John Wright considers his words as carefully as he did his strokes in his playing days. “Personally,” he told us, sitting in the lobby of the Cricket Club of India, a few days before the Test series against New Zealand began, “I never take it more than three months at a time.” We were talking about India’s World Cup campaign, and while Wright was full of praise for the way India played, he was worried about the effect of all the hype on the Indian team. Good days shouldn’t make you forget the bad ones, he said. “When I hear people saying that the coach is doing a good job, I think about the days people found it hard to say one good thing about you.”We caught up with Wright once again, at Mohali, hours after the Test series ended. And as is his custom, he offered no excuses for India’s failure to win.How do you look back on the New Zealand series?
I think we played below ourselves. I don’t think we played well as a unit, though obviously there were some good individual performances. If you compare our energy levels, particularly in the field, with that of New Zealand, that gives off some signs. I think we need to up our energy.I’ve been worried about the comfort zone after the World Cup and I feel that this is a sharp reminder. If we are to go on and play competitively in Australia we’ve got to lift our performance several levels and as a unit. It’s no good having one or two good individual performances.You know the pitches have been slow, but we have to get that mentality of tosses and pitches completely out of our heads and accept the conditions we are given and get the job done.How are we to raise the intensity?
It’s not a game-time thing alone. Intensity is in everything you do. To me intensity is created by the way we practise, by the importance we attach to playing for our country, the importance we place on doing everything that needs to be done to get the best out of ourselves. Now we can’t just have that from five or six players. We’ve got to have that from everyone.Would it be fair to say they bowled better than us through the series?
I feel they were more consistent with their lines. It’s a little more difficult to talk about spinners here because in both Tests they have had no help, which is unusual for Indian conditions. But having said that, that may well be the case in Australia. They bowled to their fields better than we did. Our plan, in the last Test particularly, was to take away the leg-side option from them and we didn’t achieve that. I feel our discipline and line and length have to improve.Rahul Dravid said after the second Test that had India been in New Zealand’s position, Anil Kumble and Harbhajan Singh would have probably forced a result. Do you agree?
I’m not into conjecture. The reality is that we have to bowl better – we have to not allow them to score 630 in any conditions. The reality is that we’re going to lose tosses, we’re going to find wickets that perhaps aren’t suitable, and we have to be able to adapt to the conditions, whatever they may be, so that we achieve the result or the type of performance that we want.But I agree with Rahul in that when it turns I would back our spinners to bowl any side out. There was more assistance on the last two days at Mohali than at Motera. So he has a point.What went wrong with someone like Zaheer Khan? He started the series so well and then went from bad to worse.
We need Zaheer to bowl well. I have seen what he is capable of when he is at the top of his game. You know, bowlers, like batters, can have an off game. He will be back and we will back him as he is important to the team. I thought Balaji, in terms of effort and attitude, made a promising start.Did Tendulkar’s form concern you?
Sachin will sort it out. I have every confidence in him. We’re talking about two games; and in one of those games he got a fifty. Sachin will work it out. There are no hassles. One of the things that champions have is that they can sort these things out. If he needs help, he’ll ask me, or he’ll go and sort it out. People were worried about his form before the World Cup. Australia will be a big stage; I’m sure he will play well.VVS Laxman must have pleased you.
He’s a gem, really. Outstanding, outstanding player. The thing I’m liking about Laxman is the consistency he has shown over the last two years. I have a lot of admiration for VVS Laxman. I’m sure he’s going to carry his good form to Australia.

Do you think we are closer to finding a solution for the opening slot?
Opening in India has not been a problem. The problem is when we go overseas, because the adjustment is significant. However, you’d have to be very pleased with Akash [Chopra]. He looks like an opener, he thinks like an opener, and he’s made a good start. But it’s still an area that we have to nail down when we go overseas. If we can get it sorted, it’ll be a big, big help for us. The other issue that arose is the tail. We need contributions.We’ve got to have a damn good look at things and see what’s got to be fixed or changed because we’ve got to perform at a higher level than we have done in the last two Tests.Does it ever strike you as odd that while India have been producing some great middle-order batsmen down the years, there has not been a world-class opener since Sunil Gavaskar?
It’s a lot to do with the conditions. Opening here is like batting at No. 5 or 6 in other countries. That’s the bottomline. You can get away with being a front-footed player. Technically, you are much less tested. We need to decide who we are going to back, and stay with him for a little while. Also, we need to appreciate that it’s a specialised position. If someone can get the job done, which to me means taking the shine off the new ball, that will be a huge bonus.Is opening all about technique? Or is it a lot to do with the mind?
It is a unique challenge. The bowlers are fresh, the wicket is fresh, the ball is new and you have different problems to solve. I always liked opening because I hated hanging around. I would rather be out there than waiting to bat. If you don’t enjoy it then your chances of success are pretty low. You should want to out there first, when things are buzzing around. You ought to enjoy the thrill of facing the new ball.If you were to put the team in a room and tell them something, what would it be?
