What are Pakistan trying to do?!

Good morning all and another wet and windy Joburg day. How brilliant. Things looking a bit dodgy for Pakistan though. Some admin crap...still doing the shifting. I'm too scared to move it all before the end of the month because I wanna disable this blog first...Google might get me for duplication of content. Anyways, back to the cricket.

Pakistan are desperate to win this match so we can win the series...so today, when they won the toss (for once) Shoaib Malik took the bat. So far, it is not paying off. Shahid Afridi went out for a duck in the second over...so there's another opening partnership that sucks. And now Yasir Hameed just went out in the 9th over and Pakistan are 20/2...could it be looking any worse?

-Roll eyes- This is so not good! I still think that Pakistan are better at chasing than scoring big totals. Pressure does us good...erm, sometimes. Now Younis Khan and Mohammad Yousuf are out there. Please, they have to do something! Though losing this match wouldn't be the worst thing. We'd still have a chance in the final ODI...but knowing Pakistan, we'd lose that, just from the pressure. Ok, some boundaries being made, but we need some serious slogging and clever shots to get us to a decent total.

Let's leave that mound of depression for a while. In other news, Shoaib Akhtar probably won't be playing in the final ODI, but Nasim Ashraf (PCB chairman) insists that he expects the best from Shoaib and the rest of the squad when they go for the tour of India.

"The tour of India is certainly the most important assignment for our team and is perhaps even more important than the World Cup...I expect that all the players, including Shoaib Akhtar, would be at their best behaviour and give 100%.

"I hope that Shoaib will be a changed man on the tour of India,"

"It is his last chance and we all hope that this time he would not waste it. He also has a point to prove and should give his best to silence his critics who believe he is a spent force."

Why would you put such pressure on the team Nasim? While Pakistan-India is always interesting, it's stupid to say that it's more important than the world cup. India is always a bogey team for us, no matter how well we're performing because there's just so much pressure to win. Why can't you just wish them the best and say you'll be proud of them no matter what the result? Then when they come back, you can ax anyone who played badly, quietly.

And Indian bowler RP Singh thinks that because of the way that India lost to Australia, they will surely win against Pakistan. Yeah RP, that makes so much sense. India lose terribly to Australia...and thus, by the natural balance of things, they should win against Pakistan? Whatever. If anyone should get a beamer, it's him...and Sreesanth. That little goblin annoys me to no ends.

Crap...I really have to stop cursing people. I will leave you all in a depressed state. Pakistan are now 38/3, with Mohammad Yousuf just being run out. 13 overs are now over and it's just Shoaib Malik and Misbah-ul-Haq there to do something. And Kamran Akmal I guess, but I don't really set any hopes on him. And now I shall leave, weeping bitterly.

Bye all!

And another good morning...

Inshallah Pakistan can bank on another win today. I'm not jinxing it but Pakistan have played well today to restrict South Africa to 194 all out. Even with the almost half centuries from Smith and Kemp, South Africa's batting line-up struggled and no-one else could manage to get more than 20 runs. It's very sad...but yay for Pakistan!

Shahid Afridi and Iftikhar Anjum picked up 3 wickets a piece and Umar Gul got two, restricting the South Africans nicely before cleaning up the tail.

Oh crap. Pakistan are now at 58/2. Everyone got tired of waiting for Imran Nazir to click and so Afridi and Yasir Hameed were sent out to open. While it was nice to pass 5 overs without losing a wicket, Afridi went on his usual slog-out, scoring 32 from 18 balls before being caught by Smith with a good catch. Yasir is a bit expensive though. Yes he can stay at the crease, but he doesn't score much and went out for 18 after 46 balls. Another Salman Butt maybe?

Oh well, now Mohammad Yousuf and Younis Khan are at the crease and let's hope they can take Pakistan to the end. This match shouldn't be too hard to win...we are staying above the required run rate, which is a nice low 3.65. No-one should get complacent though and since I had a terrible dream about the match last night, I will seriously be praying for the best.

