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The second-most important man in the side

It isn't odd that a world charmed by aggressive batsmen, daunting pacers and incisive spinners often looks through the men crouching behind the stumps, playing singular roles for their teams. A wicketkeeper is usually the most under-appreciated of the playing XI, constantly called upon to make vital contributions as a matter of routine. While a brilliant piece of fielding is usually praised when it occurs in the outfield, it simply is expected behind the wickets.

Still, wicketkeepers are called the backbone of the fielding unit and are in the thick of the action through a game. The stronger the backbone, the tougher the team appears on the field. The keeper leads the team in setting the tone for energy levels and body language. Since he's closest to the batsman, his job is to convey the team's mood to the opponent, and of course to intimidate him.

While it may be the most gruelling job on the cricket field, wicketkeeping is a thankless job. You could be at your best behind the stumps the whole day, but the big gloves will take half the credit, and if, god forbid, you drop a catch, you can almost see your world coming down. A keeper's span of concentration - the amount of time he needs to stay in the present - has to be longer than that for other players. It starts with the bowler's run-up (when the keeper looks for cues with regards to the shine, or for any other indication that might help him move better) and ends when the ball is dead. To this mental effort, add 540 squats, 90 trots of about 50 metres each, and about 200 short sprints every day.

Wicketkeepers are born, not made, they say. The craft chooses its disciple, not the other way around. Good wicketkeepers are blessed with great (read soft) hands, sharp reflexes and the right temperament.

Though it isn't a rule of thumb, and there have been exceptions, good wicketkeepers are also not very tall. Since a shorter person's centre of gravity is lower, it's easier for him to go down, and also to stay low on every ball, without too much effort. Taller guys, like Adam Gilchrist, have to remind themselves to stay low all the time.

In recent times wicketkeeping has ceased to be a specialised job - the need of the hour being wicketkeeper-batsmen. While this may add depth to batting line-ups, it may, unless monitored closely, irreversibly alter the art of keeping - the one that requires the keeper to tweak his responses to different kinds of bowlers and balls bowled.

Keeping to spinners
If wicketkeeping wasn't already tough, standing up to the stumps requires special skills. The ideal stance of a wicketkeeper is one that gives him a full, uninterrupted view of the bowler. His inside foot (the one closer to the stumps) is about five centimetres outside the line of off stump and about two feet, or an arm's distance, behind. How far back he is from the stumps depends on the height of the player. The smaller the keeper, the closer he'll need to be to the stumps.

While standing back to a medium-pacer, he can remain in a half-squat position, but he has no choice but to crouch fully while standing up to the wicket. The reason for staying crouched is to delay getting up for as long as possible, for it's easier to move upwards than down.

The keeper must start rising only after the ball has pitched, and must then move with the bounce. If he gets up earlier, he'll invariably find himself in an awkward position, especially on low subcontinental wickets - a problem faced even by the best in the business, like Ian Healy or Mark Boucher in India and Sri Lanka. India's Nayan Mongia was as good as it gets while standing up to the spinners. He'd not only stay low for the longest possible time but also rise with the ball beautifully, even on India's uneven pitches, even while keeping to the pace of Anil Kumble.

It's very important to have the gloves fully unfurled while taking the ball. Snatching at the ball is a no-no. "Receiving" is the operative word. While the palm closer to the stumps should be in line with the ball, the outer palm must cover the possibility of an outside edge. Since wicketkeepers are taught to keep their hands this way, it's unfair to be harsh when they miss inside edges, especially against spinners, because of the lack of time to rearrange the hands.

The head should be in line with the ball as you move sideways to collect the ball. Previously wicketkeepers used to be told to make an arc with the hands while moving sideways; this is now discouraged since it takes them away from the stumps. Now the advice is to move in a straight line while keeping the inside leg as close to the stumps as possible in order to get back to the wicket when needed.

For a keeper, reading the bowler is as important as it is for a batsman. It gives him clues regarding the direction of the ball, and helps him decide which way to move. For example, there is no need to move down leg side for a doosra pitched around middle stump, or to stay on the off side for a googly.

Keeping to fast bowlers
While standing back is slightly easier than standing up, when standing back the wicketkeeper is responsible for his team-mates at slip. He's the one who decides the distance from the stumps - which should ideally be the spot at which he receives a ball pitching on good length at about waist height. If the ball gets to him higher or lower, it means he's not in the correct position. And since the fielders at slip use the keeper as an indicator for bounce and pace, if he's not in the correct position, they won't be either.

The keeper's position should be such that he gets a full, uninterrupted view of the bowler, which means he has to place himself further outside the off stump for bowlers coming around the stumps. In such instances you need to be a bit lenient if a keeper misses one down the leg side, for he has to cover a lot of ground to gather the misdirected ball.

It isn't mandatory to crouch fully but most keepers prefer to do so. There are some exceptions, like Alec Stewart, who liked to stay in a half-squat. But keeping the knees flexed, with your weight on the balls of the feet, is mandatory, and you should be able to move sideways in a straight line. The idea is to take the ball beside the inside hip and cover the outside edges.

Wicketkeepers are also advised to "give" while receiving the ball, which means taking the arms back, using them as shock absorbers, while taking the ball. Though it's the right thing to do, it doesn't work in England, where the ball tends to swing a fair bit after passing the batsman. Gilchrist found that out in the 2005 Ashes and was clearly flustered in the first half of the series. In England you need to gather the ball in front of the body, using the body as a second line of defence.

A wicketkeeper must also go for every catch that's not likely to reach first slip on the full. It's better to get a hand to the ball and drop it than to not attempt to catch at all.

Keeping to the batsman
It's also the wicketkeeper's job to get under the batsman's skin, as mentioned before. I'm not promoting sledging but a bit of banter is harmless. Trust me, when someone stands that close to you - with the best view of play - and repeats things about your technique with confidence, you tend to give it a thought. And that fleeting thought might just be enough to force a false shot. I've been tempted to play a few myself, and have seen many batsmen fall for wicketkeepers' utterances. Parthiv Patel coerced Yasir Hameed into playing ahead of himself a few times on India's tour to Pakistan in 2003-04. Kumar Sangakkara doesn't fail to remind batsmen of their shortcomings either.

Since the wicketkeeper has the best seat in the box to judge the movement, pitch, a batsman's strengths and weaknesses, a bowler's mistakes and so on, he must think and act like a leader. He is a constant source of information for the captain and the bowlers.

A smart keeper brings immense value to the side: Stewart stumping Brian Lara with a smart piece of work and Brendon McCullum moving down the leg side to pre-empt Rahul Dravid's paddle sweep to dismiss him are two examples off the top of my head. There are many such instances where keepers have played a pivotal role to change the course of a game.

A good wicketkeeper also makes the team look a better fielding unit. He may run up to the stumps urging the players to throw at him, even when the batsmen are not attempting a run; he might run up to collect a bad throw on the full or collect a poor throw cleanly. He possesses the power to boost the spirits of the team and keep the players on their toes.

The keeper is the second-most important man in the side after the captain. One can almost discern the mood of the team just by looking at him. 

