Shaabash Inzamam!!

[Mercenary]

There are two sides to Inzamam as captain. The side I want to talk about in this thread is the positive one. The Inzamam that is a rock, the Inzamam that is respected, the Inzamam that backs his boys and the Inzamam who leads by example.

I don't know how many of you saw the presentation ceremony today but Inzamam outdid himself and demonstrated why he is (against all the odds) such an influential leader.

Rameez was congratulating Inzi on the victory and commended Pakistan on winning a match with a 'second string' bowling attack.

Inzi stopped him dead in his tracks and said 'Don't call them second string, they are not second string they are the first string. I accept that we will miss Akhtar and Asif but they are no longer a factor and from the players that remain, these 15 are the best in the country. They are our first string bowling attack and that's the way we will see them from now on!'

I was really impressed and even applauded Inzi for managing to articulate it in English despite the fact that he so obviously struggles with the language.

Put yourself in Gul, Nazir and Samiullah's place. Hearing Inzi's words would have filled them with pride and hopefully made them even more determined to perform to the best of their abilities!

Shaabash Inzamam, tussi great ho!!

[the true passionist]

I understand your support, and the fact that this is not to be a negative thread but it was the same Inzi who said that the current bowlers are not wicket taking bowlers by terming them as containing bowlers before the game started.

I hope he has realised his mistake.

[Geordie Ahmed]

I understand your support, and the fact that this is not to be a negative thread but it was the same Inzi who said that the current bowlers are not wicket taking bowlers by terming them as containing bowlers before the game started.

I hope he has realised his mistake.

how do you know it was a mistake? perhaps it was a way of getting the players psyched up for the match, in that sense i say kudos to Inzi for giving the bowlers the incentive to succeed :14: :14:

[ZM]

wow great words from Inzi the great!
gonna watch the presentation later on ary highlights as was at school earlier and look forward to seeing this!

[Uzzy]

how do you know it was a mistake? perhaps it was a way of getting the players psyched up for the match, in that sense i say kudos to Inzi for giving the bowlers the incentive to succeed :14: :14:

Shame it fell on deaf ears for Razzaq.

[Geordie Ahmed]

Shame it fell on deaf ears for Razzaq.

Razzaq is Razzaq, he has been in the team for years so im not sure any words will psyche him up - it was for the bowlers who are relatively new to the side and it worked a treat :14:

[iafzal]

I think if Aisf and Akhtar were playing it was hard to think that they could have taken more than 15 wks on this track.

So good job by Gul and Nazir.

Kudus to Inzi for making it a point that these 2 have risen to the level to be called our first level of strike bowlers :14: :14: :14:

[the true passionist]

how do you know it was a mistake? perhaps it was a way of getting the players psyched up for the match, in that sense i say kudos to Inzi for giving the bowlers the incentive to succeed :14: :14:


This is what was posted on PP. This is not encouraging for players who have played very little cricket.


As the team played in the Champions Trophy I have been training hard and spending time with my family. But now it’s time to focus on Test cricket and the West Indies.

I have been doing plenty of fitness training and netting with Mushy (Mushtaq Ahmed). I just finished a four-day match in the Patrons Trophy for my team Water and Power Development Authority (WAPDA) against Sui Northern Gas Pipeline Limited (SNGPL) at Sheikhupura. It was a good game.

In the first innings I only scored five but in the second innings I came in at number seven when the score was 20-5 and we reached our target of 98 without losing any more wickets. I finished on 20 not out so I’ve spent some time at the crease before the first Test in Lahore.

Our preparations for the West Indies series have not been helped by the bans on Shoaib Akhtar and Mohammad Asif. We have named a squad that we think will give us the best chance of victory but the action against Shoaib and Asif was a hard decision.

They will be a big loss to Pakistan because they are special bowlers. We will still go into all our matches with the belief that we can win – especially the World Cup. This decision will hurt us more in the Test matches.

On the case itself, I would say that it’s very difficult to know about these things in Pakistan. There is no awareness about the medicines. I think this is the reason why they have taken the tablets or banned substance. Asif, especially, has not been to any anti-doping lecture.