That we have a great opportunity ahead. Forget about the World Cup. It’s gone, it’s finished, and we didn’t win it. We need to look forward, get hungry and improve. Let’s work out how we can become better, not only in the one-day game but also in Test cricket, and let’s get our attitude and desire together and do everything with total commitment.Was the big break a factor? Were some players a little rusty?
Some people used the time wisely, some didn’t. The break was needed. There are boys who you know will have a break for six or seven weeks and then get back with their training and practice. But there are some who concern you. The season just doesn’t start when you turn up for the first fitness camp. International cricket is a year-round pursuit, whether you’re playing or not. Players need to be self-motivated to train and practise wherever they are.Are you happy with the work ethic of this team?
Overall, yes. We have some tremendous professionals in this side. The aspect I worry about is that when we play well, everybody gets very carried away. Then the commercial angle comes in and that’s a trap. Here, more than anywhere else, success, both individually and team-wise, creates challenges. If players are not careful they forget the reason they are getting those rewards in the first place. I am concerned about how some of them use their spare time, because they have many other responsibilities, commercial or whatever. Sometimes, unknowingly, they might start neglecting their game, all the hard work and all the training that got them there, and get into a comfort zone where their form suffers. That’s something that is very much part of the environment here, where cricketers are big stars and earn a lot of money. It can apply to individuals and it can apply to a team. You’ve got to stay up there all the time. And not only stay up there, but try to get yourself to a better level. When that does not happen it concerns you.But who are the guys whose work ethic really makes you happy? Who can you use as role models for the younger players?
There are a number of role models For instance, [Anil] Kumble. He never seems to get carried away with all the hype. He missed quite a few matches in the World Cup, which was very disappointing for him. He had a small break with his family. But when I was at the Academy (NCA), I’d see him every day, working out, trying to stay in shape. That’s the sort of commitment and attitude you want to see.In a way, those two World Cup matches showed how tough Australia are going to be.
Yes it did. But we should not be going to Australia thinking how tough they are. We are going to go there thinking how good we can be. Every team is beatable. We have beaten them before and I would like to believe we can do it again.You have been to Australia as a player yourself. Do you think there is something about their cricket that makes you feel under siege all the time?
Yes, you can develop a siege mentality. And they are very clever about it. But that’s part of the challenge. You have to go there and be mentally strong, it’s a great test. There is no reason why you have to look up to them and feel awe. You know it’s a game of cricket; you’ve got to back yourself.Would you say that the only way to beat Australia is to beat them at their own game? India certainly played aggressively in 2001.
You have to be aggressive against everyone. But you have to play to a plan. Sometimes the plan might be to actually slow down the game, not allow them to dictate terms. Your planning has to be aggressive, which doesn’t always mean that you try to hit every ball out of the park.Why is it that New Zealand always manage to do well against Australia?
That’s because they are not intimidated. And they know how to play for their team in each situation in the game. All right, they (the Australians) are great players. But so what? Who cares? They play their brand of cricket, we play ours, and let’s see where it goes. You ought be able to put pressure on them and pressure can do strange things to even the toughest of teams.India have won Tests abroad in the last couple of years, but we’ve gone into the last match of the last four away-series with the chance to seal it but failed every time.
We have got a lot of belief as a one-day team now. We back ourselves to win. Somehow, we’ve got to win one series abroad. And then things will change. We have come close. We missed an opportunity in Zimbabwe, and another in West Indies. We shouldn’t have lost that Test; we should have hung around a little longer. That was disappointing, and that’s something we’ve got to change. There was a wonderful opportunity in New Zealand. Those games could have been won as easily as they were lost.We know what we need to do. We need to be more incisive with the new ball and we have to be more solid at the top. Look at any top team in the world from any era, they all had very good top threes. And then we’ve got to keep on developing good seam bowlers, and create depth and competition in that. From what I have seen, things are coming along. I saw some good boys at the camp and there is some good work happening at the MRF academy too. The scene certainly looks more promising now than when I arrived here.There are a lot of bowlers in the 18- to 20-years range who have potential. We need to take care of them. Once we find them we have to make sure that we don’t pick them in every team, bowl them in every match so that some them end up as shattered 21-year-olds. I worry about the workload some of these young guys are bearing. There has to be an understanding in the selection process about the development of a player, particularly where it concerns fast bowlers.Team selection was one of your major concerns when we spoke last time. Has anything happened since then to make you feel better?
I haven’t changed my views. Team selection is one of most critical issues facing Indian cricket. There are still a lot of ad hoc processes there. It’s not just the national side but cricket right through the system. It’s an area where you have to be spot-on. But there is just too much of pressure on the selectors from their own zones; that’s the fault of the system. I mean, it’s wrong for zones to have expectations from their selectors. Selection is a tough enough job anyway. It’s not about zones, it’s about the country.Would you like to have a greater say in the selection process?
