"If such pitches were in Pakistan, they would have been reported" : Wasim Akram on SA pitches

[Abdullah719]

"If such pitches were in Pakistan, they would have been reported" : Wasim Akram on SA pitches

Wasim Akram speaking at a presser where he announced details about his cricket academy in Multan:

"Our plan is to have 2,3 or 4 different pitches in this academy (in Multan) where we will try and get soil from Perth, from South Africa and possibly England as well; Although English soil may not work here due to the weather"

"So when the Pakistan side has to go abroad, they can come there and practice before leaving"

"As we know we had problems recently in playing on South Africa pitches and this was also true when we used to play on such bouncy pitches"

"Just like the ICC have done in the ICC Cricket Academy in Dubai where they have soil from other countries"

"The idea behind the Wasim Akram cricket academy is to provide Pakistan with players through a systematic manner"

"So when we will be able to teach the younger generation the right technique then in the future such players will be able to play for Pakistan for a long time"

"Whether its a fast-bowler batsman or a spinner, the academy will have coaching for all types of players"

"You all know that we have only one [quality] off-spinner Bilal Asif who is playing for Pakistan - there is no other good off-spinner in First-Class cricket"

"There are off-spinners coming through from all parts of the world but here, off-spinners are disappearing"

"We have some great bowlers like the great Abdul Qadir, Mushtaq Ahmed, Saqlain Mushtaq and Saeed Ajmal; So we have 2 off-spinners who showed the world what off-spin is all about; We will be using their services so that new spinners can learn from such legends"

"I cant understand why we are feeling so shocked that Pakistan batting is failing to perform in South Africa"

"Which batting side has succeed in South Africa? When we used to play there, even we used to struggle there"

"because we did not have such pitches here"

"This is why in the future whenever we go there, it is important that we keep a few warm-up matches in places such as New Zealand, Australia, South Africa"

"In this way our bowlers will have an idea of where to pitch the ball and our batsmen will get an idea about which balls to leave"

"If you see the hundred that Faf du Plessis scored, you will note that he was able to leave balls from good length which is something you only know to do when you play on such pitches"

"You can't really blame our batsmen as they would have put in their best efforts but sometimes when the pitch is difficult to play on, then the idea is to play with care and not lose your wickets"

"So our boys are trying their hardest but unfortunately they aren't good enough"

"I am sorry to say that the pitches (in South Africa) aren't that good for Test cricket"

"If we had made pitches like these then we would have been reported for it"

"Having a pitch which is quick is one thing but having uneven pitches is a totally different ball game"

"I am not sure if the Coach is ever put in front of the Cricket committee or not"

"Coming back to Sarfaraz, this [demand for Sarf to step down] has been the case from Asia Cup from cricket lovers and media who are entitled to their opinions"

"In my view, if you feel that you have someone who can takeover captaincy from Sarfaraz then tell me his name, if that name is hidden then I wont know about it"

"But [doing this change just] for the sake of changing the captain is not fair on Sarfaraz or the team as well"

"He won you the Champions Trophy a bit more than a year ago so lets give him a chance as Test cricket, especially in South Africa, is difficult so lets give him some breathing space"

"Yes there is stress when captaining a side but then many captains have lead in all three formats without a problem so in my opinion we should stick with Sarfaraz"

"I can only give my opinion but if by changing the coach a team could win then we should change one every month"

"The coach plans for you but the execution of his plans is done by the players"

"I dont think anyone should be sacked after one series, its not fair on them"

"If we had a good or better batsman available, then he would have been here [in the team]"

"In our playing days, one could top for 10 years in first-class and you would not get a chance to play in the Pakistan side"

"In today's era, if you top [the averages] in one year you will be given a chance but that is still not happening"

"I did not understand why Fakhar played at number 6 in the 2nd Test as he is an opener and he wouldnt know what to do just like if you take a number 8 position batsman like me and ask him to open - I wouldnt have a clue"

"I am for Pakistan and whoever asks me for help I am there to help the cricketers"

"The Idea is to ask for help - When I was new, I would ask for help from Imran Khan, Muddasar Nazar and Javed Miandad; When we had a game against New Zealand, I would ask Sir Richard Hadlee for help, similarly I would ask Kapil Dev and Marshall after a match; I would also ask Botham for advice - infact I have spoken to everyone about bowling"

