Apologies for breakdown

In the last month or so match reports and features have been stalled due to overload. Please note that the 2009 matches will, InshaAllah, be reported. I am currently working on Bangladesh, Pakistan and Sri Lanka cricket and would appreciate support in the following quarters.

1) Australia and New Zealand

2) England and India

3) West Indies, South Africa and Zimbabwe

4) County cricket and Associate nations cricket

5) U-19 cricket

Gayle dead-bats critics

It's fair to say that Chris Gayle has not had the best of years. The West Indian captain's casual remark about not particularly liking Test cricket was taken miles out of context, and a poor series in England followed by a player strike, along with some bright performances from Trinidad Tobago, drew some astonishingly vehement criticism from several quarters, including the Australian media. Gayle, though, answered his critics at Adelaide, with a broad bat and unusual patience, batting out the day to score 155 and remind everybody--Peter Roebuck and other respected writers included--that despite a disagreement with the national board, the West Indies have improved markedly during his tenure.

The media, it appears, has a short memory--Gayle captained the Windies to their first overseas win against a red-hot South Africa in 2007-08, before leading against New Zealand from the front with a 197 that combined the brutality and patience of a tiger on the prowl. The 1-0 victory over England may have featured just a couple of days of brilliance, but a win it was and although the return series in England was dismal, the attacks on Gayle--ranging from "half-baked" to "mercenary"--and his team--insert "death of West Indian cricket" and inexplicable calls for three-day Tests--and his strategies--think overly demonized use of referrals at Brisbane--told of a stunningly thick-headed, unaccountable press.

Well, Gayle has batted out the fourth day, shut out Australia's winning chances, and might have his favoured limited-overs bash before inserting the Australians tomorrow. Let's just hope he doesn't score too quickly to give his bowlers more time at Australia's lineup, otherwise Peter Roebuck and Co may launch another wild, uncontrolled, Twenty20-type assault of their own.

Pakistan dismantle poor Kiwis

They may be suffering from strife and politics, but Pakistan put in a convincing performance to wipe out New Zealand at Abu Dhabi, underlining their strength as a Twenty20 side. The 49-run win, built on a powerful half-century from Imran Nazir and a clinical bowling performance, saw them take a 1-nil lead in the 2-match series.

New Zealand, mind, were literally crippled before the match started. A number of influential players, including captain Daniel Vettori, had pulled out before the match started for varying reasons. Aaron Redmond was injured in the field and it was telling that his fielding replacement was the injured James Franklin.

Stand-in captain Brendon McCullum got the chase of a challenging 162 to a flyer, as a combination of sloppy fielding and streaky strokeplay saw 33 taken off the first three overs, including 17 off the first. But McCullum cut Mohammad Aamer straight to point, while his partner Martin Guptill wafted an edge off returning pacer Sohail Tanvir to Kamran Akmal, who took an excellent catch behind the stumps to stem the flow of the run-chase. Ross Taylor and Scott Styris departed cheaply (41 for 4), and by the time the terminally underperforming Neil Broom holed out off the miserly Abdul Razzaq, the match was all but over. Debuting wicketkeeper Bryan Watling laboured, and Nathan McCullum cheekily chipped, to a pair of useful 22s, but the result was never in doubt as both fell to Saeed Ajmal, and Pakistan's captain Shahid Afridi took the final wicket, New Zealand crumbling to 112 in 18.3 overs.

The positive that the Kiwis can take from the match was their showing with the new ball, Shane Bond (2 for 17) and Tim Southee bowled excellently in the early overs, beating the bat with considerable pace and movement. It was the change bowler, Ian Butler, whom Nazir targeted, greeting him with two massive straight sixes and larruping 18 off his next over. The two Akmals fell cheaply, but by that time Nazir's thunderous hitting had undone the fast bowlers' good work.

Afridi kept the momentum flowing, cuffing 24 off 16, while Nazir thumped his fourth six to reach his fifty off just 34 balls. And although he preceded his skipper to the hut for 58 off 38 balls, and the wildcard leg-spinner Aaron Redmond seized two wickets to hint at a middle-order collapse, Pakistan were never in any real danger of yielding a sub-par total. Abdul Razzaq's neat late blitz of 26 off just 15 balls, including a straight-launched six to complete Butler's misery, helped Pakistan race to 161. Tim Southee finished with 3 for 28 to emerge as the most successful bowler of the match, but it was not to be his team's night.

