Character and leadership fault lines of Pakistan Cricket
By Aamir Bilal
The fourth day of second cricket test and the first of 2010 between Australia and Pakistan at Sydney would be remembered in the annals of Cricketing history not as yet another defeat of Pakistan team, but a pathetic display of reckless shots, butter-finger fielding, lamentable wicket keeping and spineless leadership.

Barcelona's six trophy haul: A story of renaissance
How Frank Rijkaard paved the way for Barca's 2009 success?
By Umaid Wasim
The greatest story of sporting triumph in 2009 was arguably FC Barcelona's unprecedented six-trophy haul. Barca won the Spanish Primera Liga, Copa del Rey, UEFA Champions League, Spanish Super Cup, UEFA Super Cup and finally the FIFA World Championship to be crowned World Champions at the end of 2009 to cap off a fantastic year for the club players, management and its loyal supporters. The fact that the Catalan club were in doldrums in 2003, however, makes Barca's success story even more remarkable.

Day-night matches: medicine for ailing Tests?
By Abdul Ahad Farshori
The first officially recognised Test match commenced on 15 March 1877, contested by England and Australia at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, where Australia won by 45 runs. England won the second ever match (also at the MCG) by four wickets, thus drawing the series 1-1.

 

 

Character and leadership fault lines of Pakistan Cricket

By Aamir Bilal

The fourth day of second cricket test and the first of 2010 between Australia and Pakistan at Sydney would be remembered in the annals of Cricketing history not as yet another defeat of Pakistan team, but a pathetic display of reckless shots, butter-finger fielding, lamentable wicket keeping and spineless leadership.

The so called professionals looked like a bunch of street players guided by a lost soul who was biting his nails in utter frustration in the middle of the field with no answer to the flowing reply of Australian tail in the first session of 4th day.

The life of Pakistan bowlers would have been far easier had Kamran Akmal held even fifty percent of catches that he dropped in the second test. But the most amazing role was that of Pakistan captain Mohammed Yousuf and his support staff comprising of three coaches and one manager who were unable to give a word of advice to the talent-laden Pakistan batsmen who were crumbling and choking under the pressure of 176 runs lead.

One can imagine what would be our fate, had there been an insurmountable target of three hundred plus to chase. It is also unfortunate that whenever such situation arises, we sweep the facts under the carpet and pass the bucks to change of climatic conditions, biased umpiring and injury to players.

The fact of the matter is that serious fault lines exist in our cricket system, its management and players. It is now an established fact that talent alone is not enough to win matches. In fact talent only affects twenty percent of the match outcome. Rest of the eighty percent is all mental and psychological.

I really don't know what Pakistan team captain, coach and manager discussed on the third night of Sydney test. But whatsoever strategy was conceived and agreed was disastrous, lacking in imagination and game plan. The team leader failed to inspire his team and connect them to the larger picture. The team seemed anchored in its past defeats and was unable to rise above the immediacy of unseen fear of Australian bowlers that ultimately broke their back.

On the other hand Ponting and his team were focused and had a definite game plan. Thanks to Michael Hussey and Peter Siddle for taking the responsibility and executing the vision of team management. Ponting while acknowledging the effects of his team said, "Those sorts of totals are always hard to chase but what Michael Hussey and Peter Siddle did today and what bowlers did and probably more importantly today what the fielders did" conveyed everything that a true leader who was intrinsically motivated with strong character had to say.

Great performers do not necessarily begin their lives or pursuits as great performers. They work at getting into a habit of seeing the things in positive ways and imagining themselves performing and achieving what they want. Most of the world class performers including Ricky Ponting and his teammates have highly developed imagery skills out of which they create positive focus for excellence. They draw on positive memories, recall the focus and feelings of previous best performances, and create positive vision of the future, as they did in the Sydney test to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat.

In the backdrop of this defeat there is a need to look into the entire cricketing effort of the country from top to bottom. Pakistan Cricket Board draws its inspiration from its patron. I am not a political person, but I know that it would be unfair to draw parallels between Nelson Mandela and Mr Zardari, the president and patron of PCB. It was Mandela who used rugby to help unite their country, which was racially and economically divided in the wake of apartheid. Mandela had a vision and believed in the universal language of sport and he gave them the necessary inspiration by taking interest and time, and the team gave the nation the gift of 1995 Rugby World Cup.

