In the name of WEST INDIES

     1975, the year of the inaugural edition of the world cup, the era when the Lords of Cricket, England and Australia were in the best of their forms, the era when the World Cricket took the first real step towards the Globalization of the game. That was the year, the West Indian Army of the Black Pearls lead by the Great Clive Lloyd clinched the first ever World Cup on the English soil and announced their arrival in the World Cricket with a BANG!

     Year changed but the the event, the venue and the result didn't. Once again in 1979 the Lords of the Cricket were unexpectedly defeated by the PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN. That was the time of the West Indian Cricket. Players like Lloyd, Ambrose, Sir Vivian Richards became the Masters of the game but the CHAMPIONS failed to make the mark ever again.

     After 1979 it always had been the story of semi-finals and group stages but never did they climb to the top of the ladder again.

     35 years passed and then came the CHAMPIONS TROPHY 2004, the feeling of being triumphant rose again on the Caribbean islands but it didn't last long, in fact it was the last joy before the GLOOMY FUTURE.

     The RISE of 2011 and the fall of the West Indian Cricket shocked the West Indian cricket. The conflicts between the Board and the players forced an entirely new squad in the mega event of ICC Cricket World Cup 2011. Though talented yet the inexperienced bunch of the Caribbean players was knocked out from the Quarter Finals.

     Finances forced the young lads to step down from the international squad but meanwhile, unnoticed, the aggression got harder, potential started to reach the skies and the leagues around the world turned the West Indian coal to pure DIAMOND.

     DARREN SAMMY, DJ BRAVO, CH GAYLE, SUNIL NARINE, SAMUEL BADREE... Keep on counting the names and you'll keep on getting a T20 Master one after another and the Masters out classed they're competitors to win their 1st ever ICC WORLD T20 in 2012.

     West Indies believed, the cheers roared and the Caribbean celebration begin. It was the time when people thought about their revival but the nightmare was not to be over so quickly. Years passed by and 2015 arrived, the darkest year in the history of WEST INDIAN CRICKET. The old story of the West Indian Board and the players caused the worst ever tragedy for the Windies.

     A poor cricketing year in 2013-14, big loss from Ireland in ICC WORLD CUP 2015, and an excellent Bangladeshi year thrashed the 2004 winners out of the 2017 Champions Trophy 2017. West Indies couldn't even qualify for the Mega Event. It was a dead end in front of the West Indian nation. Days passed by and the West Indian Cricket was being cornered day by day.

     On the Christmas’ eve of 2015 every West Indian cricket fan requested Santa Claus to bring back the honor they had, the respect they had earned, bring back what had been lost for eternity and what couldn't be redeemed. Santa honored them.

     This time the young boys lead the way. West Indies U19 had a series of tough matches against the Asian giants. A quarter final against Pakistan U19, a semifinal against Bangladesh U19 and the big final against India U19. The first ever FINAL for the youngsters from Windies brought up the first ever West Indian U19 World Cup Victory. They rejoiced and they had every right to do so.

     A month later, it was the seniors turn to step up. They had a hard way to cover. No support from their own board made it even harder for them. This required maturity and integrity of the team and they displayed it. They had it, the sportsmanship, the brotherhood, the harmony, the integrity.

     "Win we rejoice, loss we congratulate." The agenda of the West Indies gave the real meaning to the sport. They danced when they won and danced along others when they lost. Men and women continued the journey and against all odds made their way to the big FINALS.

     6! 6! 6! 6! And it was done! Boys lead the way, Women followed the path and Men completed the trail. 2016 had been the year of the West Indian Cricket. The U19 World Cup 2016, Women’s ICC World T20 2016 and the Men’s ICC World T20 2016, all belong to one nation, WEST INDIES. 

     Yes! Santa fulfilled the wish. The respect was back, the magic was back and the team which was almost disavowed by her own Board was now in King's Crown.