Common sense before emotion, please

Comment by Ibrahim Moiz

Earlier this week the West Indian cricket board announced its squad for the tour of Australia that is scheduled to begin later this month. There were more than a few raised eyebrows when Chris Gayle was confirmed as captain in a "unanimous" decision.

Why Gayle? asked people, such as the Sydney Morning Herald's Peter Roebuck; why the man who publicly made his indifference for Test cricket clear earlier on the summer tour of England, who literally led from the front in a demoralising defeat and then, like a spoilt child (they say), sat out the remainder of the summer in a dispute with the board over so mundane an issue as contracts?

Why not, they asked (hope spreading sunbeamesque across their hitherto ravaged features), why not Daren Ganga, that shining beacon of West Indian cricket, the man who captained Trinidad and Tobago with such panache in the inaugural Twenty20 Champions League; the man who, for all his mediocre record in international cricket, remembers the great legacy of West Indian Test cricket--who appreciates the weight of so precious a burden on the captain's shoulders, even though he can hardly stake a regular place in the team?

Ganga's comments were very laudable, but they are hardly unusual; who doesn't remember the West Indian juggernaut of the 1980s, vicious on the field but gents off it, flamboyant batsmen and fast--genuinely, heart-stoppingly fast--bowlers to take the breath away--who doesn't remember that with a twinge of nostalgia?

And however admirable Ganga's views are, they are hardly enough to catapult a squad-hopeful into captaincy. Doing so, moreover, could easily stir tension in the ranks between Gayle and Ganga, teammates who through no fault of their own have unwittingly been pitched into very awkward territory by the self-righteous Mr. Roebuck. Doing so could hurt West Indies cricket, and badly.

It is easy to point fingers at Gayle; his captaincy in England was disgraceful, he batted without a care in the world and led with slumped shoulders and an air of frank boredom. And I have scant sympathy for those who sacrifice a very promising Test career for the quick bucks of Twenty20 leagues, but, in all honesty, Gayle's overall record as captain, that England farce aside, has been more than decent.

He has, for one thing, led with the bat. Those who snorted at his reckless flails in England would do well to look a few months back; he piloted the West Indies to a respectable draw in New Zealand, a second-innings 197 in the second Test combining commendable patience and tempestuous brute force. He then captained them to victory at home against England. True, the only Test with a result in that series had more to do with sporadic brilliance than anything, but Gayle led from the front, with 292 runs at a stout 48.67. In between and afterward there was explosive hitting in the one-day and T20 formats of the game, but batting well in limited-overs cricket is not a sin if you can replicate it in the Test arena. He may not particularly cherish Test cricket, but Gayle the batsman and leader has performed.

So for all his devil-may-care attitude and apparent indifference, Gayle deserves--at least in the short run--the captaincy. And instead of yarping on about Daren Ganga's missed opportunity--he captained T & T in Twenty20s too, remember, not in Test cricket--and spewing out invectives like "half-baked" and "busted flush" (Mr. Roebuck spitting nails here), it would be best to remember that Ganga deserves better than to get shoved into the spotlight for a few well-chosen words. As a steady and intelligent opener, and as a good thinker on the field, he may certainly merit a place in the squad. So, too, may some of Floyd Reifer's unfortunates who held their own with admirable sang-froid and enthusiasm in the absence of the senior players (and it is heartening to see the board for once take note by including fast bowlers Gavin Tonge and Kemar Roach). But to suddenly nominate Ganga as captain will ultimately hurt not only Gayle and Ganga, but West Indian cricket too.

Ibrahim Moiz is a university student and a freelance writer currently based in Toronto.

Duminy and Kallis flay Zimbabwe

South Africa routed Zimbabwe and whitewashed the two-match series with a ruthless 215-run win that was every inch as comprehensive as it sounds. Both their returnees from injury--veteran Jacques Kallis and the flourishing JP Duminy--starred to set up a massive 331, before the bowlers completed the rout.

Once again, Zimbabwe's wicketkeeper, Tatenda Taibu, showed the most resistance as he scored 52 off the paltry 119 that Zimbabwe stitched up. Coming in against the new ball after both openers had fallen for ducks, caught brilliantly at slip by Kallis, Taibu continued where he had left off on Sunday, middling his first two deliveries for fours, and batting fluently (seven fours) while the innings crumbled around him. Albie Morkel furthered his claims as an allrounder, taking two wickets in his first over, and finishing with 3 for 20 off six--slightly flattering figures as he had tended to stray a little leg-side, but satisfying nonetheless. Charl Langeveldt, against whom Taibu had been particularly fluent, returned to exact his revenge, and Roelof van der Merwe wrapped up the tail as both took 3 wickets apiece. Zimbabwe's heavy defeat was their sixth in a row, following a 4-1 loss to Bangladesh last month.

