Broad to Afridi - now that's entertainment
It may be a split second passage of play, or a period when the drama has built to excrutiating levels of excitement. What happens in those all to brief snippets, or over the course of a mini-drama can often decide the outcome of a sporting contest, and those moments keep dragging me back for more.
There was one such moment at Bristol on Monday, as Pakistan eased to victory over England in the Twenty20 International.
Having been set a moderate target of 145, Pakistan were travelling along at 23 without loss in the 4th over. Stuart Broad was bowling, and after being struck for a fairly streaky boundary by Shoaib Malik, he took his first International wicket. Broad got one to nip back and it clattered into Malik's front pad. In his excitement Broad dashed down the pitch with his arms raised in triumph, almost forgetting to appeal for LBW. He eventually did, the finger was raised, and Malik was gone for 16.
The very next ball, the 20 year old blond bomber raced into the bowl to Younis Khan. The ball was short, but quick. As Khan attempted to hook the ball away on the leg side, it clipped the top of his glove and was brilliantly caught by Chris Read diving away to his left hand side. Khan gone for 0, and Broad was on a hat-trick
That's how we arrived at the moment I'm talking about.
In the TMS Commentary box, I was accompanied by the former New Zealand all-rounder Chris Cairns. He'd expressed surprise that Pakistan hadn't sent out Shahid Afridi at the fall of the first wicket. I had a long look at the lime green clad figure coming out to bat at number four. "Here's your mate" I said, as 'Boom Boom' walked to the crease. Chris was pretty excited, and we discussed just how Afridi would play the hat-trick ball.
"I'm not sure he'll even try and block one" said Chris, and having seen the man in action on England's winter tour, I had to agree. Surely, Afridi couldn't resist.
Broad came in, he pitched the ball up, and would you believe it, Afridi went for an almighty swing. The ball sailed high in the air, and there was the the tantalising and thrilling prospect of a hat-trick, before it became clear that the two England fielders at mid-off and mid-on were struggling to reach the ball, as they dashed towards the long-on boundary.
The ball landed agonisingly three or four feet infront of them.
It was a tiny moment, in a truncated form of the game, but it was wonderful entertainment.
Commentating on a Twenty20 match is a tricky business at times. Did anyone listen to or watch Shahid Afridi's overs? It was an obvious tactic by Pakistan, that in order to allow Shoaib Akhtar and co to come in off fairly full run-ups, some time had to be made up somewhere along the line (remember, the 20 overs must be bowled within a certain time). I didn't clock one of Afridi's overs, but I'd be amazed if it lasted over two minutes. The style of commentary almost becomes more like Football, very intense with few moments of silence. I even have to tap the summarisers on the arm as if to say, "No time now, I'll talk to you at the end of the over".
Anyway, ahead of the first ODI at Cardiff this afternoon, one tit-bit of Ashes info for you. Shaun Udal was also summarising down in Bristol, and he told me that he's been intouch with Shane Warne his Hampshire teammate, who's down under with the rest of the Aussie squad at that outback boot-camp. "How's he getting on" I asked, "Absolutely hates it" Shaun replied. No surprise there then.
darren gough batting-now that was entertainment, absolutely hilarious
Complain about this postGough should open with Tresco
Complain about this postIt is ironic that we have changed the wicket keeper and the new one has caught "foot in gloves" disease, but is scoring runs on his return to the fold. That drop in the 20-20, with Stuart Broad steaming in an England threatening to haul themselves back into the match, was a turning point. Tonight a ball went straight through his gloves and off to the boundary. How long before we are are begging for the return of the infallible GO Jones? :-)
The bowling looks better against Pakistan (although a 20-20 and 7 overs of a ODI is not much to judge - at least the bowlers have not lost control completely, unlike in the Sri Lanka games), but the batting seems to lack confidence. Players who did well in the Tests are struggling. And players who were struggling are mired. There seems to be a general lack of self-belief after so many bad losses. However, that could change round very quickly with someone like like Andrew Flintoff back in the side and radiating confidence.
