Hopes abound for Pakistan's tour of Sri Lanka

The news that Pakistan has confirmed their tour of Sri Lanka for Two Twenty20, Five One-Day Internationals and Three-match Test series, is most welcome.

Pakistan has a formidable side as much as it is unpredictable. In both batting and bowling, they have some excellent players and playing them in Sri Lanka will provide the much needed excitement that our fans are waiting for.

Yet, the issue of insecurity still haunts the team. The bomb blast that took place in a luxury train waiting lounge in Lahore which killed at least two people and injured so many would be a matter of concern.

After the terrorist attack on the Sri Lanka cricket team a few years back, no cricket team showed any desire to tour Pakistan and since then no foreign team has played in Pakistan. Now with the recent bomb blast in Lahore, it might make Bangladesh who are expected to tour Pakistan, hesitant to take risks.

When the Black September terrorist group attacked and killed several Israeli sportsmen during the Munich Olympics in 1972, incidentally I was there with the Sri Lankan champion athlete Upali Gooneratne, when the attack took place, one thought that that was the last time that sportsmen would be targeted of the inhuman terrorists.

Gory scene

That gory scene in the Munich Olympic village was heart rending. It was shocking and stunning and the question was: Why this insane attack on innocent sports people? But the belief that sportsmen would not be attacked again was debunked when militants attacked the Sri Lanka team and it was divine providence that saved every member of the Sri Lanka team. Had any harm come to a Sri Lankan cricketer, it would have been a calamity.

It is hoped that this terrorist madness would stop and that international sport would return to Pakistan, because Pakistan is too good a country to be isolated from international sport. When Sri Lanka last played Pakistan in the desert, Sri Lanka came out second best. The hope here is that Sri Lanka under Mahela Jayawardene will put the visitors into second best this time round.

Aussies on the up and up

Under the clever captaincy of Michael Clarke, Australian cricket seems to be not only in a state of recovery, but more so on the up and up if their two-nil triumph in a Three-Test series against the West Indies in the Caribbean is an indication. After a Test series victory over Sri Lanka, a drawn series in South Africa, a four-nil drubbing of India in Australia, there was a bit of trepidation as to how the Aussies would fare in Calypso land.

But that anxiety was knocked into a cocked hat, with the baggy green caps jelling as a delta force and stuffing Darren Sammy's West Indies convincingly two-nil in a Three Test series.

The secret behind the Aussies success was the excellent, fearless and inspiring leadership of Michael Clarke. The stylish right hander, since taking over the captaincy from Ricky Ponting, has instilled the all-important recipe for success - CONFIDENCE.

Taking risks

He is a skipper who is willing to take the risks and gamble in search of victory. Drawn games are anathema to him. He has instilled on his team to dispel negative play and always play positive cricket to achieve success.

Clarke is tossing in some refreshing style of captaincy. He believes that if victory is to be achieved, it has to be at the risk of losing. And this positive thinking has rubbed off on his teammates and it has spelt success so far.

Clarke's one ambition is to avenge the Ashes thrashing and humiliation that his countrymen suffered at the hands of Andrew Strauss' England team in Australia in the previous Ashes series. If the manner in which he is performing and taking the team forward continues and with every member of the team going that extra mile to perform for teamsand country, avenging the Ashes defeat would be no big deal.

West Indies to England

The West Indies, after their two-nil Three Test series defeat to Australia have picked their squad to England for a Three-Test tour beginning late this month. But what was intriguing is that the name of Chris Gayle has gone a missing.

West Indies cricket that is huffing and puffing to get back to their former winning ways, heaved a sigh of relief when it was known that the two warring factions the West Indies Cricket Board and Chris Gayle had buried the hatchet and that Gayle would be available for selection.

But when the 15-man squad to England was announced, it was perplexing to note that Gayle's name was missing. Apparently the correspondence Gayle had with the WICB about his contract with Somerset to play in the Tweny20, had queried the pitch which led to his omission.

Nerve, sinew and muscle

Had Gayle been included, it would have added much needed nerve, sinew and muscle to the West Indies team. With his brutal hitting, he could have lifted the spirits of the team and made them worthy and formidable opponents against England.

What the two warring factions should have done was to have met at a round table conference indulged in CONSULTATION, COMPROMISE and CONSENSUS and arrived at an amicable settlement.

When correspondence is indulged in, words could be misinterpreted which could lead to misunderstanding. And that is what has apparently happened, and West Indies cricket is left to suffer. SHAME.

From the Gayle fiasco we move to the Windies squad selection and it is intriguing to note the inclusion of Marlon Samuels, who turned his back on WI cricket and skipped the Aussie tour, preferring to play in the lucrative IPL in India.

A sacrilege

In agreeing to play in the IPL and not for West Indies, Samuels committed a sacrilege against the country's cricket. But yet seems to have been forgiven and included in the team to England.

When I was in the Caribbean covering the 2007 World Cup, I remember the famed WI commentator Tony Cozier telling me that Manuel Samuels would be the future of WI batting. But sadly he has been involved in controversy and his batting talent has remained stunted.

[email protected]