Adil Najam
UPDATE:
India won the TwentyTwenty final in a thriller, after setting Pakistan 158 to win and then bowling Pakistan out (with three balls to spare) for 152. IK Pathan from India was names Man of the Match for very tidy bowling (3/16 from 4 overs) while Pakistan’s Shahid Afridi was named Man of the Series.
ORIGINAL POST:
I have resisted writing about the Twenty20 Cricket Tournament in South Africa till now. But now I can resist no more. All is set for a thriller final game against India.
What more could one ask for… well, actually, one could ask for Pakistan’s TwentyTwenty winning streak to continue into the Final game against India in Johannesburg on Monday!
Pakistan is on a roll. And this is no fluke. The victories against Australia and Sri Lanka were brilliant and breezing past New Zealand in the semi-final today proved that this is not just a lucky streak.
The young team under a young captain and a new coach seems to have finally found its stride. And it is about time…
Much of our cricket coverage this last year has been depressing. Umpire controversies, a disastrous World Cup Exit, death of a coach, players misbehaving, and more. So, this good news is very welcome. It is all the more welcome because other news these days is much less than welcome.
India, too, has had a spectacular T20 tournament. In fact, the most memorable moments of the tournament till now were the 6 sixes in an over by Yuvraj against England.
That the game between India and Pakistan in the T20 tournament had ended in a tie will make the anticipation about the final even more nail-biting.
Neither team goes in as favorites. Both go in on a roll. Its should be one great game!
Could people keep politics out of sport ? It is going to be a great game between two great teams of the subcontinent and that is all that should matter today … Whoever wins from here on both Pakistan and India have proved their mettle by beating the Aussies.
Let the best team win yaar!!!
– A proud Indian with great Pakistani friends!!!
I’m shocked at the posters who said they do not enjoy watching cricket. Isn’t cricket a core part of the very Pakistaniat this blog is dedicated to? Please don’t call yourself a Pakistani and a cricket-hater in the same sentence. :)
Test cricket will never die because it satisfies the purists. The 50 over ODI will certainly loose its appeal and will eventually be replaced by Twenty20. In 1975, when the first World Cup was held in England, many thought it’s not a good measure to test the skills of a cricketer. The same is being said today about Twenty20. One thing we forget is that talent comes in different forms. Twenty20 requires a different set of skills and therefore different type of talent, one of which is a big heart as a batsman to play your shots without fear and as a bowler, never to blink when the batsman is getting on top of you.
From the purist perspective, Twenty20 allows batsmen of limited skills to make a name for themselves. Weakness on the back foot has prevented Yuvraj from establishing himself as a Test batsmen. Yet he counts amongst the champions of this tournament. That?s why test cricket will always be there for the ultimate test.
I am hoping Pakistan goes in without any pressure or fears in tomorrows game and simply give their 100%. That?ll make the whole nation proud of their efforts. And lets all pray they win too or it won’t be easy for some of us to go to work tomorrow :-)
spoiler:
Imran Nazir’s innings R controversial as he claimed to be injured and acquired a runner even though he was charging down the ground with ease, no signs of pain and after the match ‘jumped’ a lot in celebrations! some enjury, eh….