Complain about this postThe England will undoubtedly have tough time handling the hardest hitter of the ball Shahid Afridi!!!
Complain about this posti think that mahmood should be dropped. he is not good enough got this level of cricket!
Complain about this postI also think that our 20-20 and 1 day squad should not just be the test squad with a few other names in. the 20-20 squad should be the best players of 20-20 in england. I think the selectors are finally realising that and this is why players like broad and gough have been brought into the squad. i think that Maddy deserves an immediate call up for his performances.
In my opinion. the only way that england will be a successful 20-20 and 50 overs team is to treat those games differently. Do not give the test squad an automatic place in the 20-20 or 50 over squads. We need a seperate captain who is experienced in 20-20 and 13/14 other players who have excelled at that form of the game.
The way things are currently set up, when the first 20-20 world cup takes place England will be laughed out of the tournament
I agree fully with Josh's comments about selecting players who are good at 20-20 and 50 overs game. The trouble is our Test team play so much test cricket that they never play County cricket anymore and so don't experience the 20-20 and 50 over games as much. It seems strange when the Counties are doing so well at 20-20 and entertaining crowds magnificently that our International Team should be doing so badly and boring spectators. Perhaps playing at International Level means that these players never get the chance to play at County level and miss out on this vital stage of the game.
Complain about this postSelecting the best of the 20-20 players may not ensure that a good team is produced, however, it has got to be better than the present mix!
id like to add to my earlier post by saying i think that broad is the best thing to happen to english cricket since we won the ashes and has a brilliant future ahead of him... He and gough are a solid opening partnership for 1 day games and i think we should bring back james anderson asap as the 3rd fast bowler for 1 day/20-20 games.
Complain about this postBroad's debut has been impressive and he has undoubtedly bowled himself onto the flight to Australia (although most of us would have put him in the 16 anyway).
However, so far he has bowled 7 (SEVEN) overs in two international games. That's a far cry from bowling 20 overs in intense heat in Brisbane, or Perth. Let's not get carried away. He's not had the toughest introduction to international cricket. In fact, he has not yet bowled a spell longer than 4 overs for England.
There is though real hope that we will have a dangerous opening bowler and number 8 bat for next summer or, perhaps, the 2007/08 winter. To throw him in against Australia at Brisbane might though be expecting too much too soon.
Complain about this postBroad is great in all respects but one. He doesn't move the ball much.
I know he's a tall, 'hit-the-deck' bowler but he's not fast enough or accurate enough to be an international 'hit the deck' bowler yet. So don't get over excited. I wouldn't like to be in his shoes with all that pressure. And he needs to be one of a great fast bowling unit. Not opening the bowling at the SCG with Saj or John Lewis. Can you imagine the carnage?
But hopefully he will either get quicker (probably still developing if not growing) or start getting a bit of swing. I've seen the seam going down with a bit of in or outswing in the positioning but he doesn't seem to move it. Bit like Simon Jones used to be before Troy Cooley got him. Is Kevin Shine any good by the way? Seems to have just got half our bowlers injured and the other half can't even bowl in straight lines let alone move the ball. Bring back Troy.
Just some thoughts.
Complain about this postAs a neutral fan[indian cricket supporter] i was looking forward to the 20-20 match to see Broad in action.This was due to the hype on Talksport and BBC 5 Live radio preceding that match.He looks promising based on the evidence so far.He reminds me of Caddick-he is that sort of bowler-tall one who hits the deck hard.I am sure that on pitches like Perth he will perform well.However he needs to learn the other tricks as well that a quickie needs and i am sure that if handled well,he will do well.Is Down Under too early for him?!! Time will tell.One thing is sure-just because he is young,the aussie players and crowd are not going to spare him;infact they will go for his jugular!If he can handle that well,then you will have a talented and mentally tough bowler by the end of the tour.
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