cricket

Complaining about 'too much cricket' sheer nonsense

Are skipper Inzamam-ul-Haq and coach Bob Woolmer prepared for the testing times ahead in England? It is now officially confirmed that the blue eyed boy of Pakistan cricket is now out for the first half of the much awaited England tour. Shoaib who has been the hero of Pakistan's three match home Test series victory against England last October failed to do the same in the Tests against arch rivals India earlier this year and since he has been out of the action.

No one is quite sure what he has been doing to his ankle since getting out of action because given proper rehabilitation, it should've healed comfortably as he has been out of action for quite a few months now. Shoaib who has only taken 162 wickets in his nine-year Test career so far creates serious doubts about his ability to be fully fit for the grand gala of cricket (World Cup) next year.

Shoaib's injury has sprung up a surprise in the selection with the name of Shahid Nazir in the squad. Nazir who usually finds himself outside the team has forced his way back in the side with consistent performances at the domestic level. Both the coach and captain were quite satisfied with his inclusion in the squad, Also returning to the squad is Umar Gul and paceman Mohammad Sami. The fast bowler from Karachi is reported to be working very hard since being dropped from the national side as was said by the chief selector wasim Bari.

Three Test series victories in a row has rocketed Inzi's boys confidence sky high. At the moment the green giants from South Asia are placed at number four in the ICC official Test rankings with 109 points and are not far away from an Ashes winning England who are placed at the second spot with 112 points. It would not be wrong if we assume this series as the beginning of preparations for the 2007 World Cup.

Woolmer's calm attitude and his role as a coach of the national side has been criticised by some former Pakistani players and officials but in the end one has to admit his methods and calm attitude has helped Inzi's boys to winning ways.

Under his coaching Pakistan has won three, drawn two and lost just one Test series, against an expectedly strong Australian team Down Under. The Inzi-Woolmer combination looks perfect to carry their team home in the Caribbean next year.

Just like his team coach, Inzamam has also been criticised by all quarters. His biggest critics unexpectedly is his former skipper Imran khan, who on the contrary is the biggest fan of his batting. Recently Imran lashed out at Inzamam's tactics by calling him a defensive captain. This series may turn out to be the true test of his character.

Pakistan has not lost a Test series in England for more then two decades now. England's last Test rubber win against Pakistan at home was in 1982, where they won a close series with a 2-1 margin .

Success against England in England has always been achieved with a combination of leg spin and reverse swing against them, but the big question is that if this current England team possesses the same weakness against quality bowling of Pakistan. Last year's Ashes victory proves England batsmen are getting better in playing quality reverse swing and are not the same anymore but spin still is a big weakness of England batters, lack of feet movement and shivers amongst them seem obvious whenever they play quality spin. Shane Warne being the lone fighter for Australia in the Ashes was quite successful in troubling them getting bucketful of wickets and with Danish Kaneria in the Pakistan camp, Inzi's boys will have the edge in that department.

Opening batsmen had been a worrisome factor for quite a while now but Imram Farhat's recent form and confident strokeplay has given a lot of heart to Pakistan and for a change consistency is being seen in the opening department by sticking to the likes of Shoaib Malik for sometime now. His defiance against the Lankans on the last day of the first Test match was a gem but his ability to play the new ball against quality fast bowling on fast tracks creates severe doubts and the England tour looks like a perfect test of his abilities as an opener.

Shahid Afridi's retirement reversal has given a lot of heart to Inzamam as he now have the option to go with three front line bowlers and two all-rounders, which will help increasing depth in both aspects of the game.

KEY PLAYERS ON THE ENGLAND TOUR

INZAMAM-UL-HAQ: His lazy elegance and ability to do the job under pressure has made him one of the most reliable batsmen in world cricket. He earns a lot of respect from his teammates and currently the Pakistan team seems half without him. His ability to do a tough job with ease makes him a dangerous customer in English conditions and if he repeats what he did five years ago in England then England bowlers are in for the suffering.

YOUNIS KHAN: He is said to be the most improved batsmen for Pakistan and if anyone has got doubts about his ability as a batsman they should consult with the Indian bowlers, which might help them in getting their record straight. He is a livewire in the field and doesn't like giving an inch while batting. This gutsy cricketer from Pakistan is surely the one team will rely on this tour.

MOHAMMAD YOUSUF: Yousuf Youhana turned Mohammad Yousuf but his batting never turned. He is being described as the most consistent batsmen for Pakistan in both forms of cricket. His ability to score at a rapid pace and get the momentum going will surely help Pakistan step in the authority over England.

KAMRAN AKMAL: "When the going gets tough the tough gets going", these surely are the words that describe this young wicket-keeper/batsman. The shouting boy from Lahore gives Pakistan all the vitamins they need to be a successful team. His excellent glove work and ability to run the team with sheer energy has often gone unnoticed despite his excellent batting under crucial circumstances. Twice he has saved Pakistan blushes against India in back to back Test series. His hundred in Karachi was worth a triple hundred as was quoted by the England great Geoffrey Boycott.