     Call them whatever you want to, criticize them all your life but they are the CHAMPIONS OF GAME, they are the CHAMPIONS FROM HEART, they played the game with the spirit of the game, they played for their nation, they made their way out of the hard times and now they stand tall as CHAMPIONS. Now, EVERYBODY KNOWS DARREN SAMMY IS A CHAMPION, EVERYBODY KNOWS WINDIES ARE A CHAMPION.

     Give them the RESPECT they DESERVE!

The Australian Dynasty

1803, the year when the first ever official cricket match was recorded on the Australian soil; however sources do report that cricket was already well established in the middle of 19^th Century. Australia’s cricket history has been over 210 years old which is in fact a pretty long era.

           The journey till now was not as easy as it sounds. 2 Centuries brought a lot of highs and lows in the Australian Cricket but the Aussies have never stepped back from the profession.

 The 5 times World Champions didn’t reach the sky in one night. Imagine that at one stage, after the World Wars and the inter-state conflicts, the World Champions were on the verge of being knocked out of the World Cricket but their hard work, determination and the most important ACC (Australian Cricket Council) dragged them all the way back into the main stream of cricket and now, they stand at the top of the LADDER.

History has witnessed the fact that the Australian Cricket Council was well-established ages ago and it had always been producing classical players. Armstrong, Bradman, Healy, Chappell, Waugh, Ponting, Clarke, Lee, Warne, Gilchrist; call the era and you will always find an Aussie among the best in the business.

Australia has been ruling the cricket world for ages. Though they had been involved in the game way back from the creation of nations like Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka but they have been far more successful from their arch rivals England who have been in the game since the start.

It’s not the case that they never saw a set-back in their journey. They were down and out at number of occasions but every time they have received a PUNCH, they have BOUNCED back even harder.

         Let’s recall, Australia were no-where among the world’s best in the first three editions of the World Cup but they surprisingly surprised the world by their 1987 World Cup victory on the Asian pitches which had always been an unconquered territory for them. Then a heart-breaking knock out from the 1992 World Cup at home yet again they managed to sneak into the final in the following World Cup 1996 and then the world witnessed the DAWN of the Australian Cricket. They finally managed to lift the World Trophy in 1999 after 12 years and remain indomitable even in a single Match in the next 2 editions of the World Cup either. Again a setback in 2011 on the same naughty Asian pitches yet a strong come back in 2015 where they took the World Cup back to home. In between who can forget the 32 ASHES victories comprising of 3 clean sweeps against England and the 2 Champions Trophies successfully won by Australia.

What’s the reason for such a success? Surely they don’t have a Harry Potter or a magical fairy. The only reason for their success is their determination, hard work, professionalism and loyalty to their country.

Australia has produced a number of legends probably the most by any country. The key to success has not been mere talent but TALENT HUNTING and the way they have REFINED their talents have given them an edge. Imagine the strength of their domestic circuit from the fact that their major event SHEFFIELD SHIELD was properly established way back in the 1850s as mentioned earlier.

They have the World’s finest domestic cricket setup covering all the formats. A 4-Day Championship, a ONE-DAY competition and the glamorous BIG BASH LEAGUE which is rated even higher by the critics than its closest competitor  IPL.

No one can deny the fact that their cricket at home is acting like a source of converting coal into polished Diamond. What more would anyone want that their own legends are willingly and sincerely serving their home cricket either coaching or talent-hunting or even in selection committees but they are determined to mark out the best in the pool.

Cricket Australia has not produced “The PLAYERS” to look out for, but they have identified CAPTAINS, prepared LEADERS who could martial the troops to the victory stand, who could conquer the disputed territory among the “World’s Best”.

It has been a long history of SUCCESSORS and SOLDIERS who have won over many soils and stood tall in the BATTLEFIELDS by the end of the Battles. From Steve Waugh to Ricky Ponting to Michael Clarke, all of them have made their country proud on the grand stages and now Steven Smith is up to the task.

Their dominance in TESTS and ODIs continues yet the T20 continues to be a worry for them. But the way BBL is progressing by leaps and bounds, it won’t take them long to top the T20 victory stand either once they find themselves in the suitable conditions.