Second in the hierarchy but practically at the top is Chairman PCB. Appointed by the patron and not elected has always been in the eye of the storm. The life of Chairman PCB is never easy, especially when you are 70 plus, as he seldom gets time to focus at the actual cricketing issues. As he is not an elected chairman he always finds it difficult to deal with the elected members at all levels. In order to relieve this internal pressure, the Chairman mostly focuses at ICC affairs and leaves the dirty domestic cricket affairs to director domestic cricket, which usually eats dust and hardly produce any tangible results in the absence of necessary support from the top.

There is absolute lack of transparency in the selection process of Pakistan Cricket team. Many players who perform outstanding results in domestic cricket are not picked for national camps. Their cricketing life usually ends up in national "A" team with few compensatory tours and contracts.

Cricket is Pakistan's most followed game and winning and losing is a part of game, but what matters is the way you win or lose.

Though Pakistani fans have highly charged emotions but they deserve to know about the cricketing affairs of their cherished team. Pakistan team now faces serious leadership challenges and so does the entire nation.

Sport is indeed a true reflection of its people and their character. A team without a resolute leader and his mental strength is nothing, but a house of cards. If you want to witness the real display of character and inner strength than I would suggest you better watch the film "When we were kings", which chronicles the fight of Muhammad Ali against Gorge Foreman in Africa.

The time has now come not only to identify the character and leadership fault lines of Pakistan Cricket but to sincerely address the issues and fix all the operational and administrative problems of PCB and Pakistan team. This may not be an easy task for the old commander who has a compromising fleet of incompetent captains under his belt. The accountability has to start from the top. Heads have to roll and systems have to be evolved. PCB seriously needs the services of professional sport management experts, people who have knowledge not just playing cricket but of developing cricket as an industry.

How ironical it is, that Pakistan has acquired the services of Intikhab Alam as the coach who himself does not believe in any coaching philosophy. He had been lucky at occasions but now he has to either come up with solid coaching plans, or quit the position for relatively younger person who has the qualification and experience of modern day cricket.

Above all PCB now must acquire the services of "sport psychologist" and not just a clinical psychologist on long term basis who besides working on the mental and psychological side of the national senior and junior teams, should help in training and build the capacity of local psychologists in relation to sports.

The role of Pakistan Cricket Academy also needs a revision. The PCB cricketing academy must be converted into centre of excellence with the prime responsibility of not only producing world class cricketers but developing them into role models.

Last but not the least, is the role of education institutions with special emphasis to the Universities, and their connectivity with Pakistan Cricket.

But to achieve even minimum out of the above one needs vision, determination, commitment, character, leadership and passion. Would this be just another write up in the newspaper that would fall deaf on the wax filled ears of decision makers, and the Hobart test would be another nail in the coffin of PCB is simply the matter of time. I hope and pray that sanity prevails amongst the PCB top hierarchy and the team should get its acts together for some face saving in the last test. Let's hope they show character and determination.

Aamir Bilal is a qualified coach sdfsports@gmail.com

 

How Frank Rijkaard paved the way for Barca's 2009 success?

By Umaid Wasim

The greatest story of sporting triumph in 2009 was arguably FC Barcelona's unprecedented six-trophy haul. Barca won the Spanish Primera Liga, Copa del Rey, UEFA Champions League, Spanish Super Cup, UEFA Super Cup and finally the FIFA World Championship to be crowned World Champions at the end of 2009 to cap off a fantastic year for the club players, management and its loyal supporters. The fact that the Catalan club were in doldrums in 2003, however, makes Barca's success story even more remarkable.

Barcelona finished sixth in the Spanish League at the end of the 2002-03 season which meant that the club could not get into Europe's premier club competition, the Champions League. A summer of change at the club saw enigmatic Joan Laporta take over the presidency of the club from Joan Gaspart, Dutchman Frank Rijkaard took the managers helm and exciting players like Ronaldinho, Ricardo Quaresma and Rafael Marquez joining the club. Ronaldinho, who was the fulcrum of Laporta's presidential campaign during club elections, however, failed to make an impact in the first half of the season. Barca were languishing on 12th place in the standings at the end of December 2003; far away from the Champions League berths with club supporters rallying to sack manager Frank Rijkaard.

