A Pakistani lesson on how not to catch!

Fielding, especially brilliant catching, where fielders grab catches from absolutely nowhere, is one of the wonderful sights to behold and a connoisseurs delight in any form of cricket. Catches in the slips often require acrobatics!

In our time we have seen what miracles the likes of Mahela Jayawardene can perform in the slips that he graces with such dexterity.

A traditional and time honoured adage- and what any cricketer is taught when he takes to the game is: catches win matches. Coaches are particularly keen on showing their chargers how to keep their eyes on the ball, cup their hands together and watch the ball, and magnetise their palms and hands to grab catches.

Every fielder must, once he takes the field, concentrate, concentrate and concentrate. The moment you forget this is when the downfall begins.

In the First Test between Pakistan and Sri Lanka in Abu Dhabi what was seen on display was a disgrace and a shame compelling their former cricketing greats and administrators to hide their faces in shame.

Hot potatoes

The fielders spilt catches as if they were hot potatoes. Dropping one catch can be excused. But dropping a few is unacceptable. And dropping half a dozen plus one is unbelievable! Pakistan cricket is sadly always in controversy. Either some of their players are involved in the ugly side of the game like match or spot fixing or even unable to host a team in their country due to terrorists playing a game of their own on their soil.

Then they go and invite the Sri Lankans for Three Tests, Five 50 over one-day Internationals and Two Twenty20 games in desert country and when they are presented with the opportunity of winning a Test and bringing back the smiles to the faces of their countrymen, they go and shove it with some catching which would made those watching sick in the stomach.

The Pakistanis could have finished the First Test inside four days if they took the catches that were relatively regulation. When one fielder drops a catch the malady seems to afflict all other fielders who drop catches as it was their job to do so.

Coaches can show

Coaches can tell and show them how -times without number. But it all depends on how they put it altogether out in the middle. It was obvious that the Pakistani fielders Mohammed Hafeez and especially Younis Khan who spilled vital catches were not at all concentrating.

Khan especially who has tremendous experience in the game and who was even their captain cannot make excuses for dropping catches. He should have been an example to the youngsters and taken those relatively simple catches and shown them how and given them the encouragement.

He was guilty of missing Kumar Sangakkara early in his innings which proved very costly. Batsmen of the calibre of Sangakkara have it in them to grab the opportunity and put the opposing bowlers and fielders to the sword and make big and match, saving innings. Sangakkara did just that. It was his big innings of 211 and that of wicket-keeper-batsman Prasanna Jayawardena who made 120 and who were involved in a massive 201 stand for the sixth wicket in the second innings, that helped Sri Lanka save the blushes and pluck a draw from the jaws of defeat to use an ancient clich. Jayawardene too, was missed early in his century knock.

Long innings

In the big first innings score of 511 for six declared by the Pakistanis, it was nice to see left-hander Taufeeq Umar plays a long innings of 234. This youngster showed tremendous concentration and always played the bowling on its merits and scored only when the bad balls came along.

Then when it came to bowling, left armer Junaid Khan proved more than ample compensation for the suspended Mohammed Aamer by taking five for 31 on debut, and helping skittle Sri Lanka out for 197 in the first innings.

He seems to be following in the footsteps of former Pakistani left-arm bowlers, particularly Wasim Akram, and if he is persisted with and shown the tricks of the trade, should go a long way and serve Pakistani cricket well for a long time. He says he wants to make good the loss of his close pal Aamer. However, the Pakistanis can be satisfied with their performance in the First Test under Misbah Ul Haq. They did everything right, but were only woeful in their catching. If they right this wrong, they can pocket this series.

Batting flop

As for the Sri Lankans they don't seem to be able to get their batting act together in the first innings. A big score in the first innings is extremely vital to dictate terms in a five-day game. By getting a measly 197 the first innings, they allowed the Pakistanis to dictate and they did just that till the final ball was bowled. The Lankans must thank their lucky stars for wriggling out of a Test that they seemed poised to lose by innings at one stage. Had that disgrace happened it sure would have been galling to new coach Geoff Marsh who has come here with a proud record of having coached Australia and Zimbabwe with great success.

We have been saying this many times before and would not mind reiterating so that those who appoint umpires, when especially India or Pakistanis are playing, that they don't appoint umpires from these two countries. What we mean is when Pakistanis are playing don't appoint an Indian umpire or when India is playing don't appoint a Pakistani umpire. In saying this we are not casting aspersions on the gentlemen who are doing a thankless job out in the middle, but to keep the game clean and not let tongues wag when a decision is made by the umpire.

We hope those who matter will ponder on this very important point.

[email protected]