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Younis, you did it again, I Imran have not done it since Jemima left me .. er .. I mean I haven't lost a test series so badly for a long long time. So what went wrong with Pakistan. The only thing predictable about Pakistan is their unpredictability, in fact unpredictability seems to be their ability. So what went wrong with Pakistan.
Well, firstly I'm not there. Unlike Shoiab Akhtar's bowling I can't be everywhere. So I'm not there, that's reason number one. There's no sanity either; anyway it hasn't been very sanitary with danish kaneria abusing, but there's no sanity. There's no vanity either now that I'm not there. There's absolutely no sanity left in Pakistani cricket. Younis has resigned from the Pakistani T 20 and they want him back. The only person Pakistani cricket wanted back was me, when they asked me to come back for the 1992 World Cup. How can they want someone else back? It must be because You and I, Younis and Imran share the P factor, the Pathan factor, yes that must be it.
If Pakistan cricket wants sanity back it's time to bring Shoaib back. If nothing else it'll improve the accents in the team.
by Mohit Varma
Imran Khan: You did it again
sri lanka puts a perfect case for...
four days test cricket...
...over to you damith...
- scorecard
The 94 runs later addiction
Younis on 306, and we’re already thinking Inzi’s record, Hanif’s record, Lara’s record, 400. That’s akin to a new day, Younis starting his innings, on 6, and we’re already thinking 100. Or is it?
Bored Banner watch - "i like your hairstyle Ramiz Raja, please give me some tips." And to think, just a few minutes back, Ramiz's hairstyle struck me as a good cartoon option. Think Chuck Norris.
Rs. 1 million announced for Younis Khan if he reaches 400 by some suit.
The millions' gone.
210.2
Fernando to Younis Khan, OUT, Gone! Good length on the off stump and jagged back in sharply, gets on the back foot to defend but was bowled through the gate, end of an absolutely superb innings by the Pakistan captain, unfortunate to have missed out on the record but he's ensured his team saves the first Test after facing a mammoth score of 644 from Sri Lanka
Younis Khan b Fernando 313 (836m 568b 27x4 4x6) SR: 55.10
Married to test cricket in Karachi.
by Q
I completely agree that the pitch is not what's right for tests and that its not a good advertisement at all. Either way, Pakistanis in general have stayed away from the grounds for tests, even from the interesting ones like the ones against India in Karachi and the England series in 2005-06..
Most fans watch test cricket on TV.. Having said that, in all honesty, this test match has not been boring even for a minute for me.
Initially I was excited about Sohail and Khurram making their debuts..
Secondly, I was interested to see how Pakistan survive the threat of Murali and Mendis..
Trust me, when uve been deprived of test cricket for 14 months and get to watch ur team try to save a match, its anything but boring..
I'm in a house in Pakistan where 40-50 of us relatives have gathered for my brother's wedding - all of them have been glued to the tele. That just shows that it's not been boring for us Pakistanis :-)
On the stats front. Well there are 12 frontline batsman playing in this test. All of them have got their chance to bat. Only 1 has reached a triple and another 2 a double. Sure the pitch is flat, but it takes something more than that to get to 200 and 300...
Younis and Samaraweera have played flawless innings... and given another pitch and a more potent bowling attack with this kind of determination and will (younis) and aggression (samaraweera), I reckon they would have gotten the same scores.
Having said all that, I agree that the pitch is not right.But that cannot take away from the achievements..
Stop press, stop TV: Younis Khan doubles up.
The third double in four days. Ten Sports just couldn’t take it, neither could Hathway Cable. Is it a service to the cricketing community to be off air? Can they abandon a test after 3 ½ days, or does Faisal Iqbal need to score some runs, now that he’s made it back again. Javed Uncle will be happy. It’s been 8 years since his debut, more than 14 months since his last test, (at least he has something in common with his teammates) and a nowhere test average of 25. But he has scored one hundred, that too against India, and at Karachi, where else.
Karachi Halwa.
Ok, here’s the recipe for Karachi Halwa. Or you could be a batsman at the National Stadium having your just desserts.
Anyone who has watched all three days so far deserves a medal, or a pudding – that would be the commentators, players, security, and of course, Chacha, the most demonstrative fan of Pak cricket.
Ideally, for a report on this test, Chacha would be a good bet. Imagine, enthusiasm where none exists. Sweet.
‘I am the best but Abdul Qadir hates me’
That was the best banner inside the National Stadium, Karachi. Not there were many others, but Waqar Younis on air laughed honestly.
It was not an amalgamation of his Aussie-Cockney-Punjabi-accent. It was honest like his inswinging Yorkers.
Full marks to Younis for that laugh, many commentators you know would’ve glossed over with a subdued titter, off air.
Later, at the fall of Butt, with 9 balls to be bowled, in walked the other Younis. The new captain, Younis Khan.
If it was England, they would’ve sent a nightwatchman for the nitwatchman.
Means, Anderson would’ve been saved for later, and the 12th man would’ve stepped out to bat.
Cheats, every last one of them. Except for anybody with the name Younis in his name.
PS: Abdul Qadir is chairman of selectors, Pakistan
Pakistan vs. Sri Lanka, first test in a really long while.
It can’t be easy for Pak, playing as they are a test after 14 months.
Something strange was bound to happen. But this, even by Paki standards is bizarre.
The travelling salesman team
Rings the doorbell and catches you napping twice in two days.
The game starts at 12.30 pm IST, cuts right through lunch, and then eats into dinner. That’s the least of it. Two ODIs in two days. (20th, 21st Jan, Karachi). If it weren’t for the BCCI’s leniency, may have been two ODIs in one day. One day game, one night game. Added up they would have made one Day Night Game. Here we are with two Day Night games, a two day break, and a Day game.
Then the Lankans travel back to host the Indians: 28th Jan – 10th Feb. 14 Days for 5 ODIs and a T20 game. That’s more like it. Two day breaks, and back to the grind.
Then the Lankans travel back to Pak for two tests. Which again are not played on the same days. Thank you BCCI. Cricket would be crazy without you.
PS: Why isn't India staying on for a Valentine's Day game?
You may find yourself
You may find yourself in a strange room with a talking head on TV. You may find yourself in want of Ten Sports but the remote doesn’t yield. You may find yourself scheming with a waiter who conjures ten sports out of thin air. You may find yourself still 20 minutes from match time. You may find yourself asking him to block the channel till your return.
You may find yourself, 23 minutes later, in a strange room at the 5th ball of the first over that’s a no ball. You may find yourself ordering adarak ki chai. You may find yourself actually watching a Live International cricket match in Karachi. You may find yourself feeling good for a Paki blogger you know.
You may find yourself watching Sanath getting out to a no-ball in a sweet shop at half past noon on 20th Januray, 2009. You may find yourself watching Shoiab Akhtar bowl once more. You may find yourself at Bored Cricket Crazy Indians.
