Re: Pakistan all set for non-stop cricket in 2007-08 season
We need to play more test matches. It already seems like ages since I last saw Pakistan team in action. Let the party begin... in August.
Re: Pakistan all set for non-stop cricket in 2007-08 season
Itinerary of South Africa tour to Pakistan
Media Release - 21 June 2006
Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has today announced the details of itinerary of South Africa to Pakistan in September 2007.
The details are as follows:
Date Schedule
Sep 25 (Tue) South Africa team arrive at Karachi either 25th or 26th Sep.
Sep 26 (Wed) Rest
Sep 27 to 29 3-day Game (Karachi)
Sep 30 (Sun) Nets
Oct 1 to 5 1st Test Match (Karachi)
Oct 6 (Sat) Travels/Nets
Oct 7 (Sun) Nets
Oct 8 to 12 2nd Test Match (Lahore)
Oct 13 (Sat) Nets
Oct 14 (Sun) Nets } Expected Eid Holidays
Oct 15 (Mon) Nets } Expected Eid Holidays - warm up One day game
Oct 16 (Tue) Nets } Expected Eid Holidays at Bagh-e-Jinnah
Oct 17 (Wed) Nets } Expected Eid Holidays (Date: TBA)
Oct 18 (Thu) 1st ODI (Lahore)
Oct 19 (Fri) Travel/Nets
Oct 20 (Sat) Travel/Nets
Oct 21 (Sun) 2nd ODI (Peshawar)
Oct 22 (Mon) Travel/Nets
Oct 23 (Tue) 3rd ODI (Rawalpindi)
Oct 24 (Wed) Travel/Nets
Oct 25 (Thu) Nets
Oct 26 (Fri) 4th ODI (Multan)
Oct 27 (Sat) Travel/Nets
Oct 28 (Sun) Nets
Oct 29 (Mon) 5th ODI (Faisalabad)
Oct 30 (Tue) South Africa team departs from Lahore
SOURCE: pcboard.com.pk
Re: Pakistan all set for non-stop cricket in 2007-08 season
Security concerns not the reason behind move
Pakistan considering venue shift for South Africa series
The Pakistan Cricket Board is considering moving the matches to be held in Peshawar and Rawalpindi during the home series against South Africa elsewhere, according to board officials. However, they maintained that security concerns of the South African board were not the reason behind the decision.
“There may be changes in two venues of one-day internationals in the home series against South Africa but it’s an internal decision and has nothing to do with security,” Zakir Khan, the PCB’s director of operations, told AFP.
The tourists are scheduled to play ODIs at Peshawar and Rawalpindi. In 2003, South Africa refused to play in Peshawar and Karachi. However, Karachi will be hosting the first Test.
The Pakistan board had insisted last month that the tour will go ahead despite the violence in the past few weeks.
The South African team commence their tour on September 27, and will play two Tests and five ODIs.
Last year, South Africa flew back home from Sri Lanka, reporting a high security risk to the team in the aftermath of a bomb blast near the team hotel.
SOURCE: http://content-usa.cricinfo.com/pakistan/content/story/305184.html
Talking about the Saffies series, is PCB on dope once again??? What were they thinking when scheduling the matches and dates.
*I just noticed the date and days of the 2 test matches. The 1st match will start from Oct. 5th which is a Monday and will end on a Friday. The second test will start on a Monday (Oct 12th) and will end on a Friday. *
I am wondering who is behind this stupid idea of having the test matches during a week, Normally the match start on a Wednesday or a Thursday, in order to include Saturday and Sunday.
Similarly all the ODI’s will be on week days except the 2nd ODI which will be at the lovely venue of Peshawar on Sunday.
Re: Pakistan all set for non-stop cricket in 2007-08 season
Good. A Hectic schedule is exactly what Pakistan needs to work out its kinks, figure out what works and what doesn't, and gel into a well oiled machine that Australia is.
Re: Pakistan all set for non-stop cricket in 2007-08 season
Good. A Hectic schedule is exactly what Pakistan needs to work out its kinks, figure out what works and what doesn't, and gel into a well oiled machine that Australia is.
more likely break into faulty parts.