In Pakistan if you go to the pharmacy without a prescription for a headache or an upset stomach, nobody is worried about what you have taken.

At their appeal, I hope their bans will be reduced. Even if the bans are cut, though, it is difficult to see them making the World Cup if they miss the West Indies and South Africa series. Spinners and batsmen can play straight away and get back into their game but fast bowlers need time to get their rhythm back.

If Shoaib’s ban is not reduced it will be very difficult for him to come back. It would be difficult for anyone who is 30-plus and out of the game for two years to come back from that kind of ban, not just him. I know Shane Warne was older and came back but he was only banned for a year and it is easier for spinners. Two years is a long time. I just hope he wins his appeal.

Danish (Kaneria) and Umar Gul are now our only strike bowlers. We also have Shahid Nazir, Samiullah Niazi and Rao Iftikhar but they are containing bowlers, they are not wicket-taking bowlers. To win Test matches you need strike bowlers who will take wickets, so in this department we are in serious trouble.

Mohammad Sami is a strike bowler, is a good team man and has the pace and everything a fast bowler would want, apart from confidence. He had the chance to impress when Shoaib and Asif were out of the team in England but he didn’t play well and now he is still trying to get his mental levels back up to normal. It’s not a matter of whether he is good enough; it’s purely about his confidence.

Once we get to Multan, because we don’t have too many fast bowlers to choose from now, there is a chance we would look at playing a second spinner, depending on what the selectors want and what the pitch conditions are like.

Danish is performing well and Mushtaq Ahmed bowled well in England again. Then there is Arshad Khan and Abdul Rehman, while we also have Hafeez and Malik so there are options. Abdul Rehman gives us nice variation with his left-arm spinners.

Our camp starts tomorrow at the Gaddafi Stadium and we will train hard and pull together like we always do when our backs are against the wall. Hopefully we can come out on top against an in-form West Indies team.


http://inzamam.bigstarcricket.com/b...icle_1338.shtml

[Mercenary]

Danish (Kaneria) and Umar Gul are now our only strike bowlers. We also have Shahid Nazir, Samiullah Niazi and Rao Iftikhar but they are containing bowlers, they are not wicket-taking bowlers. To win Test matches you need strike bowlers who will take wickets, so in this department we are in serious trouble.

It echoes what the rest of us were thinking, except some of us think the same about Gul.

Firstly we can't be sure that the above quote hasn't be twisted or taken out of context.

Secondly if it's an accurate quote then Inzi deserves a lot of credit for admitting that he was wrong and for adopting the attitude that we shouldn't wile away the next year crying over spilt milk!

[the true passionist]

It echoes what the rest of us were thinking, except some of us think the same about Gul.

Firstly we can't be sure that the above quote hasn't be twisted or taken out of context.

Secondly if it's an accurate quote then Inzi deserves a lot of credit for admitting that he was wrong and for adopting the attitude that we shouldn't wile away the next year crying over spilt milk!

exactly, it is important and good to see that Inzi has regained some confidence although it might have been forced by the 15 wkts that Gul and Nazir shared.

[iafzal]

It echoes what the rest of us were thinking, except some of us think the same about Gul.

Firstly we can't be sure that the above quote hasn't be twisted or taken out of context.

Secondly if it's an accurate quote then Inzi deserves a lot of credit for admitting that he was wrong and for adopting the attitude that we shouldn't wile away the next year crying over spilt milk!

I agree one of the qualities of a good leader is to not let his ego get in his way. This was you can not learn and change for better. The performance speaks for itself as both bowled very well. Inzi is not afraid to say so even though he was not sure about it initially like many of us that we have the firepower to get 20 wks.

[Geordie Ahmed]

This is what was posted on PP. This is not encouraging for players who have played very little cricket.


Danish (Kaneria) and Umar Gul are now our only strike bowlers. We also have Shahid Nazir, Samiullah Niazi and Rao Iftikhar but they are containing bowlers, they are not wicket-taking bowlers. To win Test matches you need strike bowlers who will take wickets, so in this department we are in serious trouble.


http://inzamam.bigstarcricket.com/b...icle_1338.shtml

what if it did encourage the players?