Undoubtedly, the ACC continues to provide the best of the training centers where boys turn men, recruits becomes GENERALS and legends are born. Aussies continue to fight out for their lives and the empire continues to grow. The AUSTRALIAN DYNASTY continues to be the most dominant race in the world of cricket which is never going to be forgot the CRICKET HISTORY.      

The CLOSING CHAPTER

          Life of a player starts differently. His interests are different, hobbies are unusual, dedication is a legend, mentor is a sporting super-hero and above all LOVE is the SPORT. Take a glance around the world and you sight will return back unchanged as you won’t find any of these things different among all the sports legends. However, every legend had to pass through his own hardships, own trauma, face his own issues and make some of the hardest sacrifices.

          “I just wanted to play cricket. My (school/college) team was short of wicket-keeper and because I wanted to play cricket I got myself registered as a wicket-keeper for the first time. That’s how I started it. ”

          These words belong to KUMAR SANGAKKARA, the living LEGEND told these during an interview to a TV channel. For young SANAGAKKARA, the only thing that mattered him his life was the sport he loved more than anything i.e. CRICKET.

          Talk about ABDUR RAZZAQ, elders remember him as one of the rarest persons striving in the hottest afternoons in the dazzling grounds of Lahore just to be capped internationally and step onto the biggest stage of cricket.

          Passion forced these great players and their hard work drove them all along to the grand stage and they didn’t disappoint. New chapters of their live were opened. New records were made and history was being written but as it goes, all good things have to come to an end and its best if they do at the right time before turning into ones you tend to hate.

           In the same fashion, their career had to come to an end, but was ending the story so easy. Is the closing chapter so easy as simply writing “THE END”. Such an end about which the writer had never thought of while starting the story, such an end which might be the worst thing he ever imagined, such an end which would make lion-hearts to burst into tears. The writer doesn’t even know will he be the one to put the final stop with his will or it would be the TIMES that decide.

Cricket has been a glamorous world but it doesn’t take long to for the world to change into a scary one. Legends of cricket have only been such persons who have been the bravest, the most skillful and specially the greatest performers when they have been asked to in the hour of need. The world has always been mad for them and had never wanted them to back-off from the mightiest of the stages. Sadly as it goes “Every rise has a fall”. All of a sudden one might have to step back from what it meant their life for them. RETIRING, leaving cricket willingly or unwillingly, it is as sure as death and no one can do anything.

          “Well begun is half done” and “All is well that ends well”, two of the most contradictory yet complimentary statements and it takes a lot of hard-work, covering of hard yards and fortune as well to achieve both and not even a lot of great players have done so successfully.

           Fortune dragged Imran Khan’s retirement from 1987 to 1992 and what an end did he put to his career while leading the underdogs of that era to the top of the ladder where as Michael Clarke’s dedication to country, his team and the 16^th man, as Clarke mentioned himself, Phil Hughes enforced him to end up on the peak of the mountain.

          Still some great players like the Kings of SWING i.e. WAQAR and WASIM were forced to step back due to the circumstances. The 400* runs scorer, Brian Charles Lara, nor the CENTURION of the centuries, Sachin R. Tendulkar, couldn’t even say Good Bye to the world on a high.

Yet some surprise and sudden retirements were thrown from players like Younis Khan, Graeme Swann, Mitchell Johnson etc. decided to leave the game when none of their fans or beloved ones were expecting them to take such a decision.

          However the circle continues. New players combine together to open their books of careers while the elders continue to plan their closing chapters. On the latest grounds, Shane Watson, one of the greatest all-rounders, has announced to retire from the world cricket right after the World T20 currently going in India. Shane has been an integral part of every team he has played in. Call it Australia, Rajasthan Royals, Islamabad United or the defending BBL Champions Sydney Thunde; he has been always making considerable contributions with the bat & bowl. We hope that he ends up his career on a high as did his former ODI and TEST skipper.

