Semi Final – A Cool and Calm Plan for Pakistan

Pakistan will face India in the 2^nd Semi Final of ICC Word Cup 2011. It will be really a pressure game for Pakistan. So, therefore, Pakistan has to go with a very cool and calm plan into the ground. There is a need to analyze the situation before the game. Looking on the current team we will find three players who can perform in front of the huge support of Indian team. At number one is Shahid Khan Afridi. He has performed as opener in India against India in crucial matches. He has scored centuries in both Test and ODIs format in India against India. Though I am not in favour of any major change in the current Pakistani team at this crucial moment, but still I think that as opener Pakistan can utilize Shahid Afridi’s batting services more positively in this specific match. The reason is that he has the habit to perform well under pressure. If he succeeded in playing 10 overs as opener, he will really take away the match from India. At number two is Younis Khan. Younis Khan has also scored Centuries in India against India in both ODIs and Test format of cricket. He is also famous for facing pressure successfully. He should play at number 3. Kamran Akmal has also good record in India he should open with Shahid Afridi and Hafeez can replace Shahid Afridi at number 6. These changes can really produced positive results in batting. Shoaib Akhtar must play this game. His short pitch deliveries can pressurizes Indian batsmen who have the weakness of facing short and speedy delivery.

Besides these suggestions, every Pakistani player should take it as a game and should realize that Win and Defeat is part of the game.

Is It Huge Event of ICC Cricket World Cup?

Is it cricket world cup? What cricket lovers expect in a huge event like world cup? As cricket fan I expect tough matches like played in world cup 1992. Where 9 test playing countries played a match against each team. This was a beautiful tournament. But after that successful world cup, I don’t know what happened to ICC, who inducted associated teams into a huge event like world cup. This step from ICC really decreased interest of this event in cricket fans. Because cricket is a purely technical game and every one cannot play it. This game requires comprehensive structure at country level. After that it requires experience of playing with master cricketers. But here ICC included those teams to this event who even not played any single international match before playing in world cup.  Resultantly one sided matches reduce the interest of cricket fans in this event. Even I personally feel that Triangular events at Sharja and Austral Asia cup at Sharja were more interesting than this world cup event.  

If ICC is sincere with the promotion of this game, she should organize tours for these associated teams in ICC future tours programme. This is only way to let them play with experience players. By this way these teams can gain experience day by day. And one day these teams will be able to play in a huge event like world cup. But the existing way of inducting these teams in this huge event is not good for the game and these teams.

ICC should realize technical differences between football and cricket.