"I did this when I was 18-19 years old as I wanted to know what bowling was all about"

India: "Its a big deal; The way they won the series is very exciting and I would like to congratulate Virat Kohli and to team India as this is a huge achievement"

"Whatever you say such as Australia team was inexperienced, David Warner and Steve Smith werent there but to convincingly defeat Australia in Australia is a massive deal in the cricketing world"

"They are the first sub-continental team who have done this and done in a convincing manner and in a consistent way"

"They put money in first-class cricket for the last ten years and every cricketer that comes through for India always praises their first-class system"

"This is why having a good first-class structure is very important"

"When I came to the Pakistan side, I set my goal to become like Imran Khan or Javed Miandad so my standard was high"

"My advice to youngsters who come in the Pakistan side is to have a high goal and to aim to be the number one"

"There is no number 2; Either you are number one or you havent achieved anything in life"

"On an uneven pitch, what would you prefer to play as a batsman? 145-150Kph or 130 KpH?

"I dont know the reason (for loss of pace) as I am not with them but Shaheen Shah Afridi did take wickets but his swing is missing"

"Mohammad Amir has also taken wickets but his ball is not coming into the batsman; Mohammad Abbas has come back after an injury - he did not have pace even before but these wickets were to his liking but at his medium pace the South Africans knew how to bat against him"

"Mohammad Amir has pace but he has to work out his swing and I am sure he is very talented and he can make a comeback"

 

[Abdullah719]

Wasim Akram announces establishment of cricket academy

KARACHI: Legendary cricketer Wasim Akram Tuesday announced establishment of “Wasim Akram Cricket Academy” in DHA Multan besides announcing himself as Brand Ambassador of Rumanza Golf Course DHA Multan.

Addressing a presser at a local hotel here, he said that the Wasim Akram Cricket Academy will be a state-of-the-art academy with all requisite facilities including a multipurpose building, pavilion/seating area, outdoor practice nets (6-8 pitches), administrative facilities including grounds men workshop and other sports facilities like squash courts, swimming pool etc.

“My purpose is to train and nurture the young talent and this academy will be breeding ground for Pakistan’s National team. I intend turning this academy into our national team’s camp before proceeding abroad for matches. We will lay top of the lines pitches like Perth, Melbourne etc to train them,” said Wasim Akram.

Sharing details of the country’s first Championship Signature 18 holes golf course, he said “Currently Pakistan has been unable to register its presence on International standard golf courses and coaching facilities for talented young golfers. I am very happy after knowing that DHA Multan aims to address both shortcomings.”

He expressed the hope that Rumanza Golf Course will be an avenue to flourish the game by nurturing the young talent of the country to be able to compete at international levels.

Wasim Akram apprised that the ground breaking ceremony of Rumanza was held on November 22, 2018 in DHA Multan where golf course architect Sir Nick Faldo, number of foreign consultants engaged for the golf course and representatives of Desert Group UAE responsible for construction of the course were present.

He said that Rumanza would be managed and operated by Troon Golf, which is managing over 300 golf courses across the globe.

https://www.brecorder.com/2019/01/08/464063/wasim-akram-announces-establishment-of-cricket-academy/

 

[Varun]

South Africa seldom win home series against Aus and Eng, so do ensure that the series against Asian sides are won they roll these dodgy wickets out.

There can be no other explanation.

 

[MP2011]

South Africa seldom win home series against Aus and Eng, so do ensure that the series against Asian sides are won they roll these dodgy wickets out.

There can be no other explanation.

And then they sook about India's 'dustbowls'.

 

[BreadPakoda]

And then they sook about India's 'dustbowls'.

Sooked about Sri Lankan pitches too in the previous series. In fact, Morkel sooked about their home pitches when India ran them close

 

[Nikhil_cric]

It wasn't a dangerous pitch but yeah it doesn't look good if pitches start developing cracks on the very first day.

 

[BaankeJi]

But what does it tell about Pakistani bowlers? On the same pitch South Africa scored 400+.

 

[big_gamer007]

Lol complaining about pitch? The pitch Vs India in 3rd test was far more difficult these pitches have been good for test cricket.. Pakistan batting is poor, pitches have been sporting and very good for cricket

 

[Arsalan Pro]

But what does it tell about Pakistani bowlers? On the same pitch South Africa scored 400+.