There isn't any confirmation about whether the last match in Karachi is going to be played but officials say:
"A South African security official will go to Karachi today to assess the situation on the ground there...He is expected to report back tomorrow afternoon after which the situation will become clearer."

Ok, and that's it for today. Pakistan are at 63/2...even if they can't go to Karachi, at least set Faisalabad alight.

Come on boys!

Does Hafeez suck that much? Yes!

Hi all and a busy afternoon. It feels so weird...I think I might have attended my last lecture of campus life...and I have no idea what's around the corner. Oh well, at least the Pakistan team know what's happening with them, even if I don't.

Some news today, which I'll be mostly linking since I'm so out of it.

Pakistan is getting tired of the suckiness that Mohammad Hafeez displays and so have replaced him with Khalid Latif. I have no idea who this guy is, but apparently he did well against Australia A. He's supposed to be a much more reliable opener than the current lot, and he may play in the match after next. Cool, it would be nice to see us with a few runs on the board and not being two down.

I guess that's a plus, but Mohammad Asif is still out for the next match tomorrow, since he hasn't recovered from his elbow injury and it's being considered resting him for the whole series, so he'll be fit for the tour of India. While there is the option of Shoaib Akhtar for the final match (his ban will run out by then), it's still a question whether the final will even be played, as it happens in Karachi, where all the bombs and crap are going on. -Roll eyes-

Finally, Pakistan are putting their feet down and will fight to protect one of their best batsman, after discovering there's a possibility that Mohammad Yousuf could be taken to court for cancelling his contract with the rebel Indian Cricket League.

Naseem Ashraf, chairman of the PCB says:

"The ICL cannot prevent him from playing for Pakistan. Yousuf signed a contract for them but later he cancelled it and since the ICL has not started yet, any other player or he can do this,"

Big words man, big words. Can I say how typical it is for Indian's to screw things up? Lol, but I won't and it's wrong. Cheers all!

Any reason to be afraid?

I really shouldn't update during the last over but I couldn't put off updating any longer. It looks like Pakistan will win this one, Inshallah. They need 27 runs from the last over with Umar Gul bowling at the death. He's very good at this. Unfortunately for South Africa, I don't see them winning this. 27 is a massive effort...and why should they win this? They can win the rugby world cup this evening!

Ok and we won! Yay! First time since I've started writing this blog that we've won something! Well done Pakistan!

Now a brief overview as I have to move on to less interesting things before the rugby World Cup final tonight. I have no idea what the rules are and the only way I'll know South African players is by their uniforms. But I have some patriotism to my country of residence...and rugby is the only way I can do that because I hate the cricket team and would be ashamed supporting such a pathetic soccer team. Anyways, moving on. I know South African's read this...please don't get me wrong, I love SA...maybe not as much as Pakistan but I do have a true affection for my country(s).

Pakistan won the match by 25 runs. Their openers left them lacking as per usual and if it wasn't for the century by Mohammad Yousuf and half century by Shoaib Malik, we would have been in serious trouble. Kamran Akmal went out for a duck (if it wasn't for his average wicketkeeping, he would so be out of the squad) and Imran Nazir followed him a few overs later for 2. If this guy doesn't have a good game next time, he can also kiss his place bye-bye.

A nice partnership was building between MoYo and Younis Khan and it was unfortunate the way Younis went out, caught out of his crease as MoYo waved him back from a run. My favourite captain comes out and has quite a decent innings, scoring 56 from 52 balls (without making a single 4, only 6's, lol). Misbah-ul-Haq started off quite well and scored 21 before being caught by Smith. Shahid Afridi makes me laugh...he plays like me. Hits a boundary and then goes out. He smacked a six off Kallis before going out the next ball. We have to stop thinking of Afridi as a match-winner or someone who can turn things around. Yes he can play brilliantly sometimes, but he's too inconsistent and either does two things under pressure...smashes all around the field or goes out. MoYo only went out in the second last over for a brilliant and match saving 117. The last two overs were a debacle however as Pakistan lost Abdur Rehman and Iftikhar Anjum in quick succession and it was only a 6 and a few quick singles by the tail to bring Pakistan to 265.