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The thing about Pakistan

Those of us used to lulling ourselves to sleep with thoughts of great Pakistani cricket feats have been having a hard time lately. Even as recently as a few weeks ago, a silken Mohammad Yousuf late cut between gully and point, a Mohammad Asif in-cutter through bat and pad, or a bludgeoned pull into the stands by Shahid Afridi – or, for the nostalgic-minded, Imran Khan merely turning at the top of his bowling mark, Javed Miandad doing little more than taking guard, or Wasim Akram simply flashing a smile – would have been enough to sink even the most resistant insomniac fan into gentle stupor and a blissful night’s sleep.

As of the last three weeks, these images have not been coming as readily to mind as they once did. In their place, thoughts of misguided fast bowlers delivering suspicious no-balls and sleazy bookies counting a tableful of money have invaded the senses. Not that the betting scandal has been something particularly unusual. After all, off-the-record talk of match-fixing and spot-fixing has been going on in Pakistan cricket for a while. And as far as crises go, for the last few years Pakistan cricket has been going through one monster turn of events after another.

But the August 29 newsflash was spiced with enough salacious detail to take over the conversation completely. Still, any storm is expected to die down after a few days, and by now you would have thought the headlines would move on to an expectant wait, as the ICC appoints a tribunal and fact-finding begins. But a scandal-mongering British tabloid press is refusing to let go, and the sleaze and muck just keeps coming.

In Pakistan, most of us have learned that the most effective means of redirecting a cricket conversation is to play hard and play well. This lesson may have been lost on PCB chairman Ijaz Butt, who keeps talking in public as if he is holding forth with cronies in a drawing room in Lahore, but the coach-captain combination of Waqar Younis and Shahid Afridi, scarred veterans of multiple wars, knows it well.

Wounds were too fresh for any kind of fight back in the two-match Twenty20 series, but in the opening ODI in Durham the team walked out with purpose. That contest may have been lost by 24 runs, but it was clear that Pakistan had hit their stride. The next match at Headingley was stretched to the final over, but it was a 320-330 pitch and a target of 295 for a formidable English side led by an in-form Andrew Strauss was never going to be enough. Then came the victory at The Oval, one of Pakistan’s most reliable hunting grounds, and with it dreams of a victory to follow at Lord’s, and a decider at the Rose Bowl.

I’ll be honest. When the boundaries were coming thick and fast for Andrew Strauss and Steve Davies as they chased down 266 with a century opening stand last night, I had given up. Several other comrades, judging by the despondency of their text messages, had given up too. It was approaching midnight in Pakistan and a warm bed seemed far more inviting than fuming and stewing in frustration.

Then a wicket fell, and another. Sleep vanished. The ball began to reverse, boundaries dried up, and text messages began flying furiously. Eventually, Eoin Morgan stood between Pakistan and victory. Afridi had already dropped him, and this “little Irish genius” – as Osman Samiuddin described him in an urgent missive – was determined to cash in.

When Morgan top edged Shoaib Akhtar, I switched my television off. The ball rose alarmingly into the night sky, triggering a long-hidden reflex in my right thumb, which clamped down on the clicker. Even in the best of times, the idea of Pakistani fielders catching a skier is riddled with anxiety. On this occasion, it unleashed sheer panic.

After a few seconds, I turned the TV back on, but muted the sound and shielded my eyes from the screen. Holding my breath, I moved my hand just enough to allow a peek at the score line. From 211 for 7, it had changed to 211 for 8. Morgan was walking back and England were as good as gone. I realised I hadn’t indulged in these antics for many years, not since I was 15, which was thirty years ago.

That’s the deal with Pakistan. It may be a team that from time to time punches its fans in the stomach and kicks them in the face, but it is also a team that even in middle-age can make you feel like a teenager once again. Take that, forces of evil, whoever you are, wherever you are.
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Pakistan unlikely favourites ahead of decider

Big picture

Were it not for all the scandal and controversy that has rocked cricket this summer, Wednesday's Rose Bowl decider between England and Pakistan would surely be seen as a fitting finale to a classic series. It is a testament to the pedigree of these two teams in one-day cricket that, despite the continuing rumblings, rumours, allegations and counter-allegations, they have managed to produce four watchable and absorbing contests and while there may well be further addition to the ongoing off-field saga ahead of the fifth and final match, the cricket itself will surely be of the highest standard.

England were on the brink of pulling out of the series before the fourth match at Lord's and the ECB announced that it would be taking legal action against Ijaz Butt, the chairman of the PCB, after his allegations that England's players accepted a bribe to lose the third ODI at The Oval. But the tour has continued and after coming back from 2-0 down it seems increasingly apparent that Pakistan's cricketers have been better able than England's to maintain their focus amid a couple of hard-fought encounters.

Admittedly, Pakistan have relied largely on the personal brilliance of Umar Gul, who took 10 wickets in the two victories, to put them in this position. But Gul's performances have also had a noticeable effect on the rest of the team and amid the controversy Pakistan have rallied to seize the momentum. Kamran Akmal appears a changed man after his horrific form in Tests this summer, the batting order as a whole has grown in confidence and Shoaib Akhtar has defied age and injury with a string of consistent performances. Add to that Abdul Razzaq and Shahid Afridi's destructive batting and allround ability and Saeed Ajmal's guile, and Pakistan look like formidable opponents.

England, on the other hand, seem jaded at the end of a long and arduous summer and it will surely be a relief to get this final match out of the way, whatever the result. England have dominated five series across three formats this season but a chaotic and controversial end would hardly be the best preparation ahead of a challenging winter in Australia. England will want to end on a positive note, but will be even more desperate to move on as quickly as possible once it is all over.

Form guide (last five completed matches)

England LLWWW
Pakistan WWLLWL

Watch out for...

Andrew Strauss has led England from the front all summer, appearing an assured, attacking captain and a batsman of increasing authority in all formats. Strauss will recognise the importance of a series win despite the overwhelming clamour of off-field distractions in recent days and his sparkling form makes him a vital component at the top of the order.

Umar Gul is currently without equal with an old, reverse-swinging ball in his hands in one-day cricket, and his potency was further increased under lights in the two London encounters. Perhaps crucially, the decider will also be a day/night affair and if Pakistan bat first once again - and the batsmen can scrap their way to a competitive total - Gul could well be Pakistan's hero once more.

Team news

Paul Collingwood has endured droughts and lean runs in the past, but he has appeared so woefully out of nick in recent games that he is a strong candidate for a rest with more important challenges ahead in the coming months. Luke Wright and Ravi Bopara are both primed to push for his spot in the middle order, but England are otherwise a settled unit.

England (possible) 1 Andrew Strauss (capt), 2 Steve Davies (wk), 3 Jonathan Trott, 4 Ian Bell, 5 Eoin Morgan, 6 Ravi Bopara, 7 Michael Yardy, 8 Tim Bresnan, 9 Graeme Swann, 10 Stuart Broad, 11 James Anderson

Pakistan have struck a winning combination and, barring injury, are likely to stick with the same starting XI. Shoaib Akhtar appeared to be struggling with a side strain towards the end of his spell at Lord's, but the word from the Pakistan camp is that he is fit to play in Wednesday's decider.