[12thMan]

the best thing I like about Inzi is that he doesn't use "I" that much win or lose. It is "We" as in a team and doesn't take credit away from them unlike some others

[Sabika]

wow :14: :14: :14:
i was hopping someone would stop calling them second string
if theyre good enough to be playing for pakistan at this level then they are really really good
think about all the fast bowlers there must be in the country

[xbox]

Well technically if you look at it Rao is more of a containing bowler and this is proved by his recent performers. So if a captain goes out and describe what kind of bowler he is and still encourage him to play for Pakistan there is nothing wrong. There is a distinct difference betwee bowlers who are out n out strike bowlers and then there are who take wickets by containing the runs.

So with Gul in the mix and the way he is playing shahid nazir played his role beautifully. So just not criticize for the sake of criticizing. Understand the game.!!

xbox

[Easa]

Awesome stuff from Inzi. Such a legend. :D

[Lahoria]

Just goes to show that there is a reason why Inzi is so well respected among his peers.

[Invictus]

I don't get what is so negative about being called a containing bowler. Its a matter of philosophy. A bowler's job is to pick up wickets its the philosophy behind how you pick up the wickets that makes you a containing or a strike bowler. If you are a containing bowler or being called one that does'nt mean that your captain does'nt have faith in you.
A containing bowler picks up the wickets by containing the batsmen. Wickets are the consequence of containment. A strike bowler just tries to get the wickets irrespective of runs on the board or being scored. One of the greatest wicket taker of our time, Pigeon, is a containing bowler. Lee is a strike bowler even if he is only going for 2 runs an over. Its not the wickets taken or runs scored its how they went about their business that makes them containing or strike bowlers. Whats so negative about that?

[isr]

Umm, any Test attack requires a mix of attacking and 'containing' bowlers. Saying that so and so is a containing bowler does not mean that they don't belong in the 1st (available) Test eleven.

I don't see a contradiction between Inzi's article, and what he said in the post-match interview.

Just saw Invictus post above. Basically, what he said! :)

[midwicket]

This is overblown all round, from Inzi's supposed comments pre-match, to his backing of successful bowlers post-match.

[Long_Live_Pakistan]

There are two sides to Inzamam as captain. The side I want to talk about in this thread is the positive one. The Inzamam that is a rock, the Inzamam that is respected, the Inzamam that backs his boys and the Inzamam who leads by example.

I don't know how many of you saw the presentation ceremony today but Inzamam outdid himself and demonstrated why he is (against all the odds) such an influential leader.

Rameez was congratulating Inzi on the victory and commended Pakistan on winning a match with a 'second string' bowling attack.

Inzi stopped him dead in his tracks and said 'Don't call them second string, they are not second string they are the first string. I accept that we will miss Akhtar and Asif but they are no longer a factor and from the players that remain, these 15 are the best in the country. They are our first string bowling attack and that's the way we will see them from now on!'

I was really impressed and even applauded Inzi for managing to articulate it in English despite the fact that he so obviously struggles with the language.

Put yourself in Gul, Nazir and Samiullah's place. Hearing Inzi's words would have filled them with pride and hopefully made them even more determined to perform to the best of their abilities!

Shaabash Inzamam, tussi great ho!!

Ya it was very spontaneous from Inzi.....
He admired his bowlers in a big way....
but on the other hand, if you are asif n shioab, you will be absolutely gutted by it........especially when the outcome of their appeal against the ban is yet to be decided......
Inzi could have added a little wish for them too.....like i would love to have them back but my current bowling is not less then them by anymeans....etc etc....
but anyway.....it is inzi and we all know that he so many times he is not the best at conveying his thoughts.....

well done Inzi.
just love the way you are.....

[Mercenary]

Inzi could have added a little wish for them too.....like i would love to have them back but my current bowling is not less then them by anymeans....etc etc....

He did say that too but I don't remember exactly what he said so I didn't include it. Try to watch the highlights if you can!

[Long_Live_Pakistan]

He did say that too but I don't remember exactly what he said so I didn't include it. Try to watch the highlights if you can!

Hmm......
well I did miss that if he said....But i am sure he atleast meant to say it....