It is a difficult area. When players are not selected they can be hugely disappointed, and if they think the coach has had a hand in the decision, it can affect the relationship between the coach and the player. It happens. Different countries have different rules. In Australia they have taken the coach out of the equation now and there are countries where coaches are heavily involved.The frustrating thing is that you do have gut feelings about players. When you’re thinking about building a team, you look at players who can do a certain job, and above all have the right attitude; those are the ones you want to really back. It can be frustrating for the captain and coach when players are not picked with the broad picture in mind. In the end it’s your job to convince the selectors with your reasons. If you can’t do that then it’s as much your problem as theirs.Wisden Asia CricketWisden Asia Cricket..

Jonty Rhodes has stepped down as president of the South African Cricketes’ Association. The announcement follows his retirement from playing earlier in the year.”I am leaving an association which has the backing of virtually every professional cricketer in the country,” said Rhodes. “I am proud to have been part of SACA’s formation. It is an extremely important part of the future of professional cricket in South Africa.”He will be replaced by Mark Boucher, the current South African vice-captain. “I am happy and honoured to be elected by the players as president of our own Association,” said Boucher. “I believe that we have chosen an exco [executive committee] that is experienced, determined and respected by players. These are very important times for all of us and we intend to ensure that all players are treated fairly.”We are committed, and look forward, to our involvement in constructive work with the board and the provinces in dealing as thoroughly as possible with all aspects of the new structure relating to players and making the professional game as strong as it can be.”

Hampshire have signed Michael Clarke, the up-and-coming Australian batsman, as one of their overseas players for 2004. Clarke will be joining up with his fellow Australian Shane Warne, who is Hampshire’s captain next year.Clarke, a former captain of the Australian Under-19 side, has played 10 one-day internationals for Australia, and already averages 65.40. He toured West Indies earlier this year, and also made a mark in the recent three-way one-day series in India. At home he plays for New South Wales, and has already hit seven centuries in 33 first-class matches to date.Hampshire’s chairman Rod Bransgrove said: “We are naturally delighted that Michael has agreed to be our overseas player next season. He is undoubtedly one of the brightest new stars of international cricket, and we are certain that his considerable playing style will prove highly popular at the Rose Bowl.”And Paul Terry, Hampshire’s manager, added: “Michael Clarke is a great signing for Hampshire cricket. He is an exiting strokeplayer, excellent fielder and also bowls left-arm spin. Michael has begun to make a significant mark already at the top level with Australia, and I’m sure the Hampshire supporters will warm to the brilliance of his play.”

David Smith, the Gloucestershire seam bowler who won five England caps, died in Bristol on December 17, 2003. He was 69.Smith made 357 first-class appearances for Gloucestershire between 1956 and 1970, taking 100 wickets in a season five times, including 143 in 1960. He contributed many marathon bowling spells for Gloucestershire, and slogged a few handy runs down the order. In all first-class cricket he took 1250 wickets, at the excellent average of 23.72. His best return was 7 for 20, against Sussex at Stroud in 1962. He hit 4970 runs (12.30), with a highest of 74 against MCC at Lord’s in 1961.There were also 292 catches, many of them at slip.His Tests all came under Ted Dexter in India in 1961-62. Smith didn’t find the unforgiving pitches there to his liking, and ended up with only six wickets at 59.83 although, in the absence of senior fast bowlers like Fred Trueman and Brian Statham, he toiled through a lot of overs – 162 in eight innings.A team-mate on that tour was David Allen, the Gloucestershire offspinner who had been a friend from an early age. Said Allen: “We both came through Stapleton CC together, and I had a great regard for him. As a bowler he was always quicker than you thought, and bounced the ball on the seam. David was one of the best of his kind in county cricket.”Smith was also a handy footballer, patrolling the wing for Bristol City and Millwall. After retiring from cricket, he helped his wife Peggy run their fancy-goods shop in Fishponds, not far from where he was born. According to the Bristol Evening Post, on Saturdays he tended to remain in the shop, saying “Never was much good at sitting and watching.”