Pakistan (probable) 1 Kamran Akmal (wk), 2 Mohammad Hafeez, 3 Asad Shafiq, 4 Mohammad Yousuf, 5 Fawad Alam, 6 Umar Akmal, 7 Shahid Afridi, 8 Abdul Razzaq, 9 Umar Gul, 10 Saeed Ajmal, 11 Shoaib Akhtar

Pitch and conditions

The Rose Bowl had a reputation as a seamer's paradise in its early years, but the pitch has settled down considerably since then. The last ODI at the ground, between England and Australia in June, was a reasonably high-scoring affair featuring an Eoin Morgan ton and some tap for the spinners on both sides. With fine weather in prospect, the challenge of batting under lights will be less daunting than it might otherwise have been, although - it being late September and all - temperatures are likely to be on the low side once again.

Stats and Trivia

• Andrew Strauss has been in top form this summer, with 1,122 international runs since Bangladesh visited in May. While his Test form has been reasonable, Strauss's transformation into an attacking limited-overs opener has been remarkable, and he's scored 781 runs in 13 games, including two hundreds and a top score of 154. He's also hit 12 of his 30 international sixes this summer.
  
• If Pakistan bowl under lights, Umar Gul will surely be their most potent weapon. He has 45 wickets in the second innings of day/night ODIs at 21.20 as compared to his career average of 26.32. He now averages 17.92 in ODIs against England.
  
• Despite Gul's night-time prowess, Pakistan will have to overcome a statistical trend if they are to win bowling second at the Rose Bowl. Three of the four day/night ODIs played there have been won by the side batting second, including Pakistan on their last visit in 2006.
  

Quotes

"I've got to give a lot of credit to my players for the professional manner they went about their business, and ultimately I'm very proud of them from that point of view. I've got to give a lot of credit to the players from both sides for doing that."
England captain Andrew Strauss has been impressed by the ability of both sides to focus on the cricket in this scandal-hit series

"The boys really performed to the best of their ability, and this is what Pakistan is really all about. We are here to play good cricket."
Strauss's opposite number, Shahid Afridi, is keen to let Pakistan's cricket do the talking

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Pakistan High Commissioner defends Butt's comments

Wajid Shamsul Hasan, Pakistan's high commissioner, has insisted that the growing quarrel over match-fixing allegations will not affect relations between Britain and Pakistan and deflected criticism of recent allegations made against England by Ijaz Butt, the Pakistan Cricket Board chairman, calling Butt's comments "a very innocent argument".

The ECB has announced that it will be taking legal action against Butt after describing his allegations that England's players accepted a bribe to lose the third ODI at The Oval as "wholly irresponsible and completely without foundation".

Pakistan's tour will be completed with a series decider at the Rose Bowl on Wednesday, but the tension between the two camps has been palpable and spilled over into a physical confrontation between Jonathan Trott and Wahab Riaz in the nets before the fourth match at Lord's on Monday.

Hasan, however, sought to downplay Butt's comments. "Mr Butt made a very innocent argument," Hasan told BBC Radio 4's Today programme. "He said it's very strange that, when Pakistan loses a match, people describe it as spot-fixing or fixing of the match. When Pakistan win the match, the same allegations are levelled against it."

He insisted that the escalating row would not have a wider political impact in relations between Pakistan and England. "Will this row sour our relationship? My answer is certainly no. This is a separate matter. Our relationship with the UK was not made overnight. It has its roots in the past. It is on solid ground."

Hasan also defended Pakistan's cricketers, adding: "I can tell you our boys are innocent. I still maintain [that] until proven guilty, they are innocent."

Hugh Robertson, the UK's sports minister, told Today that calls for Pakistan to be thrown out of world cricket would have a negative political impact, saying: "In terms of the wider British-Pakistan relationship, if we were seen to be playing a part in throwing them out of world cricket, that would have a very severe impact across the piece." 

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Trott-Riaz row 'closed matter' says ECB chief

LONDON: England batsman Jonathan Trott's pre-match altercation with Pakistan's Wahab Riaz ahead of the fourth one-day international here at Lord's on Monday was now a "closed matter" according to England and Wales Cricket Board ( ECB) chief executive David Collier.

South Africa-born Trott and Pakistan's Riaz, not in the team on Monday, squared up to one another in the nets at Lord's.

Their confrontation was the latest visible sign of the tension that has built up during a season where Pakistan's tour of Britain has been overshadowed by allegations of 'spot-fixing'.

Trott, later out for just four, and Riaz clashed just a day after Pakistan Cricket Board ( PCB) chairman Ijaz Butt stoked the row by suggesting England players had received "enormous sums of money" to lose deliberately last week's third ODI across London at The Oval.

"There was an altercation," Collier said. "It was fairly minor in nature. It was regrettable, but it happened."

Collier was glad match referee Jeff Crowe, the former New Zealand captain, was on hand to calm rising tempers.

"We are very fortunate that we have the experience of a neutral man in Jeff Crowe here, who dealt with it immediately," added Collier. "It is a closed matter.

"I think feelings have been high in the last 24 hours. We don't hide behind that, though. We admit feelings were strong, so that is bound to spill over."

Earlier, a statement issued by England captain Andrew Strauss spoke of his side's "surprise, dismay and outrage" at the comments made by Butt on Sunday, adding the team would be exploring "all legal options open to us".

Nevertheless, Strauss said England had decided to play Monday's match and Wednesday's fifth and final one-day international at Hampshire's Rose Bowl ground because "we do, however, recognise our responsibilities to the game of cricket, and in particular to the cricket-loving public in this country".

Pakistan have had to confront allegations of spot-fixing ever since Test captain Salman Butt and bowlers Mohammad Aamer and Mohammad Asif were named in a newspaper report and subsequently suspended by the International Cricket Council ( ICC) over claims they planned to bowl no-balls deliberately during last month's Test against England at Lord's.

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Strauss says England 'disturbed' by Butt claims

LONDON: England captain Andrew Strauss insisted his side were still seething at Pakistan cricket chief Ijaz Butt's claims they'd deliberately lost last week's third ODI after the tourists levelled the series at 2-2 with a convincing 38-run success at Lord's on Monday.

And he was adamant the statement released by England shortly before the toss at Lord's in which they said they were contemplating legal action against Butt was no ideal threat.

The fraught atmosphere surrounding this series was heightened yet further by a pre-match confrontation in the Lord's nets between England's Jonathan Trott and Pakistan's Wahab Riaz, although both sides played it down.

Butt, in an interview with the Indian news channel, said on Sunday: "There is loud and clear talk in bookie circles that some English players were paid enormous amounts of money to lose the (Oval) match."

Strauss, whose pre-match statement expressed England's "dismay" at Butt's allegations, told reporters after stumps at Lord's: "We were very absolutely outraged by the allegations yesterday (Sunday).

"We refute them completely and we were very disturbed that someone would come out with those allegations without any proof to back them up."

As for the prospect of legal action, the opening batsman added: "We are going to explore every avenue available to us to make sure our names aren't sullied in this manner."

But the opener said the row would not be used as an excuse for England's latest loss.

"There were obviously a lot of meetings last (Sunday) night. We didn't have a lot of time to respond to the allegations that surfaced.

"Was it ideal preparation? No, there's no doubt about that. But I wouldn't use that as an excuse."

A drained Strauss added: "I've got to give a lot of credit to my players for the professional manner they went about their business, and ultimately I'm very proud of them from that point of view."

Strauss, asked if he'd questioned the England team to find out if there was indeed any substance to Butt's claims, replied tersely: "I did not need to ask that question."

