Worst match of the year

[SaiSrini]

:

• Saqlain Mushtaq (returning in October)
• Danish Kaneria (almost as good as Warnie at this age)

I am itching to see Saqlain back in Pakistani cricket. He is a marvellous bowler. I have watched him during the 1999 India - Pakistan series where he icked up three 5 wicket hauls (or four, i dont remember!).

He is a gem of a bowler! Sad that he is not in good form now!

 

[nightprowler10]

Kaneria was successful in Australia because no one else really had the skill, consistency or form to tackle the Australian batting. As for Saqlain Mushtaq, he was thwacked out of the team by Sehwag when India toured there. Apart from that, Mushtaq has always been good but never spectacular. Kaneria, though, looks like he has the ability to become a world-class spinner. All he needs to do now is keep his ego under control and not pull off another Shoaib Akhtar.

I don't know about that, Akhtar was running through the Australians as well, but Kaneria was still able to get 5+ wicket hauls. I dont see him getting a big head like Akhter did, only because I believe Kaneria is a team player. Akhtar is not.

As for Saqlain's failures against India, one bad series doesn't mean the bowler's done for good (maybe for PCB it does). I think he's got a lot left in him. We'll find out in October.

 

[sachinisgod]

dude nightprowler - for one u r movin away from the topic and another - just like u say "don't judge a bowler on one good performance", i would say "don't make him a great with one good series"... Kaneria has had two by now - Australia and India but still I think it would serve Pakistan better if they treated him with caution...and if u think Bhajji and Kumble are not world beaters then better think again or consult an aussie or englishman...

just in case u had forgotten a bit of statistics of the two leggies concerned:
Kumble took 24 wickets in three tests at 29 apiece Down Under...Kaneria took 15 at 35 apiece...Kumble ensured atleast one victory there...kaneria unfortunately couldn't...
Kumble has taken 162 wickets in last 30 matches he has played at 28.8 apiece whereas Kaneria has 121 in 26 at 29 apiece...(very good job indeed)...my advice is that don't compare veterans like warnie and kumble with someone who's still tasting first success... coz with PCB's consistent policy of wasting talents - u never know if this fella's gonna play as long as these giants...i wish he does...he's a treat to watch as was Saqlain

returning to the topic...boring match...hmm...had Sehwag and Afridi not been a part of this Bangalore test, we would have been discussing it in this thread...

 

[nightprowler10]

I guess for somebody who isn't a Pakistani, Afridi and Sehwag's innings were probably the high point of the game, but the Kolkata test was perhaps even more boring.

(This will be my last off-topic post about this subject, I promise.)
BTW, i was comparing Kaneria to Warne at Kaneria's age. Not the Warne today. We should treat him with caution, you're right about that, but he's had more than just 2 good series. Infact he's only had a couple of bad ones (those being against WI and last year against India wasn't too impressive either). Kumble is definitely a cricketing great, but the fact remains that he performs a lot worse outside of India. At home his ave is 23.75 and away he is 35.76. And you're right, Kaneria, unlike Kumble, hasn't proved himself to be a match-winner, but he's on the right track.

 

[sohum]

I didn't say Kaneria is not a team man but the fact that he likes to talk about himself a lot. At the end of every day (or perhaps match), Kaneria was there, ready with a column, saying how great he is and what the Indians should watch out for next time. In this series, he bowled very well and was the highest wicket-taker and most of his wickets were also against top batsmen (about 11/19). But apart from a few attacking spells, he did not bother the batsmen much and was in fact gifted a lot of wickets. You can mark this down as part of his talent but I think he was overshadowed by Afridi a lot. Agreed, though, he did bowl a few very splendid overs.

 

[icyman]

Kumble ensured atleast one victory there...kaneria unfortunately couldn't...
..my advice is that don't compare veterans like warnie and kumble with someone who's still tasting first success... coz with PCB's consistent ...

Thats right sachins.kumble is a much experienced bowler than kaneria.You may also want to add that kumble had the support of other bowlers as well in australia.Indian batting was at its peak.You cant say the same about pak can you? But kaneria did very well there

also on the subcontinent...kumble pairs up with bhajji.unfornutaley for kaneria,there's no one unless the pcb considers arshad khan.
Also kudos to kaneria to have played so long for pak considering that he's an hindu(no offense meant there)

 

[taimurasad]

just in case u had forgotten a bit of statistics of the two leggies concerned:

How abt this series (Pak in India 2005)

Danish Kaneria took 19wk at 31.52 (against the best known team of playing leg spin) on the other hand Anil Kumble took 17wk at 37.88

 

[sohum]

(a) Anil Kumble was terrible in Bangalore.
(b) Anil Kumble had a great spinner (Harbhajan Singh) to share wickets with.
(c) Again, you are judging based on one series. You want to compare a few more?

 

[nightprowler10]

Also kudos to kaneria to have played so long for pak considering that he's an hindu(no offense meant there)

No offense taken, but I'm not sure what you meant there.

BTW, maybe I started this, but sachinisgod is right, we're way off-topic here.

 

[sohum]

He's suggesting that cultural/religious background plays some role in the Pakistani selection policy. Probably could fire up a biggish debate. We should stay away from it.

 

[taimurasad]

(a) Anil Kumble was terrible in Bangalore.
(b) Anil Kumble had a great spinner (Harbhajan Singh) to share wickets with.
(c) Again, you are judging based on one series. You want to compare a few more?

1.Kaneria didnt had a good time at Kolkata either.
2.He had even more; 2 other spinners to share wickets with i.e. Arshad Khan & Shahid Afridi
3.With all the respect to Kumble; I'm sure Kaneria after playing his 95 tests will have better average to show than that of Kumble i.e. 28.23

This debate is going off the subject, lets conclude it by saying Kaneria have to go a vry long way to prove himself at top whereas Kumble has certainly done it.

 

[nightprowler10]

He's suggesting that cultural/religious background plays some role in the Pakistani selection policy. Probably could fire up a biggish debate. We should stay away from it.

Agreed.

 

[sohum]

1.Kaneria didnt had a good time at Kolkata either.
2.He had even more; 2 other spinners to share wickets with i.e. Arshad Khan & Shahid Afridi
3.With all the respect to Kumble; I'm sure Kaneria after playing his 95 tests will have better average to show than that of Kumble i.e. 28.23

This debate is going off the subject, lets conclude it by saying Kaneria have to go a vry long way to prove himself at top whereas Kumble has certainly done it.

But I want to conclude it.

Sure Arshad Khan and Shahid Afridi were competing for wickets with Kaneria, but you cannot compare even one of them to Harbhajan Singh. That is like comparing McGrath and Gillespie for wickets in Australia with Chigambura and Hondo in Zimbabwe. Okay, probably not that exaggerated but you probably get my point. We'll continue this discussion in about 5-10 years, then.

Coming back to the topic, I don't think the Kolkata match was boring. It was the one match where India maintained a decent run rate even after Sehwag got out. That, my friends, is rarity.

 

[shahid6995]

Also kudos to kaneria to have played so long for pak considering that he's an hindu(no offense meant there)

Wierd comment. But yeah lets stay away from that.

 

[sohum]

I didn't even notice it the first time. :P