And then, in the January transfer window came Edgar Davids on loan from Juventus till the end of the season. What the diminutive Dutchman did at the club probably saved his former Ajax colleague's job and propelled Barca to become a force to be reckoned with in 2009. With Davids sitting in front of the back-line, Ronaldinho enjoyed more space and finally found his feet at the club. Davids was the driving force behind a brilliant Barcelona recovery which was coupled with Ronaldinho's intricate passing, creative flair and an eye for a goal as Barca ended the season in second place. Davids did not, however, make his move permanent at the end of the season but he had done enough to kick-start a renaissance period at the Catalan club.

Barcelona went to the next level in the 2004-05 season. Rijkaard's philosophy of playing attack minded football as a cohesive unit saw Cameroon striker Samuel Eto'o join from Mallorca, French winger Ludovic Giuly arriving from Monaco and Portuguese playmaker Deco signing from FC Porto. Another acquisition of note was of Swedish hitman Henrik Larsson from Celtic. Barcelona's old guard moved on to pave the way for this new breed of superstars at the club. Luis Enrique and Marc Overmars retired while the Dutch duo of Patrick Kluivert and Philip Cocu left for Newcastle United and PSV Eindhoven respectively.

Barcelona became a force to be reckoned with in the whole of Europe, their attacking performances reverberated across the continent and just when Rijkaard needed a player to play in front of the back-line, another former colleague obliged. Former AC Milan midfielder Demetrio Albertini signed from Atalanta in January and formed a useful partnership with Xavi in the centre of midfield with Deco and Giuly on the wings. With Ronaldinho playing as a second striker behind Eto'o, Barca produced even more exciting football and the club ended their six-year trophy drought with the Spanish League title at the end of the season.

It was now time for Barca to announce their return to European football's biggest stage. Although the team had been good in the Champions League in the 2004-05 season, they were knocked out at the Round of 16 stage at the hands of Chelsea. In an eventful match at Stamford Bridge, Barca, who were leading 2-1 from the first-leg at home, were in the ascendancy after a Ronaldinho brace. The Brazilian magician scored one from the penalty spot and added another after a scintillating display of immaculate footwork to leave four Chelsea defenders and goalkeeper Petr Cech stunned. Barca led the match at half-time with the score 5-5 and Barca in pole position to progress before John Terry intervened with his head to send Barca crashing out of the Champions League; 6-5 on aggregate.

Last season's disappointment added pressure on the Catalans to translate their domestic success to delight in Europe -- and the team obliged. Barca's attacking play made them favourites to win the Champions League title and if it was one team that other European heavyweights wanted to avoid, it was Barca!

Rijkaard knew he couldn't rely on former colleagues to come in and help him in times of dire need and so came Dutch midfieler Mark van Bommel in the summer. It was the anchorman in midfield that was Barca's bare necessity. Van Bommel slotted into the Barca setup spectacularly and with the Blaugurana's attacking players performing so admirably, the Spanish League title was like a walk in the park. The real test came in the Champions League. Barca met Chelsea again in the Round of 16. A 2-1 win at Stamford Bridge put Barca in pole position to progress and a Ronaldinho strike at the Nou Camp was enough to see them through. Wins against Benfica and AC Milan in the quarter-finals and the semifinals respectively saw the Spaniards facing Arsenal in the final in Paris.

Henrik Larsson had been a bit-part player during his time at Barca but he proved that he was not a spent force at the Parc des Princes. In his last match for the club, Larsson came on as a substitute on the hour mark with Barca trailing 1-0 to turn the course of the match by creating goals for Eto'o and Juliano Beletti as Barcelona were crowned European champions.

The next two seasons for the club were of less repute as arch-rivals Real Madrid took over as Spain's top team and the end of the 2008 season saw both Rijkaard and Ronaldinho leave the club to make way for Guardiola and World player of the year Lionel Messi to write a new chapter in the club's history. Rijkaard's philosophy of play of intricate passing and movement has been followed at the club. Barcelona arguably play the most attractive style of football in the world; truly elaborating that why football is called the 'beautiful game'.

There has been talk of Barca's class of 2009 might be the best team that the club has ever had and a lot has been written about it with the team enjoying an exalted status but it was the era of renaissance when Ronaldinho and co. dazzled the Nou Camp and Rijkaard was the manager that paved the way for the club's success in 2009. Had the class of 2003-2006 not been at the club, Barcelona would never have been as unstoppable as they are now!

 

Day-night matches: medicine for ailing Tests?