The feature of the day had been Duminy's maiden one-day century. The left-hander has had a remarkable last twelve months, and he showcased his form with an outstanding 111 off just 87 balls. It followed a strong start, where Graeme Smith and Jacques Kallis had put on a rapid 108. Kallis has been eager of late to shed his somewhat unfair image as a blocker, and he showed his attacking side with an adventurous 81. His first scoring shot, a six hammered over point off seamer Kyle Jarvis, was an ominous sign. Smith, dropped on 4 at gully, took full toll, muscling a 39-ball fifty with trademark pulls and drives. When he fell, it was to his opposing number, Prosper Utseya, for the lack of pace, Taibu completing a smart stumping even as Kallis motored past 50.

Both openers, though, were overshadowed by Duminy, who saw himself in before dispatching Graeme Cremer's leg-spin with a massive slog-sweep. The deft reverse-sweeps came out as well, spoiling any rhymth the spinners might have had. Ray Price took three wickets in the middle, but failed to stop Duminy, who kept the runs coming in torrents and found a capable ally in Mark Boucher, who clobbered 31 off 19 balls at the death as South Africa careened past 300. Against a sturdy, well-equipped unit, warning bells should be going off in England's camp.

New Zealand survive shock to take series

It ended as a thriller that was never meant to be. Pakistan's batting--tumultous in recent months, from eyecatching peaks to jaw-dropping troughs--rode yet another tempest to emerge second-best in a tight contest against New Zealand. In a match where momentum shifted with startling regularity, Pakistani off-spinner Saeed Ajmal restricted New Zealand to a mediocre 211 before his side collapsed to 101 for 9 in response. And then, as if that were not good enough, Ajmal teamed up with fellow tailender Mohammad Aamer to post an astonishing 103 in sixteen overs and take the match to the last over.

It was the second-highest stand ever for the last wicket--short just of Viv Richard's one-man demolition effort at Manchester in 1984--and Aamer's valiant unbeaten 73 was easily the highest score by a number 10 in one-day internationals. But their marvellous effort, in the end, only saved the face of a disorganized Pakistan lineup that imploded spectacularly when it mattered most.

Khalid Latif, who eased three consecutive fours off Kyle Mills, had started Pakistan's reply on a confident note, adding 47 in 50 balls with Salman Butt. But, as has happened so often, the wily veteran Daniel Vettori's introduction brought a dramatic turnabout. He trapped Latif with a signature arm-ball, and panic set in. Underperforming skipper Younus Khan entered, ran Butt out with a poor call, and promptly edged his next delivery from Shane Bond to slip (51 for 3). Intelligent acculumation was the obvious order of the day, but commonsense is not a virtue gifted to most Pakistani batsmen; the middle order succumbed to some probing bowling from Tim Southee and Jacob Oram and threw away their wickets to ugly heaves; from 47 for no loss they had lost eight wickets for just 39 runs, and New Zealand could taste a rare middle eastern win.

They had yet to contend with Aamer, who showed outstanding maturity and composure for a 17-year-old. With Umar Gul, who crawled to 6 off 37 balls, he added 15 in ten overs, and when Ajmal entered the scene Pakistan needed 110 in sixteen overs. The match seemed over as a contest, until Aamer yanked it back with stirring audacity. He launched into Vettori's ninth over, sweeping him into the stands for three sixes, and announced himself as a genuine threat with some blistering shots down the ground.

What had appeared to be a cakewalk became for New Zealand a rollercoasting battle to stay alive; Aamer walloped Mills over point to reach his fifty, and the coolheaded Ajmal got into the act, lofting Southee straight over mid-on. There were some scares--Oram, who finished with 3 for 20, was particularly incisive--but come the last over and Pakistan needed just eight. The onslaught didn't last, however, as Ajmal (33 off 44 balls) top-edged a pull, but New Zealand had had their spine well and truly chilled for the win.

The pattern of volatility had begun with New Zealand's innings; they had roared away to 65 for nought in the first ten overs before the spinners set in. Brendon McCullum was at it again; having seen the shine off the new ball, he proceeded to thump the bowling with glee. Umar Gul was driven flat over mid-off for six, and a savage pulled six was followed by a third, sent over square leg. McCullum was seeing it like a football, and Aaron Redmond, though streakier, contributed 21 to the stand.

