Atrocious fielding deprived Pakistan of possible final berth

At the time of going to press the Sri Lanka-India encounter has not started and anxiety is at fever fitch. For now however we reflect on the outcome of the semi-final in India.

Pakistan who surprised by entering the semi-final of the 2011 World Cup, would have stunned the cricket world had they beaten favourites India and entered the final.

They had the rare opportunity to make history and perform the impossible. But they blew it through some atrocious fielding -- spilling four catches and depriving themselves of figuring in the final.

And the four catches they dropped one will go into Ripley's Believe It Or Not record --as those were the four that gave demi god of Indian cricket Sachin Tendulkar to survive. Now which team in the world can afford the luxury of dropping the little master four times and escaping.

Putrid catching

This putrid bit of catching which was the worst seen in this World Cup, will go down in the record book of sorts. The Pakistani fielders would have in the heat of the moment forgot that catches win matches.

It would have been embarrassing to Tendulkar to note that he was given four lives. This must be the first time in his illustrious cricketing career that he was dropped so many times.

And Tendulkar himself would have been further embarrassed when he was picked as the man-of-the-match. True he made a top score of 86 but his innings was allowed to bloom by the butter-fingered Pakistani fielders. Pity the bankruptcy of the adjudicator.

No much interest

Then when Pakistan batted they did not show much interest in going for the runs that would have brought them a surprise victory and entry into the prestigious final.

Maintain the required run rate and putting the fielding side under pressure was the need. But the Pakistani batsmen did not show any interest or urgency and when the defeat by 29 runs came it would not have surprised the team, but certainly the country.

With Pakistan being deprived the opportunity of joining India, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh in conducting the World Cup due to the security situation it would been great, had they even had a sniff at the World Cup by entering the final.

Ponting quits

It had to happen and when it did happen it did not come as a surprise. We refer to the quitting of Ricky Ponting as the captain of the Australian cricket team.

The captain in waiting Michael Clarke was named the new captain by the Australian Cricket Board. His deputy will be Shane Watson. Clarke will have his baptism when Australia tour Bangladesh for a three match one day series.

Ponting, while it lasted had a wonderful run as batsman and captain. He led the Aussies to be top dogs in the game for many years. The Aussies were then the envy of all other teams.

Ruthless cricket

They played a brand of aggressive and ruthless cricket. They just steamrollered over other teams in all forms of the game. In fact many a team tried to copy their brand of play, but sadly fell by the wayside.

Ponting's troubles first began to surface when their stars, such as Justin Langer, Mathew Hayden, Damien Martyn, Adam Gilchrist, Glen McGrath and Andrew Symonds quit the game.

But he carried on gallantly with the available talent foist on him by the Australian selectors. But the end was not long in coming. The cracks that were visible began to open up and the unacceptable defeat in the Ashes series by England was the final nail.

Highly successful

During his day as batsman and captain he had a highly successful run. Batting records came naturally to him. He was one of the most feared batsmen in the game and many a bowler suffered when he bat started talking.

But Ponting will not be lost to the game. When announcing his quitting from the captaincy he made it known that he would like to continue sporting the baggy green cap as batsman.

With the Aussie batting cupboard almost bare, the selectors headed by Andrew Hilditch showed their gratitude by naming him in the team to Bangladesh as batsman.

Great batsmen

All great batsmen have had a bad run during their career. Once in that dreaded run drought zone, it is hell and efforts to crawl out that heartbreaking rut often does not meet with success.

The Ashes bash proved cruel to him. He failed miserably with the bat which rubbed off on his captaincy. And in getting thrashed in the series, three times by innings the end had to come.

The selectors did right in continuing with Ponting for the 2011 World Cup. But the Aussies being knocked out by India in the semis, was galling to the selectors and Ponting would have got the message.

Proud winners

Australia was the proud winners of the World Cup three years running. Finally had their reign for twelve long years broken when India ousted them in the first Semi-final of the 2011 World Cup.

Michael Clarke who steps into Ponting's boots will have a mountain to climb in his endeavour to take the Aussies to their former glory land. At the moment the team lacks players of the calibre of those who retired. But the Aussies have it in them to come good when everyone is blaming it on them. Among the new crop they have some wonderful performers. It is up to Clarke to get the best out of them by example. It will be interesting to watch how long the Aussies will take to Eldorado.

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