          In between, the Pakistani Superstar is also struggling emotionally and mentally to step back from the sport which has made him BOOM BOOM AFRIDI from mere Shahid Khan Afridi. The youngster, as his fans call him, has not only contributed to the Pakistan Cricket but the International Cricket as well by doing what the world saw as impossible. Nobody knows when or even if the world is going to see another character like him. His retirement still remains an unhandled issue but whenever he makes the call, he would have a lot to be proud of whenever he looks back into his past.

          We welcome the new replacements into the Cricket World but we’re surely going to miss them. We wish the retired ones best of luck for whatever they opt for the future but hope that their struggle for the improvement of the CRICKET goes on endlessly.

The UNTOLD TALE!

          Once upon a time, I met a game. She was strange. Her face looked miserable and she looked extremely gloomy from her expressions. I looked at her, in fact gazed her and no sooner did she respond. She understood the question mark in my eyes. Soon she came near me and introduced herself. I asked her name. No response for a while , I repeated my question in an even polite manner. There came the answer “I am the GENTLEMEN’s GAME.”. I got amazed, shocked and even more curious. I requested her to be even clearer. This time she replied “CRICKET!”.

          My memory clicked and no sooner did I take to identify her. I had Goosebumps. In a threshold my passion, my devotion and my love was right in front of me. My curiosity rose to another level. I requested her to tell me something about herself. She kept her lips closed for a long time but after a while the silence broke. She replied “It’s a long misery tale and you won’t have enough in you.” Her dull eyes provoked me and my curiosity forced me to push harder. On my strong emphasis, she agreed to tell me the long, twisty tale.

          “My name is CRICKET and soon after my birth I was recognized as the GENTLEMEN’s GAME, however no-one ever knows that how I came into being.” she said in her dull voice. Uncontrollably, I asked her “How lucky are you? You reside in the heart of over a million people, people love you, stay around and feel blessed to do so. They are proud to be associated with you; as a matter of fact they WORSHIP you.” Before I could go further, she interrupted me and said “I WAS a SPORT. My life’s aim was to give people joys, pleasures, enhance sportsmanship, erase the geographical boundaries between the sporting nations but unfortunately...” she stopped.

          Breaking the silence in the hall, I spoke out “You have given us all those. Why on Earth would you be disappointed in yourself?” She looked at me with a strange manner. That shivered me, and I could not understand what was happening. It was hard for me to absorb that what on EARTH has happened to my love. My body began to shiver in fear if I had said something that I wasn’t supposed to say. I could see tears in her eyes. Finally words came out crumbling from her mouth “My earliest memories remind me of little children, playing with me during the wars and revolts in the days of 19^th Century, for them I used to be a sign of friendship, a source of get-together, a class of teamwork and a lesson of sportsmanship. Those little children made me a symbol of peace in a war-some environment. That was my actual place, in fact the best place I had ever been, inside the children’s hearts, from where I emerged on the national and international level. I was happy, I was mature and I felt blessed that I could convey everything of mine to the big boys, whatever I had to offer in the context of sport, the innovation, the thinking, the even behaviors, the moralities even my complete existence.”

          A silence and then a loud scream hollered the place “BUT WHAT DID THEY DO TO ME?”  My heart came to my mouth. With tears coming out of her eyes, she cried “Just to determine who owns the GAME, they burned my body, turned it into ASHES and what comes worse? The proud owner of the URN rejoices all over the place. Does any gentleman do so? Huh! Those senseless people don’t understand how anybody can be an OWNER of the GAME? And if anybody does so, then why would one burn down his own belonging to marks his ownership? That burn mark is still fresh on my face and hurts every day, every minute, every second.”

