Karachi
Associate Captain
- Joined
- Jun 10, 2013
- Online Cricket Games Owned
Shakaib amazes me. Such a quality player, BD's first & only superstar cricketer. Yet as a player T20 format remains his achilles heel and as a captain he appears to lack confidence in himself. The way he plays he should be the one to help the team re-adjust the required run rate. But instead he keeps pushing himself down the order. Going in number six is likely to leave you with tail-enders, who might not be able to help you put up a secure fight. Shakaib should instead be up the order keeping his eyes on the run-rate and supporting other batsman pile the runs.
By now BD should have been like Sri Lanka from 1996 & Shakaib should have taken example from Ranatunga. In the 1996 World Cup final SL lost two early wickets. Gurusinha and Arvinda DeSilva stabilised the innings. When Gurushina departed Ranatunga put himself to the task. He not only provided strong support to DeSilva to pile up the score but also adjusted the run-rate in SL's favour (strike rate of 127.02, pretty good for that era | source: cricinfo). I know T20I and ODI are too different animals, and the way ODI's were played in the 90's is significantly different from the way it is played now, but the essence of captaincy remains the same in all formats = take the risks, burdens & responsibilities. Another example is Imran Khan in 1992 World Cup Final. He was a mid-tail-end all rounder but pushed himself up the order to no.3 in the final to keep the score & run-rate running. Same match he put Wasim Akram, himself a tail-end bowling allrounder, to bat & he put quick score on the card.
As for Afghanistan. It would be a big mistake to consider them as an emerging side. BD had a fresh start at cricket. Afghanis have grown up with cricket around them in refugee camps & have mastered it, even mentally. They are born mature. Same goes for Ireland but they & their support seems to lack same level of passion at this point. India-Afghanistan clash will be interesting one. Afghanistan is more reliant on their bowling & probabilities are that Indians on their own turf will overwhelm them. But would still be fun to watch.
Prayers & hopes with Afghanistan.
By now BD should have been like Sri Lanka from 1996 & Shakaib should have taken example from Ranatunga. In the 1996 World Cup final SL lost two early wickets. Gurusinha and Arvinda DeSilva stabilised the innings. When Gurushina departed Ranatunga put himself to the task. He not only provided strong support to DeSilva to pile up the score but also adjusted the run-rate in SL's favour (strike rate of 127.02, pretty good for that era | source: cricinfo). I know T20I and ODI are too different animals, and the way ODI's were played in the 90's is significantly different from the way it is played now, but the essence of captaincy remains the same in all formats = take the risks, burdens & responsibilities. Another example is Imran Khan in 1992 World Cup Final. He was a mid-tail-end all rounder but pushed himself up the order to no.3 in the final to keep the score & run-rate running. Same match he put Wasim Akram, himself a tail-end bowling allrounder, to bat & he put quick score on the card.
As for Afghanistan. It would be a big mistake to consider them as an emerging side. BD had a fresh start at cricket. Afghanis have grown up with cricket around them in refugee camps & have mastered it, even mentally. They are born mature. Same goes for Ireland but they & their support seems to lack same level of passion at this point. India-Afghanistan clash will be interesting one. Afghanistan is more reliant on their bowling & probabilities are that Indians on their own turf will overwhelm them. But would still be fun to watch.
Prayers & hopes with Afghanistan.
