The case is with Scotland Yard
and every one knows that they use scientific method to spot the crime. I am
certain that they will do it professionally and perfectly this time also. I can
not say any thing about the roll of ECB in investigation because I am not
expert. But one thing is sure that they will have a close look on the issue. As
after the Chairman PCB alleged their player they are also doubtful about their
own player. We might not see some of them in the Ashes or at least in the next
season.
It is for some time that we are hearing the term match fixing and spot fixing. I
think it all started with a South African captain Cronje the inquiry started in
India. Then what happen to that inquiry I don’t know as with the other inquiries
about the matter in Pakistan and abroad. But the matter was never been seen as
open as this one is every one is aware of the spots which were fixed. I played
some cricket but I never called any match to be fixed because I simply think
that it all happens in cricket. One day you will perform brilliantly and the
other day you will be zilch. But while watching the match when I saw those no
balls I said to my brother “I can bet these are bowled deliberately”.
I don’t know the allegation made by Ijaz Butt are true or not but I have also
doubts on England’s performance in one day series. First I will like to express
some points which are as follows.
1. England was the team which has mostly experienced players while Pakistan’s
players were mostly inexperienced as compared to England.
2. Pakistani batsmen were technically not good as compared to English players,
even the experienced player like Shahid Afridi (also playing without their
regular opener Salman Butt.
3. English players were well aware to the conditions as they were playing at
home. Pakistani player were struggling through out the tour.
4. The fielding standard of Pakistan is historically poor. And that of the
English players is well above the standard in my opinion.
5. English bowlers were bowling in their own conditions and Pakistan was infact
playing with only two bowlers (Shoaib and Ajmal) with out their main bowlers
Asif and Aamir.
6. If we talk about the game plan in my opinion Pakistan play without any game
plan and England comes out with well prepared game plan
To start with England’s batting effort against Pakistan
Now if we see the One day series and closely watch the performances of English
players, especially of their experienced players, At times it seems that they
are Pakistani batsmen batting for English side. They made technical mistakes,
played rash shots and showed short temperament. In the first match they chased
down the target of 294 and in others they seem to end up with lesser then
200.they batted well in the matches they won and not up to the mark in others.
Keeping in the view the experience of English players in their own conditions
and in experience Pakistan bowling line up without Asif and Aamir.
Bowling
If we talk about bowling performance of English players we can say that they
were giving chances to the Pakistani players to score runs. As we have watched
their performance in the test and T20 series they controlled Pakistani batsmen
very well and most of the times it seems that Pakistan can not achieve the 100
runs mark(it happened in some innings too).but we see Pakistani batsmen scoring
freely and scoring at almost 6.00 runs per over.
Pakistan scored 294 (50 over)and 250 in just 41 over which seems to be a miracle
to me. This was the time when I thought they are deliberately bowling loose
deliveries. And Razzaq (I am big fan of him) I thought that his career is over
(like Azhar Mehmood) scored 42 runs in two over .it was the most unbelievable
thing to me .one can say that it was his day but I don’t believe it, if you give
bat to Javid Miandad or Sunil Gavaskar or Garry Sobers they can never score 42
runs in two over .it is just like that to me. Infact the bowlers bowled to the
Razzaq strength, they tried same thing to Afridi but Afridi as I said earlier
weak technically could not avail chance. I want to see all deliveries bowled to
Afridi and Razzaq again and analyze them. They were really doubtful.
Fielding
The fielding performance of English fielders was of high standards in the series
but if we see their performance in one day series they missed several chances
and also give extra runs. The boundaries were big no doubt but it was impossible
for Pakistani players to score four runs by running between the wickets, and
Pakistani players did it courtesy English fielding in the ODI series.
Miss fielding and wrong calls were another issue I saw during the ODI series. At
times I felt that the player who was closer or nearer to the ball didn’t ran or
chased the ball instead the player who was not closer chased it thus provided
extra runs to Pakistani players .calling for catches were also of low level and
the players who should have made the call didn’t called and the catch dropped.
This looks doubtful to me on the part of English fielding especially their
senior players looked tired which is criminal at international level.
I personally feel that in ODI series they mostly don’t have a balance side as a
result one of their player announced retirement (side bottom). It shows that
there is some thing black at the bottom. We may see some more retirements in the
coming months.