The introduction of Ajmal changed things; he bogged down Martin Guptill in the powerplay before removing him for just 8. Even McCullum, whose fifty came off 47 balls, had trouble scoring off the spinners; he fell for 76, popping a leading edge back to Shoaib Malik. Ross Taylor, evidently keen to get scoring in the series, plodded to 44, but when Ajmal trapped him in front of leg-stump, things went rapidly pear-shaped. The last six wickets tumbled for just 25, Ajmal earning a miserly 4 for 33, and Aamer cashing in as well. It was, however, for their courage with the bat that this match will be remembered.

Zimbabwe impress despite defeat

Not so long ago, a "contest" between the two teams of southern Africa would have been a no-contest: Jacques Kallis, of all people, would have broken the record of fastest Test fifty and Mark Boucher would have blasted a 44-ball ton. With all due respect to the South Africans and their hard, no-quarter-given brand of cricket, Zimbabwe was, in 2004 and 2005, suffering from politics, discontent and turmoil, and would have been the easiest of pickings before a series against England.

However, Zimbabwe have improved rapidly in 2009 and shown that they may be down but are certainly not out in the first of two one-day matches against the Proteas at Benoni. It would have been ludicrous to expect them to challenge South Africa's towering target of 296, but they earned an honourable defeat, with wicketkeeper Tatenda Taibu particularly impressive to score an unbeaten century.

The efforts of Taibu, and his partner Stuart Matsikenyeri, who rattled off a run-a-ball 86, did partially cover up the ineptitude of their top-order against South Africa's pace attack. Mark Vermeulen, Elton Chigumbura and Hamilton Masakadza have serious potential with their attacking batting, but a lack of truly competitive cricket was exposed when all three were softened up and clinically dismissed to account for three of the five wickets that fell for just 48 runs in the first seventeen overs. Not to take anything away from South Africa's fast bowlers Dale Steyn and Lonwabo Tsotsobe, or for that matter debuting allrounder Ryan McLaren, whose return of 3 for 51 included two wickets in his first two overs.

That set the stage for Taibu and Matsikenyeri; with no real chance of snaring South Africa's imposing total, they opted to frustrate the fielders with an extended net session, playing themselves carefully in before launching an entertaining counterattack against the tiring seamers. The first 100 came at a crawling 3.3 an over; but the batting powerplay that followed saw Taibu and Matsikenyeri open their shoulders.

Taibu clubbed Tsotsobe into the embankment over the leg side for six, and then pulled him square for four, before celebrating his fifty with a top-edged hook for six off Charl Langeveldt. Johan Botha, whose first eight overs had conceded just 20, was drubbed for three fours in his ninth by Matsikenyeri, who then bashed Steyn back over his head and blazed McLaren over cover for six. With both batsmen racing past 80, McLaren finally located an in-swinging yorker off his last delivery to bowl Matsikenyeri and end a 188-run stand. That didn't stop Taibu, however, from flicking the wayward Albie Morkel over square leg and reaching his century in the final over of a dead match.

South Africa's 45-run win had been set up with a strong batting performance centring around Hashim Amla's easily composed 80. Amla, who played the straight man to skipper Graeme Smith's early fireworks, then added 90 at a trot alongside AB de Villiers. Smith had dealt mostly in boundaries--six fours and a six en route to 35--but Amla chose to dispatch really poor deliveries, and was content to keep the strike rotating.

De Villiers kept him good company in a cantering 90-run stand, cutting and carving past cover early on in a racy, run-a-ball 51. He brought up the fifty-partnership with a lovely straight loft for six, and it took a superb catch at long-off from Vermeulen to dismiss him, and stifle the momentum, if only briefly. Pinch-hitter Boucher--sent probably with the intentions of boosting the total towards a potential 330--struggled to get going, and saw Amla hole out in the thirty-sixth over (185 for 3).

Boucher then holed out--Vermeulen taking his third catch in the deep--but with the promising Alviro Petersen and the big-hitting Morkel in the wings, that was as good as it got for Zimbabwe. The dam burst in the forty-fifth over, which started with two crisp Petersen fours and ended with a massive Morkel six. Morkel, into his stride, heaved two more sixes, and by the time Petersen fell for a swift 39, the pair had added 86 in 64 balls. Morkel finished on a violent, 39-ball 50, and 69 runs had come off the last six overs. The resistance of Taibu and Matsikenyeri, however, ensured that the hosts were kept on their toes.

