So the moment of truth has finally arrived. Shoaib Akhtar is all set to make his IPL debut tomorrow vs Delhi. I think Shoaib will be fired up and deliver an inspired performance. After PCB ban, this is pretty much the only cricket he’s eligible to play now. He’ll not only want to prove his worth to PCB, but live up to the expectations of Kolkata franchise, Shah Rukh Khan, Ganguly, and the Kolkata fans.
I was sadly disappointed with the earlier reports by the Kolkata coach Buchanan insinuating that Shoaib wasn’t fit for the two earlier games he was made to sit out. This should put to rest any doubts about his commitment, at least to this type of cricket.
It’ll also be interesting to see how he fares against Malik and Asif.
well I dont think he will be picked for Pakistan again
I think he has always loved playing in India and after all the embarrassment he has gone through, im sure he will let the ball do the talking
and also hes got his boss SRK to impress after he has backed him throughout the whole process
While I am not a great supporter of the amount of money involved in sports including IPL, I think there is a great hidden benefit here. The Indian masses following these games get used to supporting their city team and the foreign players playing against other city teams with Indian players!
Caught his on-screen interview a couple of days ago during Kolkatta vs. Bangalore. "This is my home. This is where I get paid" were his last few words to the broadcast. It was kept short and even Arun Lal jibed in a remark of his own soon after the interview, but the way Shoaib came about it was just, too much focus on personal him rather than the team.
John Buchanan is right, there are no special rules for anyone in the team. No matter who you are. No special treatment for anybody. He had set the ground rules already, so the confirmation is passed that Shoaib will play. Ganguly's statement is just a coating for the media.
As a side note, the stadiums are near-capacity in every match. IPL is on the end of good amount of profits.