So why is it that our fielding sucks so much, and has been deplorable for the last 15 years or so. We cant really blame physical fitness because pot bellied players like Salim Malik and Javed Miandad back in the day were pretty good, they couldn’t run fast or dive, but they made that up with retaining their catches and accurate throws to the pitch. Is it because our athletes grow up playing cricket most of the time, and that too outside in the streets rather than ground where they can grow up to become effective fielders? Do you think someone in their late 30s like Misbah (who dropped a key catch) can improve his fielding by extensive practice?
Re: Fielding Improvements?
I thinks its more because of I-m-a-star-why-should-I-do-3-hours-fielding-drill-every-day attitude.
Re: Fielding Improvements?
During Afridi and Waqar, fielding practices have definitely been put in place for much better use... as is evident from some really impressive displays in recent times. (australia, WI, series agains NZL). But it still is very inconsistent and a lot still needs to be done. But decades of sucky fielding cannot be taken away in matter of months. Younis and Misbah may have dropped catches yesterday but they have been leading practice sessions and complimented with good young fielders like Ahmed Shahzad, Asad Shafiq, Umar Akmal, things can only get better.
As for yesterday's performance, pressure got to them and hence their better standards dropped again.
Re: Fielding Improvements?
Saby you're right... At times, they talk about extensive field practice and the next game you see some incredible fielding by the Pakistanis, which vanishes after 2-3 matches... I am trying to figure out if this extensive practice does them any good or not. I think our coaches should decouple hanging on to catches and fielding well, because the former REALLY hurts us. We tend to drop so many catches and I can remember so many games where the dropped batsmen went out and played a match winning innings. After decoupling these two, we should just focus on making sure our players can catch well.
Re: Fielding Improvements?
Their palms were really greasy from the *paranthas *they had for lunch, so the catches slipped out :p
Re: Fielding Improvements?
Akmal key paranthoon ka kuch karna parey ga 
Re: Fielding Improvements?
Akmal must be eating paratha's with his gloves on ..
Re: Fielding Improvements?
So why is it that our fielding sucks so much, and has been deplorable for the last 15 years or so. We cant really blame physical fitness because pot bellied players like Salim Malik and Javed Miandad back in the day were pretty good, they couldn't run fast or dive, but they made that up with retaining their catches and accurate throws to the pitch. Is it because our athletes grow up playing cricket most of the time, and that too outside in the streets rather than ground where they can grow up to become effective fielders? Do you think someone in their late 30s like Misbah (who dropped a key catch) can improve his fielding by extensive practice?
Miandad couldn't run fast?? Did you even ever see him in the field? Man your biases effect every thing you say and write.
Younis was actually the best fielder and athlete in the team but his abilities seem to be degrading rapidly. Age slowing reflexes perhaps.
The most important fielder is the wicket keeper and Pakistan has persisted with a joker for so many years. If he can go through a single match with a dropped catch or missed stumping etc. it would be a miracle. He dropped two of the six dropped catches in the SF. The very first person to go should Kamran Akmal. His 20 runs are not worth the missed chances.
Re: Fielding Improvements?
Miandad couldn't run fast?? Did you even ever see him in the field? Man your biases effect every thing you say and write.
That guy was famous for stealing single runs by just touching the ball with the bat and run for the other side. I agree with you, he was fast.
Re: Fielding Improvements?
Miandad couldn't run fast?? Did you even ever see him in the field? Man your biases effect every thing you say and write.
Younis was actually the best fielder and athlete in the team but his abilities seem to be degrading rapidly. Age slowing reflexes perhaps.
The most important fielder is the wicket keeper and Pakistan has persisted with a joker for so many years. If he can go through a single match with a dropped catch or missed stumping etc. it would be a miracle. He dropped two of the six dropped catches in the SF. The very first person to go should Kamran Akmal. His 20 runs are not worth the missed chances.
I think you are a lot more biased rather perhaps the most biased person on kk. You wanted Pakistan to loose to India so that Kamran Akmal would be dropped from the team. While i would love to see Akmal kicked out, but i will never hope that my team looses WC semifinal against India. You shud go and form a Laloo Kheti team and support it instead of Pak team.
Re: Fielding Improvements?
Miandad couldn't run fast?? Did you even ever see him in the field? Man your biases effect every thing you say and write.
Younis was actually the best fielder and athlete in the team but his abilities seem to be degrading rapidly. Age slowing reflexes perhaps.
The most important fielder is the wicket keeper and Pakistan has persisted with a joker for so many years. If he can go through a single match with a dropped catch or missed stumping etc. it would be a miracle. He dropped two of the six dropped catches in the SF. The very first person to go should Kamran Akmal. His 20 runs are not worth the missed chances.
Im biased against Miandad? LOL Is that why I consider him one of the best (and smartest) batsmen the country has ever produced? Dude, I have a friend who played with Miandad in special events lots of times , and he has a video where Miandad was talking about how he wasnt a fast runner like Jonty Rhodes etc, but he made that up by making sure he didnt drop catches and his returns were accurate. That is what I'm talking about. I also consider Salim Malik as the same league as Miandad (lets put aside the match fixing allegations) but face it, they weren't chiseled six-packed athletes, kinda like David Boon and Merv Hughes esp. by today's standards but were very skilled batsmen that made up for everything including their excellent fielding.
And I dont consider Kamran Akmal the main problem, this fielding non-sense has persisted even before he came to the team. It was bad during the 1996 world cup too, and Wasim Akram himself couldnt field very well even at his prime.