He didn't say anything about the run scoring. On the same pitch Pakistani batsmen scored almost 300, What does it tell about South African bowlers playing at home?

He is talking about the exaggerated bounce the pitch had from the very first over which could be dangerous for batsmen in terms of injuries, which happened to Amla.

 

[King-Misbah]

Stop complaining as both teams played on the same pitch!

 

[Abdullah719]

Lol complaining about pitch? The pitch Vs India in 3rd test was far more difficult these pitches have been good for test cricket.. Pakistan batting is poor, pitches have been sporting and very good for cricket

The issue was the bounce. I don't think anyone likes uneven bounce.

 

[WhenSultansBowled]

Stop complaining as both teams played on the same pitch!

That's true. Also 99% of ppers would agree that SA are a better team than Pak.

But these pitches acted weird is also a fact. Doesn't matter who won/lost. Nobody's complaining, just pointing out a fact!

 

[Savak]

Mickey Arthur was correct in criticizing the uneven bounce but Pakistani batsmen suffered because of their poor inadequate preparations for the tour. But the bowlers should not have let the South African's score 400 runs on that wicket, our bowling attack is extremely over rated.

 

[rhony]

Complaining about pitches is a moot point. Test cricket has been fascinating because of the challenging conditions. Roll out a raging Turner in UAE the next time SA visits. Simple.

 

[Arsalan Pro]

Stop complaining as both teams played on the same pitch!

He is saying it for both teams and doesn't want see to such bouncy pitches anywhere for any batsmen as it can result to injuries.

 

[Abdullah719]

Complaining about pitches is a moot point. Test cricket has been fascinating because of the challenging conditions. Roll out a raging Turner in UAE the next time SA visits. Simple.

No one is complaining about the lateral movement, it's the uneven bounce. Towards the end of the match, Amla had to retire hurt because a 130kph length ball from Amir reared up and struck him on the arm. It kept happening. When you get a ball like the one Markram got (see image above), you will be dismissed.

 

[mak36]

The issue was the bounce. I don't think anyone likes uneven bounce.

Exactly. Wish people first read what is being said before commenting!

Bouncy pitches are good, but uneven bounce can be dangerous.

 

[Sachin136]

Certainly, and it also goes for India and SL.

There's nothing wrong with the pitches (although this one was a bit dangerous), but the hypocrisy is startling.

 

[Rightarmfast]

When India won the test in South Africa on a pitch even more dangerous than this one, PP was in unison that the test meant nothing to South Africa and winning it wasnt a big deal

 

[Abdullah719]

The issue was the bounce. I don't think anyone likes uneven bounce.

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These two images are from play on Day 1, by the way.

 

[rhony]

No one is complaining about the lateral movement, it's the uneven bounce. Towards the end of the match, Amla had to retire hurt because a 130kph length ball from Amir reared up and struck him on the arm. It kept happening. When you get a ball like the one Markram got (see image above), you will be dismissed.

You should see the pitch for the 3rd test between India and SA. It was worse. The only team that was complaining was SA and they shouldn't have. Bounce is uneven on subcontinent pitches too. At the end of the day, no one should complain about a pitch if one team scores 400. Pak's batting in the 2nd innings showed that batters can score if they apply themselves.

 

[Abdullah719]

You should see the pitch for the 3rd test between India and SA. It was worse. The only team that was complaining was SA and they shouldn't have. Bounce is uneven on subcontinent pitches too. At the end of the day, no one should complain about a pitch if one team scores 400. Pak's batting in the 2nd innings showed that batters can score if they apply themselves.

That's subjective. Have never enjoyed uneven bounce as the outcome does not depend on skill. The worst bowler can get the best batsman out.

 

[Ami]

Complaining about pitches is a moot point. Test cricket has been fascinating because of the challenging conditions. Roll out a raging Turner in UAE the next time SA visits. Simple.

One problem with that, the South Africans will play it out better than we can...lol

 

[SportsWarrior]

Yes, the report headline would have been "Test cricket returns to Pakistan"

 

[Syed1]

Ronay ki zarorat nahi hai... we were beaten fair and square in both matches.

 

[giri26]

Well too much talk about the pitches world wide. Yes if the pitch poses physical danger to the batsman then it is a problem but I don't think that was the case here. Both teams scored runs on this pitch which means in spite of being little up and down, the pitch was good for batting. So no point in all this talk about the pitch.

