Catch the spirits.

Today is a big match. More than a warm-up game to the ICC World T20. It’s not even official. But it involves India and Pakistan, 2 of the most fiercest rivals in the cricket field and off it.   One of them is a world champion and other is a runners-up.  If this game was being held in 90s, the advantage by default would have been with Pakistan, but today is no 90s. It’s the last year of the 1^st decade of the new millennium.  World has moved on, India has moved on. Pakistan remains right there.   

There are few questions for both teams to find answers to before the actual tournament begins. India need to find  the answers for the opening combo if Sehwag doesn’t recover from his injury. Sharma isn’t an opener and he is selfish. The way he got out to Vettori raises questions on his intent to play for the country.   MS also needs to find a permanent place for himself and dare not change that in the near future. Situations demand, they be damned.  Yusuf Pathan is a all-rounder, very good one but only in subcontinent. He was sorted out in South Africa and most prolly he won’t find runs in Old Blighty too. His form today would be an indicator if he finds a place in final XI or Jadeja would come in. I would fancy later. Praveen Kumar could play only if Zaheer continues to be injured.   Once Zaheer is back in the country of Jelly Beans, Praveen Kumar would find it tough to find a place in final XI.

Pakistan seem to be confused team. They are not sure if they should bank on their skills and strength to play their actual game or they should pitch in for sympathies and pity over repeated references to Lahore attacks, security situation in Pakistan and of course the stripping of WC and CT. They have an indifferent Sohail Tanveer who was smacked for 34 runs in his 3 overs, his form needs to be sorted out. Afridi is enigmatic as ever. He never fires, but is still highly rated in the format. Shoaib Malik is in good form coming from a good domestic tourney. Good that he wont be skipper any more. But their real skipper is confused. He is not sure if he is good for T20. There are rumors  that he is thinking to give up the T20 format.   Pakistan would also need to worry about their opening batsman Salman Butt who has just hit one 50 in 13 odd T20s. But then he would be up against India, his favorite opposition. 3 or 4 hundreds against them in ODIs.  Pakistan is being said to be the 2^nd best in playing spin after India, but on practice game against SA it wasn’t evident. Van deMerv and Botha troubled Pak batsmen and that’s a good sign for Harbhajan and Ojha as they definitely are better spinners than the Saffers duo.

This is a “Catch the spirits” game declared by ICC as the earnings would go to the victims of Lahore attack.   I find it bit strange.  Ironical. PCB has noble intentions to help the policemen who died protecting the Lankan team with financial assistance, which in a way is an attempt to wash off a bloody stain on its CV. But it needs BCCI to help it.  The same BCCI against whom PCB has been making lot of high pitched noises off late.   When this is the situation, I hope for the rest of the tournament, the big guns of PCB would keep mum.

IMO the batting order should read : Gambhir, Dhoni, Raina, Yuvraj, Sharma, Pathan Y, Jadeja, Pathan I, Bhajji, RP, Ishant.

No MS at #3, the debate resolved.

Let the action begin. Let the champions roll on showing the place where they belong, leaving aside the 3 consecutive defeats to nagging Kiwis who were set apart by Auzzies.