| March 20, 2003 | Thursday | Muharram 16, 1424 |
How missed catches cost teams dearly in World Cup 2003
CATCHES, it is generally said, win matches; conversely, missed ones cost matches. While the standard of fielding in the current World Cup has been excellent to superb, barring the display of rank ineptness by some teams — Pakistan ahead of the rest in this area — the fate of many participants was determined by spilled-easy, difficult and half to less than half chances.
There was an unusual rush in the visitors’ galleries on Wednesday. The assembly records showed that over 1,100 visitors’ cards were issued against a daily average of about 650. Perhaps some of those who had participated in the million-man-marches had come to see how their leaders perform the task of translating their street vehemence against the US into state policy. They were, however, sorely disappointed.
Except for a highly devastating speech by MMA’s Maulana Mohammad Khan Sherani, MNA from Zhob-cum-killa Saifullah there was not much to write home about the foreign policy debate on Wednesday. The Maulana used the opportunity to take deadly swipes at the military rulers and their doings.
Meanwhile, the government seems to have plunged wholeheartedly into the exercise of preparing the speech of the president which he will make at the joint sitting of parliament. However, so far, the government has shied away from announcing a date for the joint sitting because the ruling alliance has not yet succeeded in persuading the combined opposition on the issue of LFO.
The opposition appears all set to make the event memorable. It is sharpening its teeth and claws. And the government, on the other hand, seems to have fixed its eyes on a date some time next week.
It was in this backdrop that the current visit of the two important Patriots, Rao Sikander and Faisal Saleh Hayat, to Dubai is being viewed. Though both of them have gone abroad ostensibly on official business, their presence in Dubai at this juncture has given rise to speculation once again of a deal in the offing between the army top brass and Ms Benazir Bhutto.
The first sub-rule under rule No 247 of Rules of Procedure and the conduct of business in the National Assembly bars members from reading any book, newspaper or letter, except in connection with the business of the assembly while it is sitting. But then most of the ministers and even the prime minister at times are seen reading applications and other documents submitted to them by the members in full view of the galleries.
This happens even when important speeches are being made. On Wednesday, the prime minister’s adviser on finance, Shaukat Aziz, and NRB chief, Danial Aziz, were deeply engrossed in some discussion while the house was engaged in the serious business of foreign policy debate. Minister for Media Development and Broadcasting, Shiekh Rashid, was, on the other hand, seen signing applications by the dozens sitting in the back benches.
There are other rules as well which the members are seen violating without any compunction all the time. Some of those which get ignored most of the time are as follows: While the assembly is sitting, a member shall not interrupt any member while speaking by disorderly expression or noises or in any other disorderly manner; shall always address the chair; shall maintain silence when not speaking in the assembly; shall not obstruct proceedings and shall avoid making running commentaries when speeches are being made in the assembly; and shall not use a mobile telephone.
In the last session(4) the opposition members had violated the last but one rule for three days in a row without being held accountable. But then every one who manages to enter the select club of ruling elite in this country has been known to have placed himself above the law of the land. Some rulers thought they could loot and plunder the country without the fear of being brought to book. And some others think that since they are not looting and plundering the country in the strictest legal sense of the terms, they have a right to violate the Constitution and no one could hold them accountable. But then which is a more serious crime: plundering one’s country or violating its Constitution?
According to parliament grapevine, the on-going tug-of-war between the governor and the chief minister of Sindh is said to have brought the provincial administration to a standstill. As a result, the law and order situation in the province is said to have reached a point of extreme concern for the people at large, especially in Karachi. The withdrawal of the Rangers from the city is said to have caused a sudden jump in the incidence of heinous crimes in the provincial metropolis. Informed circles point out that the city had suffered similar chaos in the past as well every time the Rangers were withdrawn from the city, implying as if the super-duper law enforcement agency itself was behind the rise in crime rate in the city. The charge is, it does it to create a justification for its return to a market where some law enforcers are alleged to have become millionaires in a matter of a year or so.
The latest in this series was witnessed in the first semifinal between Australia and Sri Lanka. Wicket-keeper Kumar Sangakkara dropped Andrew Symonds when his personal score was 30 and Australia had their back to the walls. Symonds went to score an unbeaten 91 and perhaps that decided the outcome of the match.
South Africa have no one to blame but themselves. They had two opportunities to reach Super Six stage. The first was at the outset of the tournament; the second came when they were struggling against the tide.
In the opening fixture, Jacques Kallis, generally an outstanding fielder in the slips, jumped to his left to grab a snick from Brian Lara when the batsman had just started his innings; Kallis was either a fraction late or the ball was outside his reach by a whisker. Lara went on to score a century and the hosts lost the match.
South Africa could have staged a fighting comeback against New Zealand but the latter’s captain, Stephen Fleming, batting in a belligerent do-or-die manner, nicked one to the wicket-keeper Mark Boucher’s usually reliable gloves. He faltered on this occasion. Fleming was then on 54. He never looked back and hit a century, taking the match and Super Six stage away from the Porteas.
Pakistan’s team was slipshod all through the tournament and its exit during the first leg of the competition was natural wages for substandard cricket.
But the story may have been different if Abdul Razzaq had held on to mistimed drive by star batsman Sachin Tendulkar off Wasim Akram when the Indian legend had scored 30 odd runs.
That floored whatever chance the national team had in the tournament. Incidentally, Razzaq posted at mid-off was somewhat unusual as Waqar Younis generally positions himself in this area.
Zimbabwe may have blocked Sri Lanka’s path to Super Six and paved the way for a slot in the semifinals for New Zealand if their wicket-keeper Tatenda Taibu had no put down an easy nick from Marvan Atapattu at an early stage of the batsman’s innings. Atapattu went on to anchor his team’s innings from there on and saw to it that he himself scored a century and his team put up a defendable total; Sri Lanka gave Zimbabwe a target of over 250; it proved beyond the opponents.
The New Zealanders had banked on Zimbabwe for booking their passage to the next stage. The indirect route may not have been needed if wicket-keeper Brendon McCullum had not offered a life to Rahul Dravid when India were 22 for three. Four wickets down at that score could have turned the scales in the Kiwis’ favour. That proved a deadly nail for the New Zealanders’ aspirations for a place in the last four.
The Kenyans had just one freak success against the West Indies in the World Cup 1992 as their credential in the current tournament. They were billed as the minnows and their elimination in the pre-Super Six stage was widely and emphatically predicted. Even the four points gifted to them by New Zealand were not considered sufficient to change their fate-exit at the starting point.
But success against two Test-playing countries, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka, boosted their confidence no end. After stepping in to the second stage, they played a few notches above their estimated potential. They lost to India and Australia but not before giving the front-runners a run worth considerably more than their money. They were enthusiastic in the field but their catching was not as sharp as ground fielding.