          “Those kids embraced me with open arms, they erased the boundaries of cast and creed from their minds, they were just cricket lovers, no SAXONS, no ROMAN CATHOLICS, no MUSLIMS, no HINDUS, no PROTESTANTS, no nothing. They were brothers for each other but what shameful things did the elders do to me? They used me to establish, in fact strengthen the rivalries. I was meant to demolish enmity and lay the basis of brotherhood and harmony but those heartless didn’t even spare me. I was proud to be the messenger of peace but it was always on the cards that the anti-forces won’t bear me. They tried and did so but instead of backing each other in the hours of need, the elders forgot brotherhood, the gentlemen left sportsmanship, they stepped back and sacrificed my love for their evil purposes. They took me away from my beloved ones and my lovers were deprived from their die hard passion. I lived in their hearts and flow in their bloods yet I cannot go to them, embrace them or live with them. ”

          My heart began to fill. It was becoming hard for me to stand by the harsh tale but it wasn’t over yet. It looked like as if she was about to disrupt. I wanted her to pause or STOP. I couldn’t take the heart-breaking tale anymore but my request had pushed me into the damp and now I had to listen until she spoke out to her full ability.

         “People learned nothing from me. When I was juvenile, it was like a new bloomed flower and I always wished that I would be source of honey and fragrance or would die out like a bookmark in a scholar’s book but the HUMAN NATURE used me. Yes! They used me to create money, to earn revenue, to retain the dominance, to prevail the rule. I was meant to provoke and create finances for the struggling nations, it was up to me to create finance but it was the elder’s duty to distribute it evenly for my growth across the world but they just hoarded money for their-selves, they took the lion’s share and pretended to globalize the game. Was that anything that I was meant for? Huh! My eyes watched the nightmare of nations falling but never saw a new nation emerging on the big screen.”

She continued “Does a gentleman converts the gentleness of a game into a threat of a death? Does a gentleman uses my entity, my part, my organ to frighten the batter or does my cricket ball sounds a BULLET to the bowlers with which they try to fire someone? I never wondered that I might be a cause of DEATH of young man. The death of that YOUNG MAN kills me every moment.”

          With all the power left in her frail lungs she shouted “I wish if I were never used for mere entertainment, I wonder if I were never meant for money or finances, I wish if I were never used for a 20 over fun that murdered my originality, I wish if I could remain genuine, a real gentlemen’s game, I wish if I could restore all that what I’ve lost. I wish if I could speak out to the WORLD, loud and clear, For GOD’s sake, for heaven’s sake be a sportsman-spirit holder, be impartial, praise the best and try to be better, help each other in standing along or one day, I would be standing with a head down with shame and embarrassment among all the games in the world. Please globalize me but do not change me. DO NOT CHANGE ME or I will become a body without spirit, an entity without feelings and no sooner will I be no more a sport.”

           Tears constantly poured out her eyes, her face as silent as grave looked at me seeking answers to her questions but I had nothing to answer. I couldn’t do anything to help her.  Silence fell all over the place leaving both of us speechless. I felt most helpless but it was her who needed to be rescued.  

Waqar Younis vs. Waqar Younis

          Pakistan has always been a fertile soil of fast bowlers ever since Pakistan cricket has stepped on the international stage. However, the West Indians, Australians and English bowlers had laid their mark in this department. Seam, swing, bounce and lethal pace are the 4 words that summarize the classical bowling but it was no sooner that Sarfraz Nawaz added a new dimension in the fast bowling’s world. He introduced the world to the art of reverse swing in which the bowl swung in mid-air but entirely opposite to the new ball provided that one side should be rough and the other one was shiny. Sunil Gavaskar admired the invention in these words, “Instead of calling it reverse swing, people should call it that he is Sarfraz-ing the ball.” However the world could not master the trick but the illusion of reverse swing was learned rather quickly by the Pakistanis.

           16^th October, 1989, a young boy, around 20 years of age, with a 99 number on his jersey, steps into the SHARJAH Stadium, with a 99 number on his shirt, in a dramatic clash against the West Indian Giants. The world ad already seen Wasim Akram but they never knew what the Pakistan Cricket had more to offer. The 6 feet tall Pakistani pacer steams in and makes the batsmen smell the leather of the cricket ball. The kid goes wicketless in the first match but an economy of around 3.5 in a full 10 over quota lays a handsome impact. A month later on 16^th Nov, 1989, that boy comes in white outfit against his arch rivals in a test match against India. He rushes in and exploits the art of reverse swing at a dangerous pace of 150+ kph, right into the block hole and takes away 4 wickets in his debut and no sooner the he was famous with the title of “Burewala Express” and the world had recognized him, He was WAQAR YOUNIS. He became the pillar of Pakistan’s bowling attack and the two W’s combination became the most lethal bowling pair around the world.