MOHAMMAD ASIF: Mohammad Asif has come of age in his short stay so far and is already being considered as the spearhead of the Pakistan bowling attack. His form with the new cherry holds the key. Unlike other Pakistani fast bowler in the past he seems a different customer who don't mind bowling long spells while keeping the score in check alongside taking wickets. Mohammad Sami will share a new ball with him which makes a pretty decent bowling attack for Pakistan.

DANISH KANERIA: Kaneria's tight leg spin and his hunger for wickets completes a good looking bowling department even without Shoaib and Rana Naved-ul-Hasan. Leg spin has always been the reason for Pakistan's success in England. England has always struggled against quality spin bowling and considering the performance of Warne and Murali in their respective last Test series in England one wonders if anything will change in this series.

The middle order looks rock solid with the likes of Inzamam, Younis Khan and Mohammad Yousuf at their peak and all three representing Pakistan in the top ten of the ICC official Test players rankings. The batting would have looked longer with Rana striking form in the English County Championship against Middlesex, proving his worth at number 9 with a sparkling 64 of 51 balls.

England on the other hand are badly hit by injuries to their key players. Fast bowler Simon Jones looks certain to be out but skipper Michael Vaughan and Ashley Giles are likely to boost England by their return. England's failure to win a Test series at home against struggling Sri Lanka has left them with more questions than answers. With batters like Marcus Trescothick, Strauss ,Vaughan and Pietersen, the Pakistani bowlers look all set for a perfect challenge.

Although there are few worries in the bowling department for England with their key players like Jones injured but with a new found face in the name of Monty Panesar and the ever disciplined Matthew Hoggard with the support of fiery Freddie Flintoff it won't be easy for Pakistani batsmen to accumulate runs.

All in all we are in for an exciting England series as this England side looks arguably the toughest England team which Pakistan has beaten in the last two decades.

The FIFA World Cup is the greatest tournament of the greatest game marked by the greatest degree of enthusiasm. So it has spellbound its fans this time in Germany, with its many moments of joys and tears that will continue throughout the 64-game tournament. Of course, it is purely a sports event, it has also, like all other events of this scale, raised certain issues. They are the security measures, hooligan hits, racism, disciplinary actions, human trafficking for forced prostitution and much more.

HUMAN TRAFFICKING AND FORCED PROSTITUTION

International organisations and foreign governments have warned 40,000 women could be abused during the event, which has drawn one million foreign fans. Church and pressure groups in Germany fear that 40,000 women and girls could be coerced into the sex industry. A new mega-brothel in Berlin called Artemis said it was expecting business to boom from 180 clients daily on usual days to 250 clients.

The centrist party UDF asked FIFA to awaken the football fans against the exploitation the sex workers will be subjected. While the UDF, the ruling UMP party and the opposition Socialists, Greens and Communists also denounced the mass prostitution, a communist leader demanded shut-down of all brothels before the event.

Moscow-based public charity MiraMed Institute declared the German government as an official 'pimp' for the 2006 World Cup, expressing fears that women from Russia and Eastern Europe were most at risk of being trafficked into Germany. It is just this background against which International Organization for Migration kicked off a campaign in Geneva to raise awareness about forced prostitution on the sidelines of the mega-event. Teaming up with MTV and Sweden's development agency, the IOM has launched a public service announcement being aired free of charge by broadcasters worldwide, promoting a hotline for people to anonymously report suspected cases during the tournament.

Expressing similar fears about forced prostitution, US State Department's Trafficking in Persons Report said the sheer size of the football tournament made it a magnet for human smugglers who trade in women. Republican Representative Chris Smith called on Germany to take action against brothels, sex huts, and street prostitution. The Concerned Women for America said Germany persists in setting up sex shacks and mega brothels for the World Cup games, in spite of warnings that such moves will encourage trafficking.

In Paris, 58 French senators from five main political parties have also signed a petition by the International Coalition against the Trafficking of Women, warning against forced prostitution at the event.

Germany, which legalised prostitution in 2002, has rejected accusations that it was turning a blind eye to human trafficking. German police said they had not noticed increase in sex workers, because Hamburg already has some 2,400 prostitutes, there was not much space on the market for newcomers. The head of the Berlin-based organisation 'Ban Ying' for abused women said the figure of 40,000 was overblown. "Pimps have no reason to bring girls to Germany especially for the World Cup".

TIGHTENING GAME RULES ON DISCIPLINE

While strict security and precautionary measures have been adopted to avoid any untoward incident outside the ground, Fifa has launched a crackdown on the in-field indiscipline by the players, by tightening the rules applied through referees. The sport's governing body has instructed the 23 referees, coming from 21 countries, to harshly treat with the players for committing any foul play, bringing elbowing, reckless fouls and other violent conduct as punishable through a red card. Even the common acts of unsportsmanship such as shirt pulling and deliberately stopping players will result in yellow cards.