Re: Pakistan all set for non-stop cricket in 2007-08 season
Khan Sahib, this is not a packed schedule, as you know, by any means….8 test matches in one full year? Which means that starting Feb 2007 till April June 2008, Pakistan will play only 8 test matches? What I always fail to comprehend that why in the world Pak always gets these most bizarre 2-test match series? If I remember correctly, SA played a 2-test match series when they visited us last time in 2003. Why? Among top 7 test nations, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and NZ are always treated like minorities. And this horrendous and shameful WI team who is not even capable of beating a club team anymore keeps on getting 3, 4 or even 5-test match series.
I understand that these days ICC sets the international schedule but somehow ICC assigns a lot of 2-test match series to Pakistan than most of other test playing nations baring Sri Lanka. I would rather play two 4-test match series or three 3-test match series against quality opponents than playing half-cooked four 2-test match series. I do not have resources to conduct an extensive search but if someone does, it would be clear that in top 7 test playing nations, Pakistan has played more 2-test match series than any other nation. We have played so many useless 2-test match series against Bangladesh and Sri Lanka in last five yeas but we have never been assigned a full 5-test match or even 4-test match series against England or Australia.
Shame on our useless cricket board who has now hired an extremely incapable person (a medical doctor with no business degree or sports business management experience whatsoever) to lead the cricket board and whose only qualification is his unique ability to suck Mushraff’s balls.
Re: Pakistan all set for non-stop cricket in 2007-08 season
Khan Sahib, this is not a packed schedule, as you know, by any means….8 test matches in one full year? Which means that starting Feb 2007 till April June 2008, Pakistan will play only 8 test matches? .
PD I am talking about a season (Oct 07-Apr 08) not one whole year. And I was not surprised at the number of test matches but at the number of ODI's. 20 ODIs against Saffies, Indians, Aussies and Zimbabwe and then Asia Cup followed by Tri nation in Bangladesh. Not to forget we will be quite a few Twenty 20 matches as well.
It is just that we don't play that much cricket normally during a season.
Re: Pakistan all set for non-stop cricket in 2007-08 season
PD I am talking about a season (Oct 07-Apr 08) not one whole year.
Does it matter...they have hardly played anything since March'07.
On the other hand teams like India and England have had no respite even after the WC.
Re: Pakistan all set for non-stop cricket in 2007-08 season
Does it matter...they have hardly played anything since March'07.
.
It does. Playing cricket for 80 days out of 180 days is different than playing same amount of cricket in 365 days, specially for our injury prone squad.
Re: Pakistan all set for non-stop cricket in 2007-08 season
PD I am talking about a season (Oct 07-Apr 08) not one whole year. And I was not surprised at the number of test matches but at the number of ODI's. 20 ODIs against Saffies, Indians, Aussies and Zimbabwe and then Asia Cup followed by Tri nation in Bangladesh. Not to forget we will be quite a few Twenty 20 matches as well.
It is just that we don't play that much cricket normally during a season.
khan sahib, my frustrating comments were not based on this particular year’s test matches' schedule solely, rather I was more concerned about ICC-induced recurring pattern – a pattern that does not allow Pakistan to play enough test cricket both qualitatively and quantitatively. And let me make my point statistically. A quick check at cricinfo confirmed that Australian/Indian/English test cricketers have played far more test matches as compared to their prestigious Pakistani counterparts for the same period of time. The players included in the analysis were value-based players who hardly missed any test match baring health problems. Interestingly, Inzi who started his test career in 1992 has played only 119 test matches whereas Dravid has already played 111 test matches since 1996. These numbers are simply staggering even if we take into account inzi's post 2003 world cup absence of few months . To keep discussion more recent, let us talk about Yousaf. Moahmmd Yousaf who started his test career only fifteen months after Dravid has played only 75 test matches. If you bring Australian players into picture, this situation gets even worst. For instance, Haydon who started playing regularly only after 2000 has played 89 test matches (he played couple of test matches in early 90s) whereas Ponting has already played 110 test matches since 1996. Bottom line is that in a 10-year period, a regular Pakistani player on an average plays 25 to 35 test matches less than Indian/Aus/Eng test player.