          Waqar took reverse swing to an entire new level. The world called his swing “Banana Swing”. Initially the world could not absorb the way he was demolishing the stumps. They called him TEMPERER but he was an artist who proved his art every time he stepped into the ground. His reverse swinging Yorkers became famous worldwide. He was unfortunate that he could not be a part of ’92 squad due to an injury but still he had an excellent career. He was unlucky that he could not lift any World Cup for his team yet he had achieved some unbelievable records.

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          He had the highest strike rate before Dale Steyn with for a bowler with 350+ wickets. The seasoned bowler was quickest to 50, 300, 350 and 400 wickets. He is the only bowler to take 3 consecutive 5 wicket hauls. He became the youngest Pakistani Test skipper but at the back end of his career some conflicts with his colleagues, controversies and poor performance in 2003 World Cup forced him to step back from the World Cricket and in April,2004 he played his last match against Zimbabwe and retired from the International Cricket. The speedster took 416 wickets in 262 ODIs and 373 wickets in 87 Tests. His career best for ODIs was 7/36 and 13/135 in TESTS. Crossing the 100 mph mark and lifting the World Cup were the only 2 regrets that he had at the end of his career.

          As a player he was as good as one can imagine but soon he decided to transfer his talent and experience into the country’s youth. In 2006, he was appointed the Pakistani bowling catch but was later dismissed. In 2010 he became the head coach of Pakistan team. People had sky high expectations from the Burewala Express. World Cricket, especially Pakistan Cricket expected him to discover local talent as he was discovered by the Great Imran Khan. It was expected by every Pakistani Cricket lover that the Pakistani bowlers would learn the art of express pace reverse swinging Yorkers and other lines but none of this unfortunately happened.

          The winners of 2009 World T20 were thrashed out from the unbelievable semi-final of 2010 edition of World T20 by the Australian side. Sooner that year, though Pakistan won 2 T20s and 1 Test match, almost after 15 years, against Australia but the ban on Aamir, Asif and Salman Butt banished all the happiness from the Pakistani faces and hence the low morale cost Pakistan 3 losses in 3 series in 3 formats against England in England. This was the time when Waqar’s experience and talent hunting could have come into account but neither any alternative was discovered by the coach nor he refurnished the bowling. Afridi’s tremendous bowling form took the Green Shirts into the semis where the chasing ghost haunted Pakistan and they could not chase down a relative small total of 259 posted by the gigantic batting side of India and Pakistan went back home after a 29 runs defeat from India.

          His controversies or incompatibility was also not hidden from the media. It is also reported that Muhammad Hafeez stepped down from the 2015 World Cup campaign due to his arguments with Waqar Younis. The fact did not either go unnoticed that Waqar did not follow or monitor the local domestic cricket for hunting some talent neither he arranged sessions in order to teach or transfer the aggressive, lethal reverse swinging Yorkers or bouncers as he had been doing throughout his entire cricketing career. He took the time on such defensive mind-set that Pakistan had only chased 300+ runs one in the previous 6 years. What worse could happen that Bangladesh clean sweep Pakistan on their last tour to Bangladesh? Pakistan holds a record of 0-6 against Bangladesh in the past 6 meetings. Despite Test Rankings (Courtesy Misbah-ul-Haq), Pakistan currently stands on its lowest ODI rankings (9^th) in the history of Pakistan Cricket.

          One might wonder if he is the same Waqar who used to frighten the opposition with his outstanding bowling or is he some amateur whose coaching has coaching almost knocked Pakistan out of the Champion’s Trophy 2017. Still he stands a chance to prove himself in the all- important World T20, 2016 standing right in front of him. Let’s see if he can change the plot or not. Can he be a MASTER once again or does end up his coaching being DOMINATED by the world? This remains the question of every Pakistani.