Until the end of the Indian tour of Pakistan, we will be running a daily Paper Round of what newspapers in India and Pakistan, and from around the world, are saying about this series. This is what the media had to say today:

Imran Khan believes that this tour will help heal the long and bitter divide between the two countries. The Nation reported: “When the two countries are trying to become friendly, trying to ease tensions, then cricket plays a healing role, cricket becomes a cement in bonding the countries together. It transcends sport, it is much more than cricket, it is passion.”Imran added that the series assumed greater significance because it came against a backdrop of decades of mutual hostility which nearly boiled over into a nuclear war two years ago. “Therefore people are really skeptical, is it really heading towards peace? I feel that the two governments have realised that war is not an option. This is a realisation which came after their forces were eyeball to eyeball for so many months in 2002.”Imran, while assuring a friendly atmosphere throughout the tour, said, “There will be a lot of rivalry and competitiveness on the cricket field but there will be intermingling of civil society. Lots of Indians are coming here to watch cricket. This will help ease the tensions. Even an incident does occur, then the two governments will quickly smother over it.”* * *There has been frenetic activity among the punting community as they prepare to leave Mumbai towards the outskirts. The Mumbai Age quotes a leading bookie from the city as he said, “Though we take in bets for all the matches played around the world throughout the year, this is a money-making tour for us and we don’t want to take any chance that could spoil our party. The police will not spare any effort to track us down, so we have decided to stay away from the city and operate in peace.”Apart from betting on which team wins the game, the bookie spoke about `session betting’ being more popular. “In session betting, there will be bets taken on how many runs will a side score in 15 overs, 30 overs and then in the last 20 overs.” Most of their operations will be from Gujarat and the reason offered is fascinating. “Gujju’s have a lot of money, they are very calculative and are inclined towards such things. Even if there is a 10 paise profit, they will latch on to it, as they have plenty of black money to pump in. So the entire Gujarat belt is going to be our prime location for business.”* * *Javed Miandad, the Pakistan coach, has urged the citizens of Karachi to show exemplary behaviour during the opening match of the one-day series at the National Stadium on Saturday. Dawn reported him making a passionate appeal to the people of Karachi to show that they are truly hospitable and good hosts. “This series is being played at a time when both governments are trying to bring about peace in the region. We should set examples by playing excellent hosts to the Indian cricketers, their people and the media. Since Karachi is hosting only one match, the onus is on people to make it an unforgettable and memorable occasion.”Miandad felt that there will a huge amount of emotional tensions that the players will be subjected to. “We must be ready to play under pressure. The political pressure, the pressure of the matches itself and above all, the pressure of the public in both countries. But we must not let our emotion get the better of us.”* * *Balwinder Singh Sandhu, the former Indian swing bowler, has some sound advice for the Indian team. Rediff.com reports him urging the players to completely neglect whatever Miandad had to say, especially once they got on top of Pakistan. “If they [Pakistan] lose, he will get very tough on the team. He is a bad loser and will start mouthing a lot of stuff. Ignore him. The madder he gets, the better for us.”He also provided Sourav and his team with some shrewd tactical advice. “The Indian team should go and wish the man sitting next to Miandad, but not wish him. He was a great cricketer, but if we wish to win we must ignore him on and off the field.”Bishan Singh Bedi had a word of caution about the crowds as well. The Asian Age quotes him as saying, “What they’ve got to be careful about is the crowd. Let us not forget that the crowd cheering would be for the home team. So stuff cotton in your ears and play the game, that is it.”* * *Shahbaz Ahmed, one of the legends in Pakistan hockey, says he cannot wait for the tour to kick off. AFP quoted him as saying, “I am as excited as anyone else. India have not played a Test in Pakistan in 15 years so this is obviously a very special moment for our two countries.”He predicted the intensity in these encounters to be of a high voltage and said, “Look, India and Pakistan just don’t want to lose to each other, be it cricket or hockey or any other sport. Our mindsets are like that. The public reacts horribly when we lose so the players are always on their toes. It becomes more than just sport. It should not, but it does. I don’t believe a word when people say an India-Pakistan match is just another game.”Interestingly he didn’t think the series was going to be closely contested and predicted one of the teams to win comprehensively. “But my gut feeling is that it will not be a close contest as everyone predicts. My experience of playing hockey against India shows that once a team starts to win, it is very difficult for the other to catch up. The initial edge lasts for the entire tour. I can’t tell you why it happens, maybe it is psychological, but it happens.”

When Yousuf Youhana filled in for Inzamam-ul-Haq in the pre-match press conference at Peshawar, he brought fresh thoughts and words with him. And, since he does not bear the burden of captaincy, he had the luxury of being more fulsome in his praise of the Indian batting line-up than Inzamam.

On the relative strengths of the two teams
“Given the quality of India’s batting, there obviously will be some pressure on our batsmen. The Indians possess the best batting line-up in the world, but at the same time, we are also batting well. The fact that we scored 344 chasing 350 for victory in the first match and made 329 in the second game is evidence enough that we are performing with the bat as well. Both matches so far have been pretty close, and I think the teams are quite evenly matched. If their batting is very good, then so is our bowling.”On how India have posted 349 and 317 despite the strong Pakistan bowling attack
“In the first match, we conceded quite a few extra runs and deliveries, and they made the difference in the end. But otherwise, I thought our bowlers did pretty well in the first match. At one stage, India looked like making between 375 and 400, so to keep them down to 349 was a pretty good effort on an excellent batting track, a flat track full of runs.”On the fast pace of cricket today
“Cricket has become very fast-paced and entertaining these days. All around the world, the trend is to make flat wickets, and it is the batsmen who are calling the shots – even in Australia, where teams are regularly making and chasing 300. It’s difficult for me to say exactly what is now a secure score in one-day cricket. After all, if you get off to a good start in the first 15 overs, then if you bat normally and without taking any risks for the rest of the innings, you can easily post 300-plus.”On the game being loaded in favour of batsmen
“There’s not much of a challenge for the batsmen on such surfaces, to be honest. It’s fairly easy to make runs, but there is also a little bit of pressure in the sense that you know that if you make less than 300, you are definitely not safe. As for the bowlers, I can’t talk much about the field restrictions and such because those are not my decisions, they are the ICC’s decisions. But I suppose if a fast bowler were to be allowed to bowl say two bouncers in an over, it could make for a more even contest.”Haroon Rashid, Pakistan manager
On Pakistan’s slow over rate
“The problem seems to have got a little worse in the recent past. We are trying our best to curb extra deliveries, and I can assure you that you will see a lot of improvement in the next few matches. That we have three or four fast bowlers with longish run-ups is no excuse at all. We have noticed that our bowlers have extended followthroughs, they walk very slowly back to their bowling marks, and the fielders aren’t quick to move between overs. Also, when a team makes 350, obviously the ball is disappearing to the ropes so often and has to be retrieved! It’s just a matter of saving a few seconds here and there, and I am confident we will be back on track for the rest of the series.”

