BY the time these line would appear in print, the fate of the second ‘home’ Test between Pakistan and West Indies would be shaping up for the final showdown, if not already over by then, that is! More than anything else — for a West Indian loss is always on the cards these days — what came as a matter of utmost satisfaction was the manner in which Shoaib Akhtar made his return to bigtime cricket, and at least there was no immediate nonsense about his bowling action. None of the umpires, and the match referee had anything adverse to say about it, and, for once, Shoaib was able to bowl freely and fiercely.
But these are still early days, and all it takes to raise a controversy is some unguarded or ill-meaning comment from some so-called expert dying to bask in reflected glory after missing the media spotlight for some extended period of time. It is unfortunate, but it really is that easy to raise a controversy in these days of scandal-hungry media.
Even up till now, the controversy has failed to come to rest because of deplorable media hype and the propensity of the electronic media to keep focussing on things where they find a potential for conflict of opinion. And, it was no different in Sharjah. For the first four days, the telecast was comparatively free of any innuendo or snide remark, but it all changed on the last day when slow-motion and frame-freeze tactics were employed coupled with loaded remarks from some of the commentators in an attempt to influence not just the casual watchers, but, basically, the match referee. The assumption, it seems, is that Shoaib is perfect when he is not taking wickets, but is off the rail when he is among the wickets. Funny, to say the least.
Credit must be given to the Pakistan Cricket Board, which has stood behind his bowler like a rock, providing him all the physical, moral and legal support — all at an exorbitant cost, mind you. It is amazing, and at the same time confusing, that a report from the famed Australian institute convinced the International Cricket Conference to allow Sri Lanka’s Muralitharan to continue his career unhindered, but a report from the same institute twice is still not good enough for the ICC. That the PCB took a firm stand even in the face of some serious risk, was the correct approach for which it deserves a pat on the back. That Shoaib Akhtar did come through the Bangladesh outing and has been trouble-free so far in Sharjah makes the PCB stand vindicated. So far, so good. I guess a better way for Shoaib to play a few matches without trying to take wickets. Only that can shut the ill-fed mouths of rancid experts. Apart from Shoaib, the limelight was also shared by Abdul Razzaq, who is really coming to terms with international cricket in a grand manner. It will not be too late before his name is taken among the ranking all-rounders in the game. He is already a force in the One Day variety, and will be a potential winner for Pakistan in Test matches as well in the time to come.
Though captain Waqar Yunus was not among the wickets in the second innings, he had a big hand in keeping the Pakistanis in the hunt. In normal circumstances, most would have given up hope after the West Indians had a reasonable start to their second innings, but Waqar was able to keep his lads on their toes, making them believe that it was all a matter of having a couple of quick wickets before the rot would set in. And that is exactly what happened in the end.
BY the time these line would appear in print, the fate of the second ‘home’ Test between Pakistan and West Indies would be shaping up for the final showdown, if not already over by then, that is! More than anything else — for a West Indian loss is always on the cards these days — what came as a matter of utmost satisfaction was the manner in which Shoaib Akhtar made his return to bigtime cricket, and at least there was no immediate nonsense about his bowling action. None of the umpires, and the match referee had anything adverse to say about it, and, for once, Shoaib was able to bowl freely and fiercely.
