Well Pitched is an excellent cricket blog with contributions from a team of cricket enthusiasts from Pakistan.
Obaidullah Khawaja (Big O), Umair Qazi (Q), O2, Nazhar and Jeff make up the team there.
I urge you to visit Well Pitched. It's worth visiting regularly.
The 100th anything
2 hours ago
12 comments:
I second that.
Soulberry and Ottayan - Thank you for your lovely comments and appreciation. :-)
Well Pitched is a wonderful forum Q. I have been reading a few of your older posts, and enjoying them, and will probably make a pest of myself with adding my two-bit worth soon! :)
You are too kind soulberry. I love your blog - its very settled. THe UI and the posts are both great and the tshirt in the previous post was just hilarious :) Since we are just starting out and are now getting visitors from all over the world, any topics that interest you are welcome. Please let us know if any topic in particular interests you. Keep visiting!
will be waiting for your comments berry :-)
Q and Obaid,
If I may speak for tcwj readers, give us the inside story on Pakistani cricket.
And Obaid, no more reminders about Qadir, hitting Indian bowlers for a six. :)
Ottayan - what sort of inside story would you like?
Who drinks and does drugs? Who was involved in match fixing? Who determines the selector's choices? Why is butt in the team? How did shoaib malik initially make it to the XI?
Is this what you looking for?
:-)
Obaid, what I find lacking on the net and in newspapers is about Pakistan domestic cricket.
I cannot find organized writings about it so that someone outside can gain a perspective.
What are the teams, the youngsters to watch, the players on the threshold, the major domestic rivalries and performances...I find Pakistan domestic cricket isn't written about much. A serious lacuna on the web. Australia, England, India, WI,SA...they are all written about on various related sites. Hopefully, I'll find more about it on your blog. Take us all to witness Pakistan domestic cricket through your blog...let us also enjoy and understand a player's journey up and through it to the eventual senior side...that's my request. :)
That is a great idea Soulberry!
I agree, the coverage of Pakistani domestic cricket is lacking on the web and trust me - the news from there is very interesting. I have a personal contribution to that too - Me and a friend run a cricket club in Khi, altough I am just a sleeping partner sitting outside Pakistan, but our club boasts of internationals - Faisal Iqbal, Kaneria, and Sami, the only cricketers from Karachi in the Pakistan team currently.
I will work on a piece on the history of pakistan domestic cricket after i finish with the captain's series.
In the meantime, suggest a player or two, on whom you would like some history on his rise to international status - I'll do that easily.
If you've read my blog on Afridi (http://www.wellpitched.com/2007/11/shahid-afridi-pakistans-mvp.html), you'll note that I have briedfly touched on his rise from the u-19 team to the senior level.
Thanks for the suggestions.
I was about to suggest Faisal Iqbal's name in my earlier message Q.
What a wonderful thing you guys do...run a club!
I've been following Faisal from the Lombard Cup (U-15) days. I expected he'd be a settled fixture by now in the Paksitan team...but it didn't happen that way.
Curiously, only Paksitan is the team which has played most of those players from that Lombard Cup tournament...Australia haven't played any and India has already discarded Kaif and Sondhi. This in itself is a story on its own...youngsters whom we were able to watch from the age group levels... Marlon Samuels and Ryan Hinds of WI are the other ones along with Zimbabwe's Travis Friend who played at the highest level.
How's Sami shaping up? I expect him to play in the test series sometime, if not the first test.
Faisal Iqbal is a personal friend soulberry, and I don't think you'll find a keener follower of his career than myself. He's in Abu Dhabi these days playing in a league tournament, the same one I'm playing in. did u read my blog about "Living a Dream"?
Your right, Pakistan have used most of their players from the U-15 challenge in 96 - Faisal, Taufeeq, current captain Shoaib Malik were all in that team. My friend who runs the club in Khi was part of the 30 kids camp from which the U-15 squad was chosen. He's known Faisal Iqbal since grade 1.
Faisal is one of the best batsmen on the domestic circuit in Pakistan. He has an amazing record - two seasons ago he scored 8 centuries in 9 first class games including the 140 in the 3rd test against India in Khi (2006 tour).
Faisal was always touted to become a great test player, and he also has some very good test innings under his belt but he hasn't been able to cement his place. Initially because the middle order was occupied with Inzi, Yousuf, and Younis and Pakistan used to juggle with Razzak or Afridi at 6. Then Shoaib Malik emerged as a batsman and Pakistan started using him at 6. Everyone felt that after Inzi's retirement, Faisal would be a regular in the side, but then Misbah emerged after the 20-20WC.
Faisal and Sami will both be announced in the test squad by Pakistan. If Asif remains on the sidelines then expect Sami to play unless the Pakistan team decide to go with the useless 2 spinner strategy they used against SA.
I think Pakistan will go in with Misbah, however if he fails in a coule of matches then Faisal might get a game. Misbah didn't do too well int he 2 tests against SA and i don't think he's a test player.
I personally feel that if Faisal is given a long run of matches without disturbance, something he hasnt gotten as yet, he will establish himself as one of the mainstays of Paks middle order.
Sami's problem is his height (only 5'8) - he's too short and thus doesn't generate enough bounce. At his pace if the ball doesn't bounce and stays at knee height, its easy for the batsmen to hit around. He has a deadly yorker and has also taken majority of his wickets with that ball. Back and shin injuries have also hampered his ability to bowl the yorker more frequently.
Thanks Q,
I agree Faisal needs a run of matches to prove and establish his place. He hasn't had that.
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