Scotland 314 for 7 and 130 for 2 lead Netherlands 257 (Zuiderent 78, Watson 5-74) by 187 runs
ScorecardAt the close of play on the second day at Aberdeen, Scotland were 130 for 2 after bowling Holland out for 257. Scotland lost Steve Knox quickly, bowled by Edgar Schiferli in the first over for a fifth-ball duck (1 for 1), but Bruce Patterson and David Watts added 115 for the second wicket to cement Scotland’s advantage.Holland had been a healthy 209 for 4 at tea, but the tide turned soon afterwards as Ryan Watson and Paul Hoffman skittled their lower order. Hendrik-Jan Mol was the first to go, caught by Fraser Watts off Watson for 13 (230 for 5), and none of the lower order reached double figures. Adeel Raja departed for 3 (237 for 6), caught by Craig Wright off Hoffman, before Watson removed Jacob-Jan Esmeijer for 8 (246 for 7).Bas Zuiderent holed out to Majid Haq at deep midwicket for 78 (251 for 8), and Schiferli did not last long, trapped lbw by Hoffman for 4 (252 for 9). Watson returned to take his fifth wicket – Sebastiaan Gokke stumped by Colin Smith for 3 – and Holland had lost their last six wickets for 48, to hand Scotland an unexpected 57-run lead.Earlier, the afternoon session had belonged very much to Holland, as Zuiderent and van Troost (71) put on 137, before van Troost was dismissed by Wright just before tea. Wright’s allround contribution included the wickets of Tom de Grooth, lbw for 14, and Daan van Bunge, stumped by Smith for 19, as well as a catch and an unbeaten 88 in Scotland’s first innings.Earlier, some aggressive lower-order batting from Scotland boosted their total before the declaration came. Wright, Scotland’s captain, added 112 in partnership with Cedric English (65) before Gokke bowled English (255 for 6). Greig Williamson came in and played an aggressive cameo, batting for the declaration. He hit five fours in a 19-ball 26 before being caught by Gokke off the bowling of Schiferli. Scotland had started the second morning on 197 for 5 after a rain-affected opening day in which only 67 overs were bowled.The early wicket of Knox gave Holland some hope after their batting collapse, but Scotland go into the third day hoping to build a substantial lead.

He has barely been in Pakistan a week, but that has been enough time for some to start questioning how well the Bob Woolmer experiment will work. The new coach has rebutted claims that several senior Pakistani players had failed a fitness test he had devised with Murray Stevenson. A report in a local newspaper on Monday had quoted officials within the PCB as saying, “most of the senior players failed to come up to the required (fitness) standards” of Stevenson’s tests. Woolmer, speaking to Wisden Cricinfo, said, “We weren’t conducting tests so nobody failed. We were just trying to gauge the level of fitness of players now, and where we would like it to be later. To say that they failed is wrong.”Woolmer, who is due to fly out tonight to Cape Town – and not the UK as was erroneously reported – for a coaching assignment he had committed to prior to becoming coach of the Pakistan team, was satisfied with the start of a three-year tenure. “It has been fantastic to be here, I have come to Pakistan before but it has been great. The players have been very good throughout the camp, and there is clearly a lot of talent here. By their own admission the team needs to work on its fitness and fielding and that is what we have been looking at with Inzamam and Haroon [Rasheed, the team manager],” said Woolmer. He added, “Shoaib Akhtar is fit, otherwise he wouldn’t be bowling here and he is very much part of the set-up. It’s also been working out well with Inzamam; he is a quiet man, but very calm and controlled and a world-class player.”The 14-man Pakistan squad for the Asia Cup will be announced on Thursday, and Woolmer, with Inzamam-ul-Haq and Haroon, has given an idea of the team they would like to the selection committee headed by Wasim Bari. Refusing to shed any light on the composition of the team, Woolmer would go only as far as to reveal – not surprisingly – “it will have some batsmen, some bowlers and a keeper or two.”Since his arrival, Woolmer has insisted on meeting ex-players in Pakistan to discuss ideas about the team, and last night, he got his wish; a “working dinner” with the man he replaced, Javed Miandad. “I like to do things by committee and have tried to get as much input into selection as possible. I am new to the players here so it is natural that I ask around about them and try to find out more about them. Javed is a legend and he knows more than most about this team as well as Pakistan cricket, so we’ll be chatting about that.”Woolmer also shot down reports that communication between him and the players was problematic. Sourav Ganguly was the latest member of a group of players and coaches in Pakistan who questioned how effectively Woolmer would be able to communicate with his players. Ganguly, in an interview to the last week, said, “It would not be easy for Bob. Pakistan cricketers come from diverse backgrounds and are individualistic – it is difficult to mould them together.” He continued, “Communication is an art and an essential aspect of coaching – Woolmer would not find it easy to communicate what he wants with the players.”To this Woolmer replied, “I have had absolutely no problems in communicating with my players and I don’t foresee any problems in the future. Despite what Ganguly says or thinks, the whole process of communication has been very smooth so far, and you can tell him that.”Woolmer plans to meet up with the squad in Sri Lanka on July 13 – three days before the start of the competition. “The team is good enough to win the cup, there is enough talent here. But in ODI cricket, it literally is a matter of what happens on the day and who plays better on the day. But I am confident.”One week gone, and only a potential 150-odd weeks to go. Welcome to Pakistan, Bob.Osman Samiuddin is a freelance writer based in Karachi.