Now this is a very serious problem with Pakistani cricket and it has been aggravated in last 5 years. Obviosuly, something needs to be done about it. Pakistan is a leading test playing nation but it gets one of the most bizarre test schedule. “Hats off” to our board – bunch of shmucks and idiots - who has done nothing about it and now we have a super idiot heading PCB. See, ICC has to come up with some bizarre test schedules for minnows to favor top test playing nations and it is up to the respective boards to stand up to ICC in meetings. Pak should be treated same as India/Aus/SA/Eng. For how long we will keep on playing 2-test match series against NZ, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh?
Re: Pakistan all set for non-stop cricket in 2007-08 season
^ Is it also ICC's fault that several tours have been canceled (sometimes midway) because the touring teams refused to play in Pak due to the security situation.
I wouldn't be surprised if the South African tour is called off too.
Having said the above, I do agree with you that Pak's test schedule has been odd at times.
Re: Pakistan all set for non-stop cricket in 2007-08 season
^ Is it also ICC's fault that several tours have been canceled (sometimes midway) because the touring teams refused to play in Pak due to the security situation.
I wouldn't be surprised if the South African tour is called off too.
Having said the above, I do agree with you that Pak's test schedule has been odd at times.
Some1, If my memory serves me correct, I do not recall any test series that was ever cancelled in Pak except Pak-NZ test match that had to be abandoned after bombing took place in a hotel in Karachi. If Aus refused to play in Pak, the series still took place in Sharja. Therefore, the absolute number of test matches that Pakistani players have played in last 10 years remain the same.
Re: Pakistan all set for non-stop cricket in 2007-08 season
^ You are possibly right. I may have jumped the gun on that one. My memory is at best vague about it.
Though I must say that India refused to tour Pak for more than six years in the late nineties and early 2000s. But then again, that would quite possibly affect India as much as Pak.
Re: Pakistan all set for non-stop cricket in 2007-08 season
Yar PD this has been a chronic problem of PCB andPakistan cricket. I haven’t checked crciinfo but if my memory serves me right, Pakistan played their last 5 test match series wih England in 1992 right after the WC. Can you believe that?
One of the major reasons of Pakistan players not having the true test match temperament is the fact that we don’t play test matches. I would have rather have 10 test matches in a season with 10 ODIs instead of having 40 ODIs and 4 test matches.
Even though Pakistan is not playing a 5 test matches series this season but will be a competing in a very challenging season after a very long time with 8 matches against Saffies, India and Aussies, but why more than 30 ODI’s 
They could have reduced the number of ODI’s to 15 and had played 2-3 extra tests including a 5 Test match series against any of the 3 teams.
Re: Pakistan all set for non-stop cricket in 2007-08 season
Khan sahib,with so much money being inducted into the game, cricket needs to be administered based on the modern-day corporate framework. And guess what it is being run along the same lines in Australia and England. Their officials know how to use the art of business psychology in conducting successful negotiations. These gora officials know very well that cheap and tunnel-visioned Pakistani officials would gladly accept large number of ODIs for a strong test matches’ schedule – thanks to poor revenue generation due to zero attendance of our crowd in test matches in Pakistan. It is this policy of PCB that that has produced disastrous results after being practiced for so long.
The last 5-test match series that we played was in 1992 against England whereas England and Aus play 5 or 6-test match ashes series every two years. India gets a lot of 3 and many 4-test match series as well. PCB did nothing to improve crowd attendance in test matches in Pakistan . Instead our mahan and shandarr president sahib kept on appointing idiots - first a general sahib then a 75-year old retired bureaucrat and now a doctor to run the cricket board.
yaar khan sahib, iss to acchaa ha you go and run PCB. You will do a job thousand time better than this doctor…..country is being run by a general, cricket broad is being run by a doctor, information ministry is being run by a mechanical engineer and the administration of our national game hockey is being ruin by a baloch sardar…rahay naam Allah ka…..
Re: Pakistan all set for non-stop cricket in 2007-08 season
Great points made by PD. It is the system in whole that needs to be looked at before pointing fingers at the ICC or elsewhere. Cricket is getting more and more commercial as the time goes on and Pakistan can never get more test matches specially in Pakistan if the sponsors can get their money's worth. No one comes to see test matches in Pakistan. There are plenty of people on this very board who say they like test cricket more than other formats of the game, dont you think there are people in Pakistan who feel the same way ? A little more than handful of those people. Ofcourse there are but the thing is PCB needs to promote test cricket. No one comes to see test cricket yet they charge a lot of money for the better seating. Well not everyone is fond of sitting in the general enclosure with the sun shinning just to see test cricket if they can enjoy the same scene from their living room. Last year they made a day or two free and we saw how many people came to watch the test match. Maybe if they could lower down the cost considerably and let people buy cheaper ticket to better enclosures they will have a better attendance.
