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It?s not about heroes and villains
Sunday 25th looms as D-Day for Pak, defeat against India will see us knocked out. Doom and gloom for many I expect, writes Bob Woolmer.
Sunday 25th looms as D-Day for the Pakistan team, defeat against India will see them knocked out of the Asia Cup. Doom and gloom for many I expect.
However the team itself will not accept that fact and they have been working very hard in preparation. Training has been intense and focused. Defeat can have two results, despondency or determination and it has been interesting to see how determined the Pakistan team have become during the preparation phase.
Determination however may not be enough to beat probably the most talented Indian side ever. The long batting line up and a young and youthful vibrant bowling attack make up the ingredients for a winning combination.
Tendulkar and Sehwag are a proven opening partnership and also a devastating one. Ganguly, Dravid, Mohammed Kaif and Yuvraj Singh make a dynamic middle order and the tail is not the worst either.
The return of Harbhajan strengthens their spin attack and I suppose India will have selection a problem as to which attack is the better to field on the night. The young bowlers Pathan and Balaji are proven wicket takers but still young.
It is a team well respected in cricket circles around the world. So the Pakistan task seems almost insurmountable, how then do we approach this game under these odds.
Simply first of all we have to look at the strengths available to Pakistan.
Inzamam, a giant amongst batsman in world cricket today. In Sami and Akhtar there is potential and the duo could strike up a world famous opening pair similar to the likes of McGrath and Gillespie, Lillee and Thomson, Trueman and Statham, Hall and Griffiths. This is the goal that they would like to achieve.
In Yasir Hameed there is an exciting young batsman backed up by the experience of Yousuf Youhana and Younis Khan. Moin Khan has plenty of experience as a wicket keeper batsman so there is plenty of ability and after the stinging defeat of the other night, they will be trying very hard.
The key however is to relax enjoy the pressure of the big occasion, focus on the job in hand, work hard every ball and to make use of that serious talent they have.
The pitch will also be a factor but not an issue. It looks a good batting pitch and chasing at night seems to be just as easy as batting first, so the toss should not be a factor!
Much has been made of the Indo-Pak rivalry and it resembles (on a much larger scale) the many traditional rivalries that cricket has. I have been involved in a few and the Ashes clashes were always the games to play in. Kent vs Sussex, Yorkshire vs Lancashire, Transvaal vs Western Province in South Africa always stir up the juices of the supporters and create that extra motivation for players.
This will obviously be my first experience of this clash and it will be very interesting to be part of it, it will be another special cricketing experience. However this is on neutral territory so the passion of the spectators will not be so intense. I have also been staggered by the intense media coverage for the Asia Cup and it shows just how the game has changed over the years.
At the risk of being boring I can remember when the main issue for the media was to report on the game and not the individual rivalries.
Now of course the Tendulkar vs Akhtar battle will be a focus for all fans.
For us though the focus must be on the cricket, the game, the ball and the joy of being on the pitch. There are so many people living every ball. Who will be the heroes and who will be the villains?
Like a good book everyone wants to know the ending, but to endure the ball by ball drama is very hard. Expectations, disappointment, elation will be just a few of the emotions that will pervade millions of households as the game unfolds on TV.
D-Day for Pakistan but also for India. If Pakistan win then they have to beat Bangladesh to go through. There is a lot to play for. Amongst all the hype we still have to remember that it is only a game!
Did I really say that? As a coach it is important always to study the game and try not to become too emotional as the bigger picture is the team and how it can improve. One game among many is merely part of that process. (Gameplan)