When the Asian Cricket Council was created in 1983, its objectives were to ensure co-operation, harmony and other gooey stuff between Asian cricket-playing nations. The founders decided that the Asia Cup would be an ideal vehicle for this goodwill, and it would be hosted by a different council member every two years. Anticlimactically, the first edition was held in Sharjah, where the council’s offices were based, “so foreign exchange problems would not arise there,” according to a prominent member of the organisation. Since then, the tournament has been scrapped, resurrected, affected by politically motivated decisions … and has generally been a barometer of the deep-running emotions in South Asia, for when it comes to the Asia Cup, not all games are played on the field.1984
On Friday, April 6, 1984, Mohsin Khan strapped on his pads and strode out to a large green ground where cricket had been played before – but never on this scale. Saadat Ali was beside him, and both took guard after Duleep Mendis asked Pakistan to bat at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium. The weather had influenced Mendis’s decision, for the rains that had hit Sharjah were the city’s first in four years; Dickie Bird, who stood at the bowler’s end, had woken up one morning to the soothing sound of a rising water level in his hotel room.Mohsin and Saadat handled the bowling well while they lasted, but after a 59-run partnership, barring Zaheer Abbas, Pakistan simply collapsed. Sri Lanka, riding on Roy Dias’s half-century, chased down the teeny target with overs to spare. They had won their first game in the Asia Cup, but the celebrations wouldn’t last long. Two days later, they were stifled by Manoj Prabhakar and Madan Lal, and survived 41 overs to score just 96. India didn’t break a sweat on their way to the target.The following Friday, in the last match of the tournament, Pakistan and India met each other. While the match was played in good spirit, the animosity between rival crowds – which became a hallmark of most India-Pakistan matches in Sharjah – created an unpleasant atmosphere. India’s NKP Salve, then the president of the ACC, who had worked to build understanding between India and Pakistan, watched as the spectators bickered. “At one stage,” he said, “I thought it was creating unnecessary bitterness between the Pakistanis and the Indians.” India got off to a sure start, before Sandeep Patil and Sunil Gavaskar took India to 188, a run more than Sri Lanka conceded to Pakistan. Mohsin provided a rock-solid foundation to the run-chase, but Ravi Shastri and Roger Binny – and four run-outs – ended Pakistan’s innings at 134. India had won the first Asia Cup, and it would be four years till they played their next one.1986
The tournament moved on to Sri Lanka, but the spark of hosting their first multi-nation series was missing. The previous year, India had toured Sri Lanka at a time when political tensions overshadowed the cricket, and inevitably, the problems spilled onto the field. Sri Lanka ended up winning their first Test in a match which was marred by umpiring controversy. The Indians left in a huff, but not before a frustrated Kapil Dev indignantly declared, “Sri Lanka will never win a Test match abroad.” So with political and sporting relations not too cheery, India pulled out of the second Asia Cup. New Zealand were brought in at the last minute, and an alternative tournament was hastily arranged to accommodate them. So, in April 1986, you had the spectacle of Sri Lanka starting one tournament on the 5th, and playing the final of another on the 6th.In the middle of this logistical nightmare, Sri Lanka ran all over Pakistan in the Asia Cup final, as Aravinda de Silva and Arjuna Ranatunga scored fifties after a nervous start to their run-chase. They reached the target of 192 with five wickets and three overs remaining. It was a disappointing end for Pakistan, who were firm tournament favourites a week before. In their opening match they scored only 197, but still managed to beat Sri Lanka by 81 runs, as five of the top six scored next to nothing.Shrugging off the fatigue, Wasim Akram went on the rampage the next morning, and Bangladesh lasted only 35 overs on their first outing in international cricket. Almost needlessly, Pakistan made heavy weather getting to 98. Bangladesh survived for the full 45 overs in their next game, putting up a respectable score. Sri Lanka eventually overwhelmed them by seven wickets and, at a time when batsmen were given match awards for scoring forties, Asanka Gurusinha was named Man of the Match. As for the tournament involving New Zealand, Pakistan won it on run rate.1988