England's pre-match statement said, despite their "misgivings" they'd play at Lord's and in the final match of the series at the Rose Bowl on Wednesday because they recognised "our responsibilities to the game of cricket".

In Monday's match, Pakistan had been 155 for five, with England off-spinner Graeme Swann taking four for 37.

But they finished on 265 for seven thanks mainly to Abdul Razzaq's rapid unbeaten 44.

England's reply started strongly with Strauss (68) and Steven Davies (49) putting on 113.

But they lost a trio of wickets for 14 runs to be to 127 for three.

Fast bowler Umar Gul, one of the world's best under floodlights, then finished the innings with four wickets for 32 runs in 8.1 overs.

" Abdul Razzaq played exceptionally well at the end," Strauss said. "You've got to give credit where it's due, it was outstanding hitting."

Strauss, added: "We got off to a fantastic start but Pakistan bowled exceptionally well with the older ball."

Pakistan have been under an intense spotlight ever since newspaper claims led the International Cricket Council (ICC) to suspend Salman Butt, Mohammad Aamer and Mohammad Asif over allegations they'd planned to bowl no-balls deliberately during last month's Test against England at Lord's.

Waqar Younis, Pakistan's coach, told reporters "I don't want to get into what the chairman (Butt) said" and instead praised the way his team had won a "beautiful game of cricket" at Lord's after their 23-run victory across London at The Oval.

"It's been tough. We are a very young side and were developing into a good side then this whole ('spot-fixing') thing happened. I'm so glad the boys kept their cool today (Monday). I'm really proud of them."

The fast bowling great added: "I've just told them the best answer to all of this is to play to your potential, which they have done.

"They've been accused and it's bad for the country. They have responded, which is what I wanted."

Source

The flawed, the fabulous

Imtiaz Sipra, the great sports editor of the News in Pakistan, was a blind drunkard. But he had the honesty of a drunk. "Imran Khan," he would say to me, "is the King of Pakistan. He is a champ. Pakistan cricket would be nothing without him. I tell you, kid, zero." Sipra's assertions were sometimes hard to substantiate, delivered from below a shock of white hair and from between a set of teeth that would have done the devil proud. His wrecked face would sparkle at the mention of Imran, at the mention of his brilliance, and even more at the mention of naughtiness. Imran, you see, was Sipra's idea of a true hero: flawed but magnificent.

Abdul Qadir, another grand Lahori, glowed similarly when the conversation turned to Imran. Their relationship had been much more complicated than people might have imagined. Imran had backed Qadir for much of his career, but there were times when Qadir had felt let down by his captain. Despite this there was deep affection. They had shared adventures. Imran was Qadir's idea of a leader: flawed but magnificent.

I first met Imran Khan when I was 13. It was a tour match at Chesterfield, a town with a crooked church steeple, and Pakistan were warming up for a Test match.

Imran was new to the captaincy. He was better known for his Oxford flamboyance and supposed arrogance than for his determination to become a great cricketer. Majid Khan had literally whipped Imran into shape by bullying him through extreme training sessions. Imran was a warrior leader, a man who brooked no nonsense, a Pathan in everything but location: fierce, proud and magnificent. Flawed, too, in that rarely a day passed without a newspaper photo of Imran dancing, drinking or debauching in some manner or the other.

At the tea interval in the Chesterfield game, several Pakistan players busied themselves washing their whites and hanging them out to dry on the pavilion balcony. Imran, of course, did no such thing. He strode down to the outfield, padded up and clutching a handful of cricket balls. Inevitably a crowd of young Pakistani fans gathered, scuffling to give their hero some practice. Curious to see the great captain in action, I joined them. My first observation about Imran was of the way he leaned forward and towards the bowler, almost toppling over. I can't remember any other batsman tottering so precariously. It was as if Imran was determined to force himself forward at every opportunity. When I first saw the Leaning Tower of Pisa, it reminded me of Imran's stance.

Eventually I plucked up the courage to bowl at him. The grunts of disapproval he emitted when other boys slipped down leg or way outside off were enough to force me to be disciplined. It was then I got an insight into Imran's psychology. He stopped the other wannabes and insisted that only I bowl to him. In deepest Derbyshire I felt the glares of envious eyes and some murmurs about nepotism. They assumed I was from the Khan family. No such thing, of course, but you can understand their reaction - and my hope that he had identified me as a talent.

At the end of tea, Imran waved a regal glove in my direction: "That's enough, thank you," he intoned in his deep-throated drawl and he was off, sauntering past me back to the pavilion. At the close of play, as the crowd rushed the players, Imran ignored autograph hunter after autograph hunter. I too thrust my book in his direction, fully expecting an autocratic brush-off, but Imran broke his stride to scribble his first name before resuming his march of no autographs. This favouritism didn't go down too well with my friends from the tea interval, but to me it was the first evidence of the Great Khan's character: flawed but magnificent. To a British Asian short of role models, it was the scribble of destiny.

The incident at Chesterfield would have been enough to merit hero status on its own but Imran did then also go on to win Pakistan's first Test at Lord's, challenge the mighty West Indies for world supremacy, and win the World Cup. But everybody knows about that.

Imran Khan turned Pakistan from a collection of talented but generally ineffective individuals into a fighting, world-class team, leading by example and through sheer will. He was loyal to talent and dismissive of sycophants and easy riders. He battled for the success of the Pakistan cricket team, and for the honour of his country, on playing fields and in boardrooms. He unearthed some of the greatest talents you would ever see. He was a role model for Pakistanis all over the world, and he attracted a vast following from people of many other nationalities. Imran Khan was flawed, yes, but he was truly magnificent. For a good while, too, he was the King of Pakistan. If you have any doubts, look in my autograph book. 

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Outraged Strauss takes pride in performance

In the aftermath of their 38-run defeat at Lord's, Andrew Strauss admitted it had been a tough decision for England to agree to play the fourth one-day international following Sunday's match-fixing allegations from Ijaz Butt, the chairman of the PCB. Strauss, who top-scored for England with 68, was involved in meetings until the early hours of Monday morning before it was decided that the series would be concluded.

"We were very absolutely outraged by the allegations yesterday," Strauss said. "We refute them completely and we were very disturbed that someone would come out with those allegations without any proof to back them up. When the allegations first surfaced there was a lot of raw emotion around and we needed to let that subside. But we didn't have a lot of time to do that. Once the emotion did subside, we as a group of players realised that the best option available to us was to play the game.

"We went into this game fully determined to play as well as we could," he added. "I think both sides understood their responsibilities to put on a good, clean game of cricket today."

That England lost the match to take the series to a decider at the Rose Bowl didn't help Strauss's mood, but the issues stemming from the last 24 hours go far beyond the result of a cricket match. Before play Jonathan Trott and Wahab Riaz faced off in the Nursery Ground nets, a sign of the growing tension between the sides, but Strauss praised his side for the way the professional way they went about the match.

"It was an isolated incident," Strauss said. "It wasn't an ideal start to the day from either side's point of view. But the incident has been dealt with - and on the back of it, the players from both sides reacted very well. There was some chat, but I wasn't there, so it's hard for me to give you a ball-by-ball blow.

"I've got to give a lot of credit to my players for the professional manner they went about their business, and ultimately I'm very proud of them from that point of view," he added. "I've got to give a lot of credit to the players from both sides for doing that. It's just a fact of life, with a lot of emotion flying around things can get out of hand - and I'm very proud of the fact that didn't happen."