I didn't know they implemented the no ball equals free hit in ODI's but I guess they did. Despite an early no-ball, Gibbs goes out for a royal duck. Next to fall was Kallis who also went out without scoring a run. While things were looking pretty for Pakistan...what happened to the fielding performances from the Twenty20?! This was atrocious with numerous dropped catches. Gul dropped Smith in the 11th over...and the next over, De Villiers was dropped as well, both easy catches. Smith was dropped again in the 15th over and I think the man's evolving into the cat with 9 lives. De Villiers put a decent 35 on the scoreboard before going out. During an over by Afridi, Smith basically lobs the ball back at him and Afridi drops it...pathetic.

Kemp couldn't get a good wind and he and Boucher left, not putting much on the board and despite Smith's presence, things were looking good for Pakistan. Smith finally went out in the 35th over and Pakistan should have cleaned up the rest...Pakistan is a team of gentlemen however and they have to give the other team a sporting chance -roll eyes-. Morkel started creating some trouble with Pollock and was dropped in the 39th over. How many dropped catches have their been now? Finally Morkel was run out and Pollock also left by the 46th over. Unfortunately, Pakistan let them go to the last over before SA was 240 all out.

And that's that. Have a good day Pakistani's and Go Springboks!

What to write about...

I didn't think writing a Pakistani cricket blog would be so hard, but wow. Unless there's actual cricket being played, there isn't ever much to write about. Guess I'll have to be creative.

But before then, I'd like to do some shameless self-advertising. You know I love cricket, but football is also something that appeals to me a lot, and in the quest for winning something besides that trophy for hurdles in grade 6, I wrote this article. Obviously, don't bother reading it if you aren't interested in football, but it would be great if you went in there and gave a comment.

Now, on with the cricket...or lack thereof. Graeme Smith obviously had to get sick...I mean, who goes to Pakistan without getting some kinda stomach bug? Unfortunately, I don't think it's gonna hurt him too much. I mean, when you can eat wors in SA (they're these totally gross fat sausages you get here, above...I guess it's an acquired taste...an acquired taste for food that makes you puke) a little Pakistani food can't hurt you. I miss Pakistan...all I think about is food there nowadays. I don't know whether it was because of the fasts or it's because I'm so looking forward to my end-of-year trip there.

Anyways, the cricket will start again on the 18th, with an ODI in Lahore. Good news for the matches though, we'll be having the return of our hungry veteran Shahid Afridi (he's hungry because he was fasting, get it?) and somewhat stars of the Twenty20 World Cup Sohail Tanvir and Imran Nazir.

The rest of the team will stay the same obviously, with the exceptions of Inzamam-ul-Haq (duh), Taufeeq Umar, Danish Kaneria and Faisal Iqbal. Mohammad Asif is a doubt though, but Umar Gul is there to smash a few wickets (I hope).

The official squad is:
1 Shoaib Malik (capt), 2 Mohammad Yousuf, 3 Younis Khan, 4 Shahid Afridi, 5 Salman Butt, 6 Mohammad Hafeez, 7 Imran Nazir, 8 Kamran Akmal, 9 Misbah-ul-Haq, 10 Mohammad Asif, 11 Umar Gul, 12 Rao Iftikhar Anjum, 13 Yasir Hameed, 14 Abdur Rehman, 15 Sohail Tanvir.

Now let's talk about Imran Nazir. I like the guy, I honestly do and not just because he's cute. He has some natural talent and he's flippin' scary when he gets going. The thing I don't like is that he's a maniac who plays like a real idiot sometimes...though I did notice that he was a lot more sober and controlled when injured. So here's my theory. Just before he goes to open, Shoaib Malik gives him a quick knee in the groin...then wishes him a good game. That'll do wonders, I'm telling you! We'll start having century partnerships again!

And that is all. Please guys, please read the article linked above and give a comment or two. It'll make me feel better...seriously.