Pakistan and India were smarting from their defeats in the previous year’s World Cup, but had done enough since then – you could argue that Sri Lanka and Bangladesh hadn’t done much at all – to become favourites for the final of the third Asia Cup. Bangladesh, the hosts, had last played in 1986, while Sri Lanka came into the series with seven straight losses. Ultimately though, India did reach the finals, but they weren’t the favourites. Far from it. Led by Ranjan Madugalle, Sri Lanka swept through the preliminary round, inflicting heavy defeats on Pakistan and Bangladesh, and coming up trumps against India after scoring 271 in 45 overs, an innings where de Silva and Ranatunga flung their bats at everything Narendra Hirwani and Mohinder Amarnath tossed up. India’s rapid start was frittered away, and they lost only narrowly. The supreme manner in which Sri Lanka stormed through the series revealed a growing realisation of their own ability.Elsewhere that day, Pakistan ransacked Bangladesh. Boosted by Ijaz Ahmed’s unbeaten century – at a strike rate of 142 – Pakistan ran up a massive score. As good as out of the tournament by now, Bangladesh pottered around for their entire innings, and lost by 173 runs. They lost their last match, against Sri Lanka, by the same margin as their first: nine wickets. It all meant that Pakistan had to play India for a place in the final.When Pakistan put on 62 for the first wicket, India’s decision to field first seemed unwise. Then, out of nowhere, Arshad Ayub struck with five wickets to send Pakistan tumbling. But restricting the score, as India soon found out, was a job only half done. With 70-odd runs on the board, they were certain favourites to overhaul Pakistan’s 142. Just then, Abdul Qadir claimed Srikkanth and Dilip Vengsarkar, and later added Kapil Dev to his hit list. Wasim grabbed two and, suddenly, India were 116 with six wickets down. Amarnath killed the suspense with a storm-weathering 74.Boosted by the victory, a more resolved India turned up in the final. Sri Lanka stuttered and sputtered to 176, and Navjot Sidhu (76) and a round 50 by Vengsarkar took India to 180, and their second cup victory in three tournaments.1990-91
As the fourth edition of the Asia Cup kicked off in India, the sombre mood prevalent had yet to dissolve. Once again, sectarian violence and differences disrupted the tournament and this time it was Pakistan who were not playing. But while India, as a country, was affected outside the ground, their performance against Bangladesh followed a familiar trend: bowl first, restrict score, knock off runs. India waltzed past the paltry target. Sri Lanka, though, were a different matter. Minor contributions from the top five, climaxing with Ranatunga’s fifty, meant India had to chase a smallish target of 215. They never got there, for the bowlers achieved constant breakthroughs and allowed no-one to settle; the assuredness of the previous game deserted them, and they fell behind by 36 runs.Yet again, Sri Lanka had the upper hand going into the final. But there was the small matter of getting past Bangladesh first. It was indeed a small matter, as Bangladesh lost by yet another large margin after de Silva – at his bloodthirsty best – crunched 89 off 60 balls.However, Sri Lanka’s traumatic run in finals against India continued at Eden Gardens after they scored 204, with Kapil running through the lower-middle order. India chased another small Sri Lankan total, but with success this time, as Sanjay Manjrekar, Sachin Tendulkar and Mohammad Azharuddin led the charge to victory. India’s hold over the Asia Cup continued.1995
The Asia Cup was back on familiar territory. Sharjah’s stadium had been revamped considerably since 1984, but the jingoism remained. In the first two matches of the tournament, Bangladesh were beaten by India and Sri Lanka, and the stands, otherwise almost empty, spilled over on the Friday when Pakistan took on India.Since Miandad’s famous last-ball six at Sharjah in 1986, Pakistan had enjoyed the edge in their meetings, but Indian supporters believed that things would be different this time. Why? Well, this time they had Tendulkar, and he was in the form of his life. In the previous game, Tendulkar had scored an imperious 48 before boredom – officially an inside edge – did him in. Here, chasing Pakistan’s large score of 266, he was knocked on the helmet by Wasim Akram, to the delight of many in the crowd. “Make a cushion out of shorty,” a voice – Pakistani, naturally – in the stands screamed. Barely an over later, Tendulkar’s propensity to attack had him edging Aaqib Javed behind. Many heads rose and many others slumped as they realised the effect his dismissal would have on the team. Pakistan’s score, raised on the back of powerful knocks by Inzamam-ul-Haq and Wasim, now looked truly impregnable. Aaqib, who dismissed both openers, ran through the middle order and ended with five. The next day, Bangladesh were swept aside by six wickets, and Pakistan were all but through to the final. But in the finals, six days later, not a single green flag waved in the stands.What happened was this: India routed Sri Lanka in the preliminary round, overhauling a target of 206 within 34 overs. Tendulkar’s fast-paced century boosted India’s overall run rate. And when Pakistan lost to Sri Lanka, all three teams ended on equal points. Cruelly, Pakistan had the lowest run rate of the three.Sri Lanka and India met in a final yet again, and Gurusinha led the charge with 85. But on a wicket where 250 was barely safe, Sri Lanka’s 230 was clearly not enough. Even as the day went by, the pitch flattened, and after Tendulkar’s mandatory manic burst at the start, Sidhu and Azharuddin clinched the final with plenty to spare. However, Sri Lanka’s bad run in finals wouldn’t last much longer.1997