Waqar Younis, the Pakistan coach, also played down the incident. "I don't know exactly what was said but there was a little confrontation between the two players. It was sorted before the game started. We started in a pleasant way and ended in a pleasant way."

However, there was no hiding from how seriously England are taking the allegations that have been thrown their way by Butt. It was the fact they came from somebody so high up in world cricket that proved most shocking for Strauss and his players and he confirmed legal action was being explored.

"It was the chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board coming out with these allegations and we as a group of players felt strongly that we should, given that they were directed to us, that we should respond. We are going to explore every avenue available to us to make sure our names aren't sullied in this manner." 

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Gul and Shoaib square the series

Pakistan took the one-day series to a decider as they secured a 38-run victory at Lord's with their bowling attack again showing its match-winning qualities, after England's openers had seemingly put their on track to take the series with a 113-run stand. The spinners struck vital blows in the middle-order, then Umar Gul and Shoaib Akhtar became a handful under the floodlights. Earlier, a fearsome late assault from Abdul Razzaq, who hit 40 off his last 10 balls, gave Pakistan a powerful surge.

Under normal circumstances we would now be in for a thrilling end to the season at The Rose Bowl, but this match was played under a horrid atmosphere of legal threats from the England team following Ijaz Butt's extraordinary outburst the day before. Andrew Strauss admitted his team were reluctant participants, but felt the best thing was to complete the series as planned although it took a meeting that stretched into the early hours to decide.

Whatever England's mindset, once the game was on they wanted to be professional and will know a series-clinching victory was there for the taking. They'd been given the ideal platform by Strauss and Steve Davies - which had seemingly nullified Razzaq's innings - but as the floodlights started to take effect on the late-September evening conditions became tougher. However, credit also has to go to Pakistan's bowlers who came back superbly with the spinners proving a handful on a dry surface while Gul was again outstanding.

Strauss flew out of the blocks as Shoaib's first three overs cost 30 and after the initial Powerplay England were 73 without loss with 10 boundaries; in the rest of the innings they only managed another 10. Strauss went to a run-a-ball fifty, his third in a row as he became the second leading run-scorer in ODIs this year, while Davies wasn't far behind until he dragged Saeed Ajmal into his stumps. That wicket brought England to a shuddering halt as Strauss lost the strike and Jonathan Trott, who earlier in the day was involved in an altercation with Wahab Riaz in the nets, struggled to bed in.

The ECB played down the incident between Trott and Riaz, but it was a clear sign of how far the relationship between the two sides has fallen in recent weeks. Trott appeared uneasy in the middle before watching the ball roll back into his stumps from a defensive push against Shahid Afridi. Pakistan didn't try to hide their pleasure at Trott's departure.

They took control a short while later when Strauss fell to his favourite cut shot, picking out backward point perfectly off Shoaib and it left two new batsmen having to settle with the scoring-rate rising. Paul Collingwood, who missed the previous match with a virus, has struggled for most of the season and looked bereft of form before inside-edging Gul into his stumps as England slipped to 149 for 4.

Ian Bell, recalled to the side following his match-winning 107 in the CB40 final on this ground on Saturday, played himself in calmly but having used up 41 balls to reach 27 then drove Ajmal straight to cover. It was down to Eoin Morgan, but he couldn't find anyone to stay with him as Michael Yardy chopped on and Tim Bresnan played all round Gul. England's last chance went when Morgan skied a drive and Mohammad Yousuf, never the sharpest in the field, took a fine running catch at mid-off.

Pakistan's innings had progressed in fits and starts, but was ended in grandstand style by Razzaq who plundered 10 boundaries in the last two overs from James Anderson and Bresnan. Splaying his front leg to drive through the off side during the final Powerplay the quicks couldn't adjust amid the onslaught.

Afridi, playing his 300th ODI, had also supplied his own fireworks and played like a man wanting to make more than a cricketing point. He launched his fourth ball, the last one of Graeme Swann's impressive four-wicket spell, into the second tier of the pavilion and the MCC member who tried to catch it finished with a bloodied face. The Pakistan physio came to his aid, and the member insisted on staying in his seat to watch the remainder of the action. Afridi reached 33 off 16 deliveries at the peak of his assault, but miscued a slower ball from Bresnan to long-on.

The star of England's bowling display was Swann with a wonderful ten overs of offspin. Announced as one of the four candidates for ICC Cricketer of the Year - having been omitted from the original long list in a major blunder - he made his customary first-over breakthrough with a classical offspinner's dismissal as Asad Shafiq was bowled through the gate when he tried to drive. Yet, even the normally jovial Swann couldn't manage his usual expansive celebrations - a sure sign that England would rather not have been playing this match.

Swann added Yousuf, Mohammad Hafeez and Fawad Alam to his haul and Pakistan were fading, but they had power to come and Razzaq's blows proved decisive. However this series, which has included some outstanding one-day cricket, will only be remembered for the wrong reasons. Whoever wins on Wednesday. 

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Conspiracy to defraud Pakistan cricket - Ijaz Butt

A day after the ICC launched a formal investigation into Pakistan's win in the third ODI at The Oval, Ijaz Butt has hit back at what he believes to be a "conspiracy to defraud Pakistan and Pakistan cricket". In an astonishing, prepared statement read out to ESPNcricinfo, the board chairman also indicated that suspicion should be cast on England players from that loss and that the PCB will soon reveal the names of those parties allegedly involved in the conspiracy.

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PCB anger at latest investigation

The PCB has said it is perturbed by the allegations of corruption surrounding the third ODI and expressed its regret at the ICC's handling of the situation, pointing out that it had not been consulted over the latter's decision to lauch an investigation and only learnt of it through the media.

The ICC decided to investigate Friday's match at The Oval after being tipped off by a newspaper prior to the start that bookmakers were aware of some of the scoring patterns that eventually occurred during the play. As the story emerged through the day and the ICC announced it's decision to investigate, it became clear that the Pakistan board had not been informed by the ICC; initially the board chairman Ijaz Butt, the captain Shahid Afridi and team manager Yawar Saeed refused to comment on the story because, they said, they had not been updated on the details. Butt flew to Dubai from Delhi on Saturday, though it is unclear whether he has met with the ICC.

"The Pakistan Cricket Board is extremely perturbed by the recent allegations of corruption in the third ODI between England and Pakistan," the statement read.

"The PCB regrets the way these allegations have been handled as, being a full member of the ICC, it only came to know through the media that investigations would be conducted by the ICC. The PCB feels the ICC should repose more confidence in its members... and further condemns sensationalizing of these allegations which are harming cricket in general and Pakistan in particular."

The ECB held a special board meeting earlier in the day after which it decided the tour would go on, as no "substantiative evidence" had been provided to it or the Pakistan board. Giles Clarke, the ECB chairman, wrote to the ICC asking for further evidence and the PCB has followed suit. "The ICC has been requested by PCB through its counsel to furnish more details into these allegations."

This isn't the first time the PCB has disagreed with the ICC since the controversy began during the Lord's Test last month. The ICC's decision to suspend Salman Butt, Mohammad Asif and Mohammad Amir - the three players at the centre of the initial spot-fixing controversy - was criticised as being hasty with investigations still underway. At a press conference in Lahore, Butt said both the board and Scotland Yard felt the police investigations should have been completed before the ICC began its own inquiry.

