. The previous editions were held in 1988 and 2000. Sri Lanka won the one in 1988 here.

India and Pakistan have only held the Asia Cup once before in 1990-91 and 2008
It’s been held in the UAE twice
It’s been held in Sri Lanka 4 times
It’s been held in Bangladesh twice

Player of the Tournament in Asia Cups Previously
2010=Shahid Afridi – India won it
2008= Ajantha Mendis – Sri Lanka won it
2004= Sanath Jayasuria – Sri Lanka won it
2000= Mohammad Yousuf – Pakistan won it

Team Records in Asia Cups
Sri Lanka: Played 40|Won 29|Lost 11
India: Played 36|Won 22|Lost 13|NR 1
Pakistan: Played 31|Won 18|Lost 12 |NR 1
Bangladesh: Played 29|Won 2|Lost 27

Most Runs in Asia Cups: Sanath Jayasuria

Most Wickets in Asia Cups: Murali

All Time Asian XI

Sanath = explosiveness, aggression, fearlessness & valuable 6th bowler with his SLA
SRT = run machine with class, stylishness & elegance at the top to get the 80s-100s

Sangakkara = left handed one down accumulator who will drop anchor with technique

Inzamam = the Sultan of Multan who is exceptional against raw pace, safe hands in the slips

Sourav = left handed bat who can play different situations/positions & handy medium pacers
Imran (C) = genuine all rounder & tactically smart organiser, dictator who can lead men

Dhoni (WK) (VC) = ice cool finisher & reasonably sound behind the stumps

Wasim = prodigious left arm swing, pace & seam & occasional pinch hitter

Vaas = steady line & length with swing in the air & no mug with the willow

Waqar = toe crushing inswing Yorkers at pace with a slinging low round arm action

Murali = off spinning demon, container & wicket taker, unorthodox & mysterious

12th man – Kapil Dev – India’s world cup winning captain in 1983 cannot go unmentioned

Batter of the tour?

For me it’s Azhar Ali

Highest average in the tests

Highest individual score in the tests

Most amount of time at the crease in the tests

Most amount of runs in the tests by a long way

One of 4 players from Pak who made a 50 in the one day series & bear in mind this was effectively his debut one day series

Highest average by Pak batsmen in the one day series with a 58 & 31 in 3 innings, the only Pak batsmen to average in excess of 30

Cook was phenomenal in the ODIs, but was dismissed in single digits 4 times out of 6 during the tests, but didn’t do enough where it mattered in the whites

KP was woeful in the tests, but back to his best in the shorter formats

Misbah was pretty good throughout & regularly amongst the runs in all 3 formats, but Azhar wins this one

The tests carry greater weighting & Azhar was the stand out performer with the bat, but Azhar also did well & produced the goods in the one day format & showed that he can adapt his game to the shorter formats as a technically sound top order batsmen

Why don’t we appreciate the benefits of stability and continuity in leadership?

These two words tend not to be associated with the Greens if history is anything to go by. Recently they have been applied & associated with the Greens more than ever before. We are seeing professionalism, discipline & healthy controversy free environment which are ingredients you need for consistency in performance over a period of time & for the progress to be achieved without problems occurring along the way. Yet virtually everyone is calling for the head of the captain with only 2 series defeats in 18 across all formats of the game in a year where there is an Asia Cup and T20 World championship scheduled. I find this mind boggling to say the least.

Pak need 1 captain across all formats to avoid politics. They have tried many times to have different captains across different formats, but it’s hardly ever worked has it? Remind yourself of the following incidents:-

Younis & Afridi = Younis was captaining in tests & ODIs whereas Afridi was captaining the T20 side in the latter half of 2009. What happened? Younis lost control & support of the players and refused to captain again.

Butt & Afridi = we found out that Butt was deliberately planning to underperform in the one day series in England so that Afridi could be removed. These are clear signs of internal groups developing.

Misbah & Afridi = Misbah was leading exceptionally in tests, there were question marks over Afridi’s performance, conduct & captaincy skills so much to the extent that Ijaz Butt delayed announcing the World Cup captain & decided to name him officially just 2 weeks before the tournament. Surely we don’t want to see the team to be the laughing stock of world cricket again due to indecisiveness & uncertainty over how they are moving forward?

Historically great captains have captained their sides in all forms of the game for a length of time. All teams should aspire to achieve greatness. In order to stand a chance of even achieving greatness different leaders for different formats is not the way forward.

We need to stop thinking emotionally or on individual likes & dislikes, but rather think logically & realistically about the best way forward for the team which comes before anything else. Continuously changing captains on a yearly basis when there are no major problems or mitigating circumstances will serve no purpose. Misbah has been praised highly from all corners and we should get behind him and more importantly his team. Why can’t we accept that we a need a leader like him at the fore? Is it really that difficult? His rein has been a memorable one. Why suddenly panic?

Reply: “But he’s 37”.......

Age is no barrier, age is just a number. He has the form, fitness and hunger. There is stability and continuity, the time is not right time to move a side or stand down. Misbah started his career late at 25 domestically so the body will still be in shape & not as worn as a typical 37 year old who’s been playing at major levels since 18/19. With the exception of this LOI series the results are coming through extremely well. Many players internationally have played late in their careers & served well for their teams. We play in the present, not in the future. Moreover, at least he keeps a genuine age identity rather than a deceptive one so he’s not all that old by Pakistani standards if we view if from this angle.