As the sixth Asia Cup began, the healthy respect Sri Lanka had enjoyed in previous years turned into outright fear. The same batsmen, maddeningly inconsistent earlier, had galvanised themselves in Australia before taking the ’96 World Cup by storm. At the top of the order, Sanath Jayasuriya, a butcher in his own right, punished the ball no matter where you put it: and if he got out, the next four batsmen didn’t let up. It was a golden period for Sri Lanka, and the Asia Cup was in the middle of it.Sri Lanka warmed up with a narrow victory over Pakistan. Jayasuriya’s fine all-round effort prevented Pakistan from reaching a target of 240 on the slow Premadasa wicket. But against Bangladesh a little later, Pakistan found redemption in the form of a 109-run victory.Like Pakistan, India’s start against Sri Lanka wasn’t joyful. The bowlers and fielders dried up runs, restricting India to a total not challenging enough for the confident Sri Lankan batting order. There was a glimmer of hope for India when Jayasuriya was dismissed off the first ball, but Ranatunga went on the attack with an unbeaten century. However, in their next game, India had Pakistan on the mat at 30 for 5 when rains caused the game to be abandoned. It left Pakistan at India’s mercy, for if India beat Bangladesh convincingly, they, not Pakistan, would enter the finals. Meanwhile, Jayasuriya went on the rampage against Bangladesh with an 83-ball 108. Sri Lanka completely ravaged them, and soon after, India had a go as well.On the morning of the final, Tendulkar won the toss and opted to bat, believing the pitch would disintegrate later on. Even more surprisingly, India entered the game with only three front-line bowlers. It played right into Ranatunga’s hands – he preferred chasing in finals. India were never allowed to get away, and their score of 239 was surpassed with laughable ease after Jayasuriya and Atapattu put on 137 before a wicket fell. After five unsuccessful tries, Sri Lanka had finally broken the jinx.2000
Twelve years before, in Bangladesh, Sri Lanka had romped through the league stages before losing the finals. In this edition, it was Pakistan’s turn to run riot, but they didn’t falter at the last hurdle. In the space of six days, Pakistan were done and dusted with the tournament as first Bangladesh, then India, followed by Sri Lanka (twice), were brushed aside without mercy. Bangladesh were hammered by 233 runs, India by 44, and Sri Lanka by seven wickets and then 39 runs. Pakistan’s batsmen regularly ran up large totals, and then let the bowlers take over. Abdul Razzaq picked up eight wickets in three games, and only three times in the tournament did a Pakistan bowler concede more than 50 runs in a spell. They were disciplined and efficient, and they played to their potential consistently. Frightening stuff.Bangladesh were clobbered in every game they played, while Sri Lanka did enough to get into the finals, exposing India’s tendency to freeze when the going got tough, with a 71-run victory. And it was tough going indeed, as Jayasuriya struck another century in Sri Lanka’s 276. Tendulkar’s 93 was the only real resistance, for the others crumpled in a heap. After the Asia Cup, Azharuddin, Ajay Jadeja and a few others were suspended after a match-fixing inquiry, and cricket would take a good hard look at itself. South Asia, in particular, would come under severe scrutiny, and the next Asia Cup will almost certainly be monitored closely for anything remotely shady.But with the 2000 edition, the founders of the ACC were finally seeing results: with three different winners in the last three tournaments, the Asia Cup was now changing hands every two years.

Scorecard

The South Africans may have made a bright start to their tour of Sri Lanka with the ball, but their batting didn’t quite go to plan today. They were all out for 226 in their first innings against the Sri Lanka Cricket President’s XI in Colombo, with Jacques Rudolph top-scoring with 49. The President’s XI then closed on 123 for 1, with Michael Vandort racing to 73 not out.The loss of Graeme Smith and Andrew Puttick late last night didn’t help the South Africans’ cause, but, resuming at 34 for 2, the rest of the innings never really got going. Jacques Kallis was caught by Vandort off Rangana Herath for 18 before Rudolph and Martin van Jaarsveld put on 58 together.However, just as the innings was starting to build some momentum, Tharanga Lakshitha had van Jaarsveld caught for 41. Dilhara Fernando and Thilan Samaraweera later picked up the scalps of Rudolph and Mark Boucher to peg the South Africans back.Boeta Dippenaar and Shaun Pollock then clubbed together a recovery of sorts, putting on 67 before Pollock became Lakshitha’s second victim, caught behind for 39. Lakshitha then bowled Lance Klusener for a duck, and Samaraweera polished off the tail.Starting their second innings with a lead of 25, the President’s XI had an early setback when Nishad Tharanga was dismissed by Nantie Hayward for 2, but it didn’t deter Vandort. He clubbed ten fours and a six, and put on an unbroken stand of 107 with Russel Arnold to leave the South Africans trailing by 148 runs.