The two clashed last year when the ICC took the decision to strip Pakistan of its rights to host the 2011 World Cup in the aftermath of the Lahore terror attacks and the PCB reacted by sending a legal notice. The dispute was ultimately resolved. 

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Mohammad Asif - King of Swing

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Imran Nazir's fastest century on ICL

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Rashid Latif exclusive: Where there's cricket, there's corruption

It would not surprise me to learn that every major cricket-playing country in the world has been involved at some time in spot-fixing on matches at international and domestic level.
I was shocked by the allegations against three members of the present Pakistan team on tour in England — but I was not surprised by them.
Spot fixing, or fancy fixing as it is also known, is not new. It has been around for as long as the results of entire matches have been fixed. But spot-fixing gained greater prominence as a result of the Hansie Cronje affair.

Once the scandal of matchfixing by South Africa’s captain became public knowledge, those behind cricket corruption turned their attention to manipulating not results, but the minor details of a match.
There is no doubt in my mind that we have little chance of removing corruption completely from cricket. I have made efforts in the past as a whistleblower, going back to 1994 when Pakistan toured New Zealand.
Before our fifth one-day match in Christchurch, Salim Malik, who was Pakistan’s captain, called me to his room. I found three or four other members of the team there. Malik told me we had to lose the match. I told him later that I would not be a party to corruption and I subsequently gave evidence to the authorities when investigations into the Malik affair were being held.

The reality is that the mafia, by which I mean organised criminals, are running the illegal gambling which is behind cricket corruption. And all the time that is happening, it will be impossible to clean up the game. I have tried in the past but, sadly, there are officials and players who in effect work for the underworld.

Cricket’s problems with corruption really started after the Kerry Packer era. Following that, a tremendous amount of money started to pour into the game through corporate sponsorship. This was a positive change, and much needed by the game.

But, like everything else, the healthy monetary situation also increased the amount of betting on cricket matches and tournaments.
As a consequence, the potential for the illegal betting industry to make money was also amplified and these bookies started to influence the outcome of games by approaching captains and players with hefty bribes to influence the results of matches.

The other major factor in the growth of cricket corruption has been the ever-increasing amount of cricket that is shown on television around the world. So many sports are on television now and the illegal bookmakers gravitate towards them.
These days there is hardly a limited overs match anywhere in the world that is not screened on TV. The illegal gambling industry, which exists predominantly in Asia but whose tentacles reach across the world, feeds off these televised matches.
England and Australia have systems in place to curb corruption. But other cricket-playing nations do not, and that is where the bulk of the problem really lies.
Certainly, the ICC’s Anti-Corruption Unit need to look at the potential for corruption wherever the game is played.
One suggestion I would make is for the cricket authorities to scrap power plays in limited overs matches. Power plays have provided an open window for betting and, therefore, corruption. They have created big opportunities for making money and indirectly influencing the outcome of matches. So let’s get rid of them.
I was interested to hear Sir Ronnie Flanagan, the new head of the ICC Anti-Corruption Unit, talking about the efforts being made to clean up the game. I am more than happy to help these efforts in any way.
Anything that can be done to rid cricket of the evil of corruption is to be welcomed.
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Pakistan betting scandal: Sri Lanka player under ICC spotlight

The International Cricket Council's anti-corruption unit has been monitoring the activities of a leading Sri Lanka player since the World Twenty20 in England last year after team-mates became increasingly unsettled by his late-night fraternising with a man they believed to be an illegal bookmaker. They passed on their concerns to the captain, Kumar Sangakkara, who followed ICC protocol by contacting the anti-corruption unit.

The player has since been investigated by Sri Lankan police, although no charges have been laid; officials from the ICC's anti-corruption unit are said to be dismayed at the lack of progress. Haroon Lorgat, the ICC's chief executive, has admitted to a general sense of frustration, saying: "The [anti-corruption unit's] working is not that of a policing agency or a newspaper. They have no power to arrest or seize, or carry out a sting operation."

Getting international players to question the honesty of one of their own team‑mates is a considerable challenge, but it is essential if the ICC is to root out corruption. England's one-day captain, Paul Collingwood, admitted ahead of today's Twenty20 international in Cardiff the difficulty faced by players in casting aside dressing‑room loyalties by reporting a team‑mate suspected of involvement with a betting scam.

As England and Pakistan prepared for the start of the one-day series, in a lingering atmosphere of despondency and mistrust, Collingwood said: "I love this game fondly. It's very hard to say whether you would blag on someone or whatever but I would like to think I would take every decision in the best interests of the game of cricket."

No England player, as far as Collingwood is aware, has ever felt the need to phone the ICC's anti-corruption hotline. "In my experience, I would probably say never, but I don't know for certain. You don't know whether players have done it individually and not told anybody else. This is probably stuff that will be done confidentially and kept kind of under the carpet."

England also seem to have stopped short of reporting suspicions about opponents. They are regularly implored, as are players from all countries, to pass on all suspicions and leave the anti-corruption unit to investigate, but pointing the finger of suspicion without evidence is not easily done. "From a players' point of view, we pretty much just want to focus on the game in hand and let the authorities deal with it and make strong decisions," Collingwood said. "It may be up to the players to tell the authorities if they think something is going on."

Pakistan's new captain, Shahid Afridi, who took over from the suspended Salman Butt, made a remarkable public apology before his side's net session in Cardiff yesterday on behalf of the three players – Butt, Mohammad Asif and Mohammad Amir – whose alleged involvement in betting scams is being investigated by the Metropolitan police and who have already been charged under the ICC's code of conduct. Afridi made no attempt to proclaim their innocence. "I think it is very bad news," he said. "On behalf of these players – I know they are not in this series – but on behalf of these boys, I want to say sorry to all cricket lovers and all the cricketing nations."

The News of the World, which published its exposé into cricket corruption a week ago after a sting operation against the Pakistan players' agent, Mazhar Majeed, provides further evidence over 19 pages today to support its allegations. The newspaper has been praised by the head of the anti-corruption unit, Ronnie Flanagan. The newspaper claims that the Pakistan players face 23 ICC charges between them and that the Metropolitan Police have recovered between £10-15,000 of bills marked by the News of the World from Butt's room.

It also states Butt was warned five times that he must report any irregular dealings. It also derides as "rantings" the suggestion by the Pakistan high commissioner in London, Wajid Shamsul Hasan, that the evidence had been faked.

Yasir Hameed, who was recalled for the final Test at The Oval – the Test that was the subject of the News of the World sting – is quoted as saying: "They were doing it [fixing] in almost every match. God knows what they were up to." Hameed last night denied he had made the allegations and said he was "deeply disturbed" by them.