Re: Fielding Improvements?
That guy was famous for stealing single runs by just touching the ball with the bat and run for the other side. I agree with you, he was fast.
That had more to do with his placement, even if you're lighting fast you cant just 'touch' the ball and go for a run, you have to guide it where you know you can go for it, make the right call, coordinate with the other end, run properly (different ways to do it) and ground your bat at the other end. Point is, it takes a lot more than fast running to score such cheeky singles and Miandad was quite good at everything I mentioned, which is why he was a legendary batsman. Moin Khan was termed one of the fastest runners b/w the wickets back in the day. I run 5 miles track every day at 8mph, and have been doing so for over 2 years almost non-stop and rust me, in order to run very fast and effectively, you need to have a conditioned physique. With that said, running fast isn't the most important thing for a fielder, its hanging on to your catches and throwing right IMO. Here is what Miandad said a few days before the 4th match:
**
“They must know at this level how to dive, how to stop a ball and how to pick it and how to through it as all is possible if an individual takes interest,” he said.**
Re: Fielding Improvements?
I think you are a lot more biased rather perhaps the most biased person on kk. You wanted Pakistan to loose to India so that Kamran Akmal would be dropped from the team. While i would love to see Akmal kicked out, but i will never hope that my team looses WC semifinal against India. You shud go and form a Laloo Kheti team and support it instead of Pak team.
LOL. It seems like I have touched a nerve. Yes, you are right I am absolutely biased against Kamran Akmal as I think he is the single most responsible person for most of the defeats of Pakistan team in the last 7+ years. He should have been dropped for good midway through the first England Tour under Inzi. I am also biased for including Yousuf in the ODI team and keeping Younis out of ODI team. IMHO, if Pakistan had won this match and the cup, Akmal would have been guaranteed a place in the team for another 10+ years and that would have meant losing most matches and series. From my point of view, this is the best possible result. Pakistan topped the league, beat SL and Australia and walloped WI and fought well in the SF.
Re: Fielding Improvements?
Im biased against Miandad? LOL Is that why I consider him one of the best (and smartest) batsmen the country has ever produced? Dude, I have a friend who played with Miandad in special events lots of times , and he has a video where Miandad was talking about how he wasnt a fast runner like Jonty Rhodes etc, but he made that up by making sure he didnt drop catches and his returns were accurate. That is what I'm talking about. I also consider Salim Malik as the same league as Miandad (lets put aside the match fixing allegations) but face it, they weren't chiseled six-packed athletes, kinda like David Boon and Merv Hughes esp. by today's standards but were very skilled batsmen that made up for everything including their excellent fielding.
And I dont consider Kamran Akmal the main problem, this fielding non-sense has persisted even before he came to the team. It was bad during the 1996 world cup too, and Wasim Akram himself couldnt field very well even at his prime.
Miandad was the fastest runner in the Pakistani team for most of the time he was in the Pakistani team. He might not be as athletic as Jonty but he was quite fit, especially compared to the rest in Pakistani team. Take the biased glasses off your mind and you will see that.
The fielding problems are nothing new but the wicket keeping problems are definitely new with Kamran Akmal in the team. Over the years, Pakistan has been blessed with really good wicket keepers like Bari, Latif, Moin, etc. Even Saleem Yousuf who was considered to be just acceptable was head and shoulders above Akmal.
Re: Fielding Improvements?
. Take the biased glasses off your mind and you will see that.
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Our fielding just cant be improved
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Rashid Latif was the only decent keeper we had. Moin Khan used to drop sitters. I would be willing to forgive Akmal for his dropped catches but what i hate about him is the nepotism. When one brother gets dropped the other gets injured, its this attitude of putting family, race or language above the country that i cant stand.
Re: Fielding Improvements?
Rashid Latif was the only decent keeper we had. Moin Khan used to drop sitters. I would be willing to forgive Akmal for his dropped catches but what i hate about him is the nepotism. When one brother gets dropped the other gets injured, its this attitude of putting family, race or language above the country that i cant stand.
Plus, we cant single handedly blame Kamran Akmal for all the missed catches either. Plenty of other players are doing it too.
Re: Fielding Improvements?
Miandad was the fastest runner in the Pakistani team for most of the time he was in the Pakistani team. He might not be as athletic as Jonty but he was quite fit, especially compared to the rest in Pakistani team. Take the biased glasses off your mind and you will see that.
Dude, I don't know who you are but you are the one who's nitpicking here. What biased glasses are you talking about? Seems like you've got your head so far up Miandad's you know what that you won't even read other people's comments thoroughly.
Re: Fielding Improvements?
Rashid Latif was the only decent keeper we had. Moin Khan used to drop sitters. I would be willing to forgive Akmal for his dropped catches but what i hate about him is the nepotism. When one brother gets dropped the other gets injured, its this attitude of putting family, race or language above the country that i cant stand.
Please dont compare Moin and Akmal.... Against Spin Moin was better than Latif... Its just our habbit now to claim the tool that was the best wasnt used. Forget Latif even Gilchrist Droped Catches and it is reasonable to drop a catch but making it a habit is what Kamran has done when it comes to dropping catches and missings stumps.
I personally believe i have seen local Pakistani guys keeping better than Akmal, and m not exaggerating. We had guy who played in Ranji Trophy and his Keeping was stunning i cant believe Akmal is still our first keeper.