All the boards fight for how many and what format of games they will get in the 10 years plan at the ICC meetings. India is in the drivers seat as everyone wants to play them due to the huge commercial market they have. At the end of the day it's all about making money. Why would someone want to play a 5 test series with Pakistan if they are not going to get money out of it ? We need to have a proper infrastructure for the game and the development of the game but thats something we are too far from doing. If we cant implement the constitution for the PCB in the past 10 odd years, how the hell can we blame anyoneelse of incompetence. We need to first change ourselves before asking others to bend over backwards to help us.
Re: Pakistan all set for non-stop cricket in 2007-08 season
Great points made by PD. It is the system in whole that needs to be looked at before pointing fingers at the ICC or elsewhere. Cricket is getting more and more commercial as the time goes on and Pakistan can never get more test matches specially in Pakistan if the sponsors can get their money's worth. No one comes to see test matches in Pakistan. There are plenty of people on this very board who say they like test cricket more than other formats of the game, dont you think there are people in Pakistan who feel the same way ? A little more than handful of those people. Ofcourse there are but the thing is PCB needs to promote test cricket. No one comes to see test cricket yet they charge a lot of money for the better seating. Well not everyone is fond of sitting in the general enclosure with the sun shinning just to see test cricket if they can enjoy the same scene from their living room. Last year they made a day or two free and we saw how many people came to watch the test match. Maybe if they could lower down the cost considerably and let people buy cheaper ticket to better enclosures they will have a better attendance.
All the boards fight for how many and what format of games they will get in the 10 years plan at the ICC meetings. India is in the drivers seat as everyone wants to play them due to the huge commercial market they have. At the end of the day it's all about making money. Why would someone want to play a 5 test series with Pakistan if they are not going to get money out of it ? We need to have a proper infrastructure for the game and the development of the game but thats something we are too far from doing. If we cant implement the constitution for the PCB in the past 10 odd years, how the hell can we blame anyoneelse of incompetence. We need to first change ourselves before asking others to bend over backwards to help us.
Spot on....I met this Pakistani guy the other day in DC who did his MBA from INSEAD (a top MBA program along Hravard, Stanford, Wharton) and now works in sports management industry in USA for last 10 years. He is also a passionate cricket follower. He told me that wants to apply to PCB for a senior position and that he has a lot of plans to improve the revenue generation, market cricket as a brand, enhance facilities in stadiums, promote sponserhsip, and bring transparency to the whole cricketing system in Pakistan. Not that MBAs can provide management solutions to every problem but folks like him should be holding senior positions in PCB not Doctor Sahib whose only qualification is....well no need to type anymore....you guys know Doctor sahib’s qualification very well.......
Re: Pakistan all set for non-stop cricket in 2007-08 season
Pakistan, India and BD to face-off in tri-series
NEW DELHI: India’s hectic international schedule just got busier, with the Indian board confirming the team’s participation in a tri-series in Bangladesh in May 2008, also involving Pakistan.
The series is scheduled shortly after the South Africans wind up their tour of India, set to take place after India return from Australia in March. “We can confirm that India will participate in the series with Bangladesh and Pakistan,” Niranjan Shah, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) secretary, said. “The fixtures and dates will be announced in 10-15 days’ time,” he added.
South Africa were originally set to participate in the series but pulled out, and the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) had invited Pakistan instead. “Originally the South African team was to participate in the tri-nation series along with India and Bangladesh,” Gazi Ashraf Hossain, the BCB’s operations chief, said.
“However, Cricket South Africa (CSA) has pulled out and we have invited the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) to send the team and they have agreed,” he added. The three sides last met in a tri-series in Bangladesh in 1998, with India edging out Pakistan in a best-of-three finals. This series will have the teams playing each other twice in the league stages before the final.
SOURCE: http://thenews.jang.com.pk/daily_detail.asp?id=80468
Re: Pakistan all set for non-stop cricket in 2007-08 season
I don't know what Bangla weather is like in May but would n't it be too hot then?