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PCB, Pak High Commission in UK preparing strong defence for 'tainted' players

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) and the Pakistan High Commission (PHC) in UK is reportedly working with a team of legal experts to prepare a strong defence for the 'tainted' players embroiled in the 'spot-fixing' scandal.
According to The News, PCB officials and PHC diplomats have agreed to back captain Salman Butt, Mohammad Asif and Mohammad Amir, who have strongly denied all charges against them.
Sources said that senior PHC officials are confident that the three players can prove their innocence through the legal process.
The High Commission is also believed to be preparing a case against the News of The World, which carried out a sting operation to unearth the 150,000-pound betting scam.
Sources added that PCB's legal advisor Taffazul Rizvi and Pakistan's Additional Attorney General K.K. Agha are on board, but British lawyers are preparing the case.
"Hectic efforts are being made to prepare a defamation suit against the tabloid on behalf of the three Pakistani cricketers," the newspaper quoted a source, as saying.
"The decision has been taken following a meeting between the players and Pakistan's High Commissioner," the source added.
Earlier, Pakistan's Ambassador to the UK, Wajid Shamsul Hasan, had said that the video evidence against the players may not be genuine.
"Were the videos timed, were they dated... do you have the answers to these questions?" Hasan had said.
When asked whether he thought that the players might have been set up, Hasan said: "Yes, I would say that."
However, News of The World denied the charges and said: "The News of the World refuses to respond to such ludicrous allegations." (ANI)
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Kapil asks Imran to save Pakistani cricket

Former India captain Kapil Dev called for severe punishment for the Pakistani players found guilty in the spot-fixing controversy, and asked legendary Pakistan cricketer Imran Khan to take the initiative to save the game in his country. "I appeal to Imran Khan to take charge of the current

situation in Pakistan. Being the cleanest player, it's he who can save and look after Pakistan cricket," Kapil Dev told newspersons on the sidelines of a programme here. "None of us want the game in Pakistan to be finished, as this is one country that has produced some of the finest cricketers."
Kapil said he felt saddened for the Pakistan cricketers but agrees the guilty need to be "severely punished".
"I do feel sorry for Pakistani cricketers and Pakistan cricket. But at the same time, the alleged ones should be severely punished if proved guilty," said Kapil, the best Indian all-rounder ever.
He appealed to the International Cricket Council (ICC) to see to it that the game's image was not spoiled due to the activities of some "negative people."
"I'm not qualified to say ICC should ban players. But I appeal to the governing body to look after the game and make sure right people investigate the current issue. It should ensure that betting scandals carried out by a handful of negative people do not taint the wonderful game."
Kapil also appealed youngsters to never bet on cricket. Former India captain Kapil Dev called for severe punishment for the Pakistani players found guilty in the spot-fixing controversy, and asked legendary Pakistan cricketer Imran Khan to take the initiative to save the game in his country. "I appeal to Imran Khan to take charge of the current situation in Pakistan. Being the cleanest player, it's he who can save and look after Pakistan cricket," Kapil Dev told newspersons on the sidelines of a programme here.
"None of us want the game in Pakistan to be finished, as this is one country that has produced some of the finest cricketers."
Kapil said he felt saddened for the Pakistan cricketers but agrees the guilty need to be "severely punished".
"I do feel sorry for Pakistani cricketers and Pakistan cricket. But at the same time, the alleged ones should be severely punished if proved guilty," said Kapil, the best Indian all-rounder ever.
He appealed to the International Cricket Council (ICC) to see to it that the game's image was not spoiled due to the activities of some "negative people."
"I'm not qualified to say ICC should ban players. But I appeal to the governing body to look after the game and make sure right people investigate the current issue. It should ensure that betting scandals carried out by a handful of negative people do not taint the wonderful game."
Kapil also appealed youngsters to never bet on cricket.
Source

It could happen in India as well

At the heart of Mohammad Amir's stupidity, at the core of what is happening to a beautiful game, which is in the hands of ordinary people in Pakistan, lies one very basic question that every cricketer should have asked himself at some point: why do I play this game?

If the answer is that you want to excel at the one thing that you are good at, that you want to find the limits of your ability, that you relish the challenge of a competition, that you get goose pimples putting on your country's colours and walking out to the expectations of your countrymen, you will pursue those goals and take whatever reward you get. Invariably it will be handsome.

If the answer is that you want to earn a good living as quickly as you can, that you want to bask in the comforts of the material pleasures that your talent delivers to you, you will take whatever financial inducement comes your way. Inevitably it will be tainted, inevitably the dessert will be laced.

It is our choices that tell us who we are.

But these choices can be influenced; sometimes, and I hope never, young players can be coerced into walking down a specific path. And so it comes down to the air they breathe when their minds are still fragile. It could be the air of excellence that drives a young man to newer heights of achievement. Or it could be the putrid air of greed that could infect him and snuff a career out before it has had time to blossom.

In the Pakistan dressing room, and by extension in the society that it always reflects, I do not know if the air they breathe is fresh from the meadows of their land or their majestic mountains. It is easy, and dangerous, to pass judgement from a distance, but surely there must be a clue in the number of gifted individuals who wither away. But one thing is clear. Amir is not just a young cricketer but a young man symbolising tomorrow in Pakistan and that is why cricket lovers there should be disappointed. As they should have been with the antics of another astonishingly gifted young man, Umar Akmal, in Australia when his brother was left out.

If there is a brotherly hand on their shoulder, encouraging but firm, pointing out the rewards of a great career, would young cricketers think of performing petty crimes for petty rewards? Or is it that the hand on their shoulders isn't brotherly but villainous, goading them to fill their coffers with whatever comes their way? The second seems the more likely and if that is indeed the case, the Pakistan Cricket Board has picked the wrong people and in doing so let down the cricket lovers who seek their identity from the way their national team plays. Across the cricket world, the Pakistan board has little respect, and it is not difficult to imagine that the decay would begin there.

There is a danger for us in India too. It is easy to sound superior and sneer at our neighbours, to appear holier than thou and take the moral high ground. India faces a threat that is, if anything, greater than the one that seems to have engulfed young men in Pakistan.

India's new generation of cricketers is not just wealthy beyond imagination, they seem to have acquired it without a lot to show for it. I do not know if these young men are looking 10 years into the future, acquiring a work ethic that their solidly brought-up seniors possessed. They seem satiated, two years at the top seems to drain them; the BMW seems more alluring than the sustained effort of a 10-year career. For those that don't want a place in history, the low-hanging fruit can come from many sources. Make no mistake, Indian cricket is under threat and it cannot help that its guardians spend more time bickering over each other's excesses.

The News Of The World video suggests how easily a script can be written when the actors are weak and willing. This is the time to be strong and unforgiving and it must come from the ICC, for the PCB doesn't seem to have the stature to enforce anything. And the PCB can do better than suggest to the huge army of passionate Pakistan supporters that there is a conspiracy.

In India too we indulge in it from time to time, when a referee hands an adverse report or someone bowls a no-ball in a moment of poor judgement. Teams that win don't need to be martyrs and that is a lesson for all of us on the subcontinent. And to my friends in Pakistan I will say "show these theories the door", for the world neither has the time, nor does it benefit from, conspiring against them. 

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The problems with India's young batsmen

I believe that you can have the worst technique in the world, but if you have a sharp, disciplined mind you can still survive at the international level. Technique, though, does become very important, at times, like in Dambulla recently, where the ball didn't behave as predictably as it does elsewhere nowadays.

The short ball is something Indian batsmen are generally, and naturally, not too good against. I used to envy young Australian batsmen during my playing days. A bouncer was a scoring opportunity for them. The moment somebody bowled short, they pounced on it. It's like when an Indian batsman sees a spinner bowl short. For Indian batsmen against bouncers, their first instinct is not positive. Then we sort of tell ourselves that we are going to be aggressive.

