SonOfAPitch

Now before I dissect the current performance over in Paki country completely, I feel the need to make a statement that may be welcomed by some, dismissed by others.  Test cricket will NEVER die.  It may not be the form of cricket that will have fans flocking to stadiums or have ticket sharks salivating at the prospect of making a small killing on some prebought stubs, but for the purists and traditionalists among us there is nothing better to follow a well played chess match between two sides over a string of tests in a series.  And lets face it, in the shorter version (and you can choose which one you enjoy more; 20/20 or the 50 over version) there is pretty much one permutation only…one side bats, gets some runs, then have to either bowl the other out side to win or hope when the rain comes down and Mr. Duckworth/Lewis hands you a favor.  The permutations you have over a 5 day test match, if followed properly, is not all that different, but taking into account that over 5 days you have 15 sessions, 450 overs to be bowled, lunch and tea breaks, deteriorating pitches, weather anomalies, injuries, and some serious concentration thrown in there you have a recipe for some riveting viewing, IF you are the purist I mentioned. So…

South Africa is currently ranked 5th in the world, according to the cricket gurus out there, when it comes to the extended version of the game.  Trying to forge any sort of result in any sub continental country is hard enough as it is, but to go to Paki and virtually breeze past them is either a sign of a team growing up or that you are playing a side that lacks the experience you now possess. 

I find it very hard to believe that the Paki’s can be described as a new-look side or inexperienced since I took a gander at their credentials and there is not one person in that squad, apart from Misbah, that does not have a “settled” test record.  I say settled, because how many tests do you need to play before you are seen as experienced?  20, 30, 60?  There is no shortage of match winners in their side either.  Inzamam can be prolific, Danish Kaneria can rip a ball sideways on a sheet of PG Glass’ best, Asif and Gul can be match winning fast bowlers on the day and Younis Khan showed just what he is renowned for in the first test when he pretty much clobbered our Flora all over Karachi.

So where in lies the problem in their inept performances thus far in the series?  Let’s not forget that their coach, Bob Woolmer mysteriously died during the world cup in the West Indies this year.  Lets also not forget about the initial speculations that some Paki’s may have had something to do with Bobbie turning up quiet.  So some may say that the effect of something like that may not have worn off yet… I say B.S. with Bisto poured all over it, as there was no effects of the whole ordeal evident in their performances in SA during the 20/20 world cup…  you don’t reach a 20/20 world cup final when you are wiping tears from your eyes you are spilling over Bob.  And Jacques Kallis scored 5 consecutive tons in 5 tests in 2004 shortly after his father passed away.  So don’t give me that crap…

The fact is, unless something is written in their local papers quite soon about the poor performance of Pakistan in the last two tests, we will not really know what has been happening behind the scenes.  All I know is that South Africa is rampant, and it makes you cream just waiting for the one dayers on those flat sub continental pitches.

I have decided to give, in the spirit of this new blog, an award on a weekly basis to a sportsman, does not matter which code, who have performed well.  So, without further delay, my award for the second week in October 2007, goes to…………ttttttttttrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr….DISH!!!!!

Jacques Kallis!

For scoring two consecutive test hundreds in the first test, scoring a fifty in the first innings, second test and looking like scoring a ton in his second innings (at the time of posting this he was 94*) and in the process raising an almighty middle finger towards the stand where the administrators and selectors are present)!

Till next time…

PS:  Did I ever mention that Jacques Kallis is family of mine?  Not?  Well, he is…sort of, ….long way around…he probably don’t even know about my existence…but he is family.  But far enough removed that if I could have slept with his sister it would have been within the confines of the law…I think… And if my wife reads this, it was an analogy!  I don’t want to sleep with his sister!  Does he even have a sister?