FIFA, believing that bad habits are ruining the game, has modified certain rules applicable from the June 9 tournament kickoff. The referees have been asked to implement more forcefully ban the players for "diving" or simulating fouls by the players who deliberately trick referees, who are still deprived of the sophisticated television technology, into thinking they have been fouled.

In a similar bid to purge the sport of evil practices, FIFA has amended its anti-doping regulations to conform to those of World Anti Doping Agency, after CAS decreed that FIFA's code did not comply with that of Wada, that had threatened it with axing football from the Olympic Games.

ITALIAN SERIE A SCANDAL

While all business boom, football fever, hooliganism is a key feature of every Fifa world cup, it is the Italian Seria A scandal that has hard rocked at least the morale of Italian players and their fans. The first world cup blow that the Italians suffered was, however, off the field when Italian Football Federation withdrew its referee Massimo De Santis, along with his two assistant referees Alessandro Griselli and Marco Ivaldi, from the tournament. De Santis was then under investigation in the match-fixing scandal, and was later one of the nine referees suspended by Italian referees association.

The ever-widening scandal that engulfed 41 people from Serie A clubs, high-ranking officials, referees and players unfolded on May 4 when an Italian newspapers published an intercepted phone talk, recorded two years back, in which Juventus general director Luciano Moggi tells a member of UEFA's referees' commission which referees he would like assigned to certain matches. The progress in the investigation saw resignations of Italian football federation president Franco Carraro, and Juve's board of directors en masse.

While the Italian coach Marcello Lippi has been acquitted of any charges, his talented young Azzurri are certainly in a state of trauma due to the abysmal morale. The situation was already cast by shadows of failures in the near past when the Azzurri suffered first round exit at Euro 2004, and ended up among the last 16 at the World Cup 2002.

RACISM AND XENOPHOBIA

But while the hell of hooliganism is an expected and tasted curse, for which the preventive measures are well in place, Germany is facing another headache that erupted more violently in the very beginning of the tournament; it is racism and xenophobia. There has been a spate of racist attacks in Germany in the run-up to the World Cup. Turkish origin German politician Giyasettin Sayan was beaten and slashed with a broken bottle by two men declaring him a 'dirty foreigner'.

The incident inspired so much fear in an Indian origin politician that he stopped travelling in public transport in Berlin at night. In April, an Ethiopian engineer was beaten into a coma in Potsdam, outside Berlin, by two men who called him a 'dirty nigger', while teenager boy of Ethiopian origin was assaulted by a neo-Nazi group members, in early January, forcing him at gunpoint to lick their boots.

THE CURSE OF HOOLIGANISM

Hooliganism is another issue, a fear and a problem that has invited a number of preventive measures. Among recent examples last year Confederations Cup held in Germany saw several matches interrupted by pitch invasions. A French policeman spent six months in a coma after being attacked by German hooligans before the Germany vs Yugoslavia match at 1998 World Cup in France. The German government, as an honour to the French policeman, invited him to attend Germany's match against Poland in Dortmund on June 14. Therefore, Germany refused entry to nine hooligans who were trying to cross into the country through the Czech Republic, in order to escape detection.

In another similar bid, the British authorities banned 3,500 known hooligans, who earned notoriety during 1998 World Cup in France and Euro 2000 in Belgium, from entering Germany by seizing their passports and tightening travel checks at airports. More than 80 British police officers are in Germany to stay throughout the tournament.

Though the Polish hooligans have rarely caused trouble outside their home country, they have attracted special attention after their brawls in Warsaw last month that left 54 police officers wounded. That is why the Polish government has passed onto German police the names of 400 banned football hooligans, besides sending 68 Polish policemen to work with German colleagues. Exactly in this perspective, more than 500 foreign police will arrive in Germany to assist the security operation against hooligan violence.

TERRORISM

While hooliganism is much specific to European football, terrorism has become specific to all major sports events now. Though German government has found no indication of a terrorist threat throughout the tournament, it, however, feels easy to believe that 21 matches are at high risk of terrorist attack, referring to Islamic extremists as top danger. The tournament-opening match between Germany and Costa Rica in Munich on June 9, the final in Berlin on July 9 and any match involving the United States and the nations which have troops in Iraq -- Australia, England, Poland and Spain -- could also be targets of Islamic extremists.

If they failed inside the stadium, they might turn their attention to the so-called Public Viewing Areas where fans can follow matches on big screens.

Nato planes have flown anti-terror monitoring flights over Germany. The AWACS surveillance planes, based in Germany and Britain, are on constant vigil.

"Nato has agreed to augment German air surveillance capacity by providing additional low-level coverage and radio relays in order to contribute to security during the various ceremonies and football matches," it said. Since the September 2001 attacks in the United States Nato -- which has a fleet of 17 AWACS planes -- has provided air surveillance for major events ranging from summer and winter Olympics to the Pope's latest visit to Poland. German police are being supported by some 7,000 soldiers, including specialist biological warfare units.