In the nineties India started to look at Australia as the team to be. The kids in that era grew up idolising Australian batsmen. Perhaps that's why a lot of them are playing the pull shot today, to make a statement, even if it doesn't come naturally to them. For the Australians the pull shot is like the drive or the flick is for the Indians.

There is a notion that in limited-overs cricket if you don't pull, you give the bowlers free dot-balls. And you can't keep ducking either. That's what the young Indian batsmen often say. Suresh Raina showed he played the short ball better in Tests, when he wasn't under pressure to score fast. In limited-overs cricket, though, they start pulling , but unconvincingly, thereby making it a high-risk shot.

Sachin Tendulkar doesn't play the pull anymore. Nor does Virender Sehwag. VVS Laxman doesn't play it as often as he used to. They are all still effective batsmen at the international level. You don't always need to always play the pull shot to prove something to someone. Why play a high-risk shot at a time when you don't want to lose wickets?

You don't need to hit a boundary every time the ball is bowled short. I remember when they bowled short to Sunil Gavaskar in limited-overs matches in Australia, he would glide it to third man for a single. And then the bowler had a different batsman to adjust to. How does Tendulkar take care of short balls in Twenty20? He does not play aggressive shots; he just takes singles to fine leg or taps it over where slips would be. More importantly, he shows he is comfortable against the short ball. That is the key.

If someone is bowling short in limited-overs cricket, he is not going to do so right through the innings. It's just a matter of maybe two overs. And it is impossible to keep bowling short in Twenty20. How many pitches will allow you to do that? At any rate, India's main problem is not that they are stuck for long periods without scoring runs. Their problem is that they are losing wickets. It's not like they are three down for 180 in 50 overs.

Fast bowlers keep bowling short at a batsman only when they see he is uncomfortable against it. What happens with a Raina or a Ravindra Jadeja is that they show they are uncomfortable. If Raina, even in Twenty20, ducks under one, and guides the next one for a single to fine leg, and shows he is comfortable, he won't get much more of it. It will only happen if it's clear to them that he is getting into strange positions while trying to pull. Being secure against the short ball is important. Even if you're not scoring off it, if you look reasonably comfortable against it without playing an attacking shot, you will be fine.

Therein lies the need for these young batsmen to discover their own game, what they are suited to do best. And the onus, a lot of it, is on Gary Kirsten to help them do that. 

Dinesh Karthik
You have to feel for him, for he has never got an extended run in a certain position. Having said that, he is opening in limited-overs cricket. The white new ball does a bit more than the red one, and once the lights come on, sometimes it swings even more. To face the new ball well, he needs to get back to his basic game, with which he seems to have lost touch.

Karthik's game has changed in the last two or three years, during which he has mostly played limited-overs cricket and tried to meet the demands of those forms. I see him doing things that seem to be outside his game. For example, standing outside the crease. When you are out of form, playing a fast bowler on a responsive pitch, why would you want to give yourself less time?

When you walk down the pitch to bowlers like Kyle Mills and Lasith Malinga, it just defies logic. I think Karthik is a little confused. Too many pre-meditated movements have crept in - both when he walks down the pitch and when he sometimes stays in the crease for no apparent reason. He doesn't seem to be doing the one basic thing: watching the ball, and then reacting to it accordingly.

When you play swing bowlers off the back foot, giving yourself more time, you get width. You get a chance to play the square cut. Imagine that Nuwan Kulasekara has bowled an inswinger. You stand outside your crease and thrust your front foot forward and counter the swing. Compare it to another batsman who stays in the crease and sees the inswinger coming. If it is not very full and finishes around middle and leg, it can be deflected to fine leg or square leg. You need not limit your options by walking down the pitch. When the ball is spinning or seaming, it makes a lot of sense to play it late.

Sehwag rarely walks down; Tendulkar never does. There are two batsmen who come to mind who have successfully adopted this tactic without limiting their scoring options. For Matthew Hayden it was an extension of what he did; he could always go back to his basic game. Gautam Gambhir also walks down the pitch sometimes, but he seems calm in his mind when he does it, ready to react to whatever happens; he is watching the ball closely all the time.

Karthik seems to go down with a specific plan in mind, and if the ball is not where he expects it to be, he struggles. You get the feeling he is not settled in his mind. My advice to him would be to just settle down, get into a normal stance, give himself time to play, and just react to the ball. Then, when he wants to play differently, if he walks down the pitch, he'll be fine. He has got a decent enough basic game to succeed in international cricket. 

Virat Kohli
Kohli is a talented player, one who goes out there wanting to make a difference. His technique, though, worries me, especially in conditions like in Dambulla. He will get such conditions in South Africa, Australia, and sometimes in England.

Whatever the length of the ball, the position of his feet is the same. He gets into a sort of criss-cross position, where the front foot is across from the back foot - and not well down the pitch, as it should be. When the ball is short, you have to go slightly back, or at least your weight has to go back; when it is pitched up, you have to go forward. He does not have this basic game.

Kohli could be advised to have a look at Rahul Dravid, because they have some similarities. Dravid too looks to get on the front foot, but when the ball is pitched up, he makes an extra effort to get down to the pitch of it. When it is short, he stays back, without actually taking a backward step: he is waiting for it, his weight is back, even though his front foot seems to be down the pitch. When Dravid plays a square cut, you will never see both his feet together behind the popping crease. His front foot will be out of the crease, but his weight will be back. That is how he gives himself time to meet the the ball late.

Kohli is making life difficult for himself on responsive pitches by just having one kind of foot movement for all lengths. It can be worked on if he plays a hundred balls of different lengths in a day in practice. And if he is reminded again and again to get back when the ball is short and well forward when it is full. 

Rohit Sharma
We have to consider Rohit a bit like we would VVS Laxman. They are both elegant batsmen, but Rohit is a bit tighter than Laxman was when he first appeared. Laxman, though, showed that he had great mental discipline, which Rohit needs to acquire.

Technically there aren't too many things he needs to work on, like Kohli and Karthik do. He needs to know he is a little loose at the start of the innings, and that, like Yuvraj Singh, he is tentative outside off and has a tendency of going through the line of balls outside off. He has to learn to leave them alone, because he is not a square-cutter. If you are going to push at deliveries outside off, you are doing yourself no good. He does not get into a position to cut them nor does he look to leave them.

Of late Rohit has been getting out lbw to full balls. And that is mostly to do with confidence. When your confidence is low, you tend to try and get into position even before the ball is delivered. It is a nervous act, although Rohit manages to look casual when he is doing it. The front foot goes across as a natural defence; you are basically trying to cover yourself up. You don't want the ball to go through and hit the stumps. You put the front foot down as a survival instinct, but it happens a bit too early. In Rohit's case, the foot is going too far across too.

That will only change when he becomes mentally more relaxed. It is a technical thing, but it has a lot to do with your insecurity as a batsman. In the nets he needs to tell himself, "Wait. Make your foot movements only after the ball is delivered." When you are out of form, you think too many things, and before the ball is delivered you have made certain movements, getting yourself into positions that are not ideal. When you are in form, like Sehwag, you stand still in the crease and your feet and body start operating only after the ball is delivered. When you think too much, you don't do that basic thing well enough, watching the ball. Rohit has to keep telling himself to "watch the ball" to remove all other thoughts from the mind and focus on what really matters. 

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