 

By Abdul Ahad Farshori

The first officially recognised Test match commenced on 15 March 1877, contested by England and Australia at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, where Australia won by 45 runs. England won the second ever match (also at the MCG) by four wickets, thus drawing the series 1-1.

And after 132 years of 'Tests', where we stand right now may seem to be a very sorry state for the longest format of the game.

Take whatever enjoyment you can get out of it while it lasts, because the real gentleman's game is not going to be here for very long. There have been many warning sounds, but none has been louder. Test cricket is under serious threat.

Being able to tune into four Tests around the globe over the past few weeks has provided riveting viewing that One-day or Twenty20 cricket just cannot offer.

Watching Pakistan and New Zealand go head-to-head, India eating up a very good Sri Lankan side, the West Indies team displaying a tremendous amount of heart in their fight Down Under has warmed not only the hearts of the Caribbean public but the cricketing public at large and last but not the least England saving the match from the jaws of defeat, courtesy Graham Onions.

So then why, if the players are producing such entertainment and the matches are ending up in a nail biting thrillers, is the oldest form of the game in such danger?

Surely, as a fan we would like to watch Virender Sehwag going at a strike-rate of over 120 for an entire day than for it to be restricted to 20-over slam-bang, especially if it's boundary-hitting they supposedly want to see?

The answer to that question in one simple word is Greed!

Greed; on the part of administrators who continue to devise schedules that are dominated by limited-overs cricket. With India offering the most lucrative cricket market, television networks queue up at the door of the BCCI, ready to part with millions of dollars for the rights to broadcast games -- limited-overs games, that is!

And as India obviously cannot play themselves, and especially with Pakistan not playing their neighbours at the moment due to political tensions, nations such as South Africa, Australia and England are only too glad to oblige to the BCCI's requests in return for a piece of the lucrative pie.

It is therefore quite ironic that India have moved to the pinnacle of Test cricket, a form of the game that has been devalued on the sub-continent since the creation of Twenty20 events such as the Indian Premier League and Champions League.

We can only hope that the BCCI and the people of India get caught up with the same euphoria that enveloped the nation when Team India won the inaugural Twenty20 World Championship in South Africa back in 2007. A nation that frowned upon Twenty20 suddenly couldn't get enough of it.

With India on top of the world in Test cricket, perhaps it will have the same effect.

Unfortunately, this is simply wishful thinking. On the same day as Gary Kirsten's team went to the top, the BCCI and Cricket South Africa announced that the Proteas tour to India next year will be limited to ODIs, with no Tests being played, as the result of the extension of the IPL.

Kirsten, who cannot say anything publicly in fear of rebuke from the BCCI, must be seething inside, as he remains one of the true believers in Test cricket.

He too thinks Test cricket is not scheduled properly, as he has been quoted as saying in the past that a Test World Championship played over a calendar year must be implemented to preserve the future of the game.

Any sport wants to see the top two teams in the world go head-to-head against each other. And if cricket administrators cannot see the value in that, then not even Barack Obama will be able to save Test cricket.

As part of plans to boost Test match crowds around the world, the ICC has been looking at staging five-day games in a day-night format -- something that currently happens only for one-dayers and Twenty20 internationals.

The ICC is also looking into creating a World Test Championship.

They want to ensure Test match cricket is as popular around world as it is in England. The ECB seems to only have little trouble selling out the first four days of a Test.

Day/night matches were pioneered in Australia in the late 1970s during the 'rebel' World Series Cricket contests bankrolled by media businessman Kerry Packer when 'Super Tests,' with players wearing coloured clothing and using a white, rather than a traditional red, ball.

But it doesn't seem to be the solution of the problem as the popularity of Test cricket in many nations is, now, almost zero and just reshaping the format of the game entirely may not help the cause. It may also result in taking the game away from its roots of white attires and red balls.

But the way Test match cricket has changed over the years, some experts may believe day-nighters as a very good reason for bringing the crowds out.

But Test cricket should be regarded as the pinnacle of the game. It's the form of the game cricketers should seek to play.

And may be just producing a competitive match and pitches that provide a good balance between bat and ball turns out to be the answer to all the problems cause following some recent 'run-fests' on batsman-friendly surfaces that many critics claim have harmed Test cricket.

A careful reconsideration is need of the hour if reputation of Tests is to be saved or it might just be spoken about in the same breath as other relics of the past.



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