McCullum ton levels series

In the typically cool, clinical manner that has seen them achieve the status of world’s top underdogs, New Zealand countered the odds with a comprehensive 64-run against Pakistan to level the series and set up an intriguing final. At the heart of their victory was wicketkeeper Brendon McCullum, who shrugged off increasing criticism to hammer what is only his second century and set up his side’s first win against Pakistan in the UAE.

It was characteristic, too, of New Zealand that they learned quickly from their mistakes in the first match; on winning the toss, they opted to bat without a second thought, and with a hefty 304 to defend, they adjusted superbly to the conditions. Where earlier they had overpitched, the bowlers--particularly Scott Styris, who emerged with a matchwinning three wickets in four overs, and skipper Daniel Vettori, whose armball was particularly lethal--used the shorter ball cleverly, and were shrewd enough not to overdo it. As a result, Pakistan--despite an unusually solid start--failed to bat out their full quota, ending on 239 in the forty-eighth over.

304 was always a difficult target, and though Salman Butt and Khalid Latif set about their task with efficient fluency to post 77 in 92 balls, New Zealand were never under any serious pressure. Latif, following on from a debut fifty, looked set for another one, particularly as his 45 off 52 contained genuinely classy strokes, including firm drives on the up through the cover region. But he was trapped in front by Vettori's arm ball, and Younus Khan struggled for fluency in a 37-ball 19 that saw the required rate rocket.

With quick runs needed, the collapse was always likely; Younus flicked Styris to midwicket where Ross Taylor held a stunner, and Afridi's impulsive first-ball pull was safely pouched. The fielders kept up the pressure--Butt, having made his first fifty since January, was run out shortly afterward after a mixup with Mohammad Yousuf, who then succumbed to Vettori's arm ball to cap off a disastrous middle-order collapse of 34 for 5. The match was all but sealed; somke hard-hitting from Shoaib Malik and Abdul Razzaq only narrowed the margin of defeat.

It was, of course, McCullum's brilliant 131 earlier in the day that had set up the win. With his place as opener under fire from various quarters, the wicketkeeper-batsman made an emphatic statement; losing Aaron Redmond early on, he added 126 in just twenty overs with Martin Guptill. It was a typically aggressive knock--the brutal pull was out, as was the savage cut, pulverizing 28 runs in the first three overs of the bowling powerplay--but there was some quick running and good calling as well to put pressure on Pakistan's infield. Guptill kept up the pace, with lashing square drives and two huge sixes off the spinners in a 70-ball 62.

It was, as ever, Guptill's aggression that proved his downfall, holing out off Abdul Razzaq, and when the wily Afridi removed Taylor for the second duck in two matches, another collapse seemed imminent. It was the levelheaded Vettori who helped avert one, with a replay of his innings in the first match; working the ball carefully into gaps, and running hard with just one swept four in his 30 off 33 balls. He was an adept foil for the big-hitting McCullum, who carved some fierce drives to keep the runs aflow.

Pakistan pulled back briefly--Abdul Razzaq removed Vettori, while Afridi, the best bowler with 2 for 49, trapped Broom for a duck--but the floodgates were heaving, and McCullum's post-century biffing, along with a run-per-ball 33 (one six) from Jacob Oram, saw 71 runs crashed off the last eight overs. In the end, it proved more than enough to give New Zealand their first UAE win over Pakistan at the twelfth try, and set up an exciting final.Ibrahim Moiz is a university freshman and freelance writer based in Toronto.

Hello, all. I'm launching this blog, JUST CRICKET, not particularly out of any want of readership or any other motive, except that I noticed recently that, as a cricket-lover, the popular Cricinfo/Wisden organizations were just not quite cutting it for me. I mean I love the sport, and understand most of its subtleties and what have you, but in my humble opinion Wisden is just a tad self-important and Cricinfo provides an odd mixture of convenience, overanalysis and opinionation. In addition, they provide a mostly English and/or Indian point of view, and I'd prefer they didn't. I'm from Pakistan, but I'll try to keep as neutral as possible.

Now in general I'm not much of a disestablishmentarianist, but then this isn't a disestablishmentarian blog. I'm not competing with Wisden (perish the thought! they've got far more resources, for one thing). It's just a blog (and magazine-hopeful, but these are early days) about cricket.