 

[rhony]

That's subjective. Have never enjoyed uneven bounce as the outcome does not depend on skill. The worst bowler can get the best batsman out.

T20s and ODIs are batsman's game these days. Let the test cricket go to the bowlers. Unless the bowlers take 40 wickets, there will not be any result. Let the truly skillful like Pujara thrive and let the LOI specialists like Finch struggle. Batsmen need to cope with sideways movement and also variations in bounce. The first day might have had a bit of uneven bounce but you could see the pitch eased up shortly. SA and Pak applied themselves and scored runs.

 

[Rishta Aunty]

I don't get people using Pakistan's loss as justification for the pitches. Yes, Pakistan was poor. But so was the pitch. That's not to say Pakistan would have won if the pitches were better, but Akram is making a genuine point.

I don't think people have a problem with swing or bounce. It's uneven movement off the pitch that actually reduces the influence of skill not increase it. Counter intuitively, the best chance of a SENA team to win pitches in Asia comes with raging turners not with placid pitches. That's because the skill level in playing spin is negated by the possibility of a zooter that goes below your bat.

The point is that South Africa have been crying for ages about subcontinental wickets, and the wickets they have put forward are worse than anything I've seen in the subcontinent recently (Pune is the exception). The hypocricy rankles, especially when they don't seem to get pulled up like Asian teams do.

 

[Shafi]

Otherwise we would have whitewashed S. Africa so easily.

 

[BaankeJi]

Have to agree with Akram. Whatever be the capabilities or eventual outcome, pitch should have been reported.

 

[big_gamer007]

The issue was the bounce. I don't think anyone likes uneven bounce.

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Isn't this what test cricket is supposed to be? It wasn't unplayable but IMO test cricket is all about such conditions. Even the SA Vs India pitch in 3rd test I would take anyday for test cricket

 

[ILcricket]

The issue was the bounce. I don't think anyone likes uneven bounce.

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I know where you are coming from but if last 2 completed innings of this Test resulted in 431 & 294 runs , is there really a sufficient cause to complain [MENTION=133760]Abdullah719[/MENTION] ?

 

[waleed88]

Wasim Akram announces establishment of cricket academy

KARACHI: Legendary cricketer Wasim Akram Tuesday announced establishment of “Wasim Akram Cricket Academy” in DHA Multan besides announcing himself as Brand Ambassador of Rumanza Golf Course DHA Multan.

Addressing a presser at a local hotel here, he said that the Wasim Akram Cricket Academy will be a state-of-the-art academy with all requisite facilities including a multipurpose building, pavilion/seating area, outdoor practice nets (6-8 pitches), administrative facilities including grounds men workshop and other sports facilities like squash courts, swimming pool etc.

“My purpose is to train and nurture the young talent and this academy will be breeding ground for Pakistan’s National team. I intend turning this academy into our national team’s camp before proceeding abroad for matches. We will lay top of the lines pitches like Perth, Melbourne etc to train them,” said Wasim Akram.

Sharing details of the country’s first Championship Signature 18 holes golf course, he said “Currently Pakistan has been unable to register its presence on International standard golf courses and coaching facilities for talented young golfers. I am very happy after knowing that DHA Multan aims to address both shortcomings.”

He expressed the hope that Rumanza Golf Course will be an avenue to flourish the game by nurturing the young talent of the country to be able to compete at international levels.

Wasim Akram apprised that the ground breaking ceremony of Rumanza was held on November 22, 2018 in DHA Multan where golf course architect Sir Nick Faldo, number of foreign consultants engaged for the golf course and representatives of Desert Group UAE responsible for construction of the course were present.

He said that Rumanza would be managed and operated by Troon Golf, which is managing over 300 golf courses across the globe.

https://www.brecorder.com/2019/01/08/464063/wasim-akram-announces-establishment-of-cricket-academy/

I have not seen the test matches, but is this true what he is saying?

 

[cricketworm]

And for practice match they usually roll out flat pitches. How do you expect batsmen to adjust in such a short time. Especially for young team like Pakistan as! I am with Wasim Bhai.

And yeah I hope SA don't crib about spinning track as well.

 

[cricketworm]

I know people think this is an excuse looking at headlines but some points are definitely valid. Also lots of other good points regarding restructuring domestic pitches are mentioned.

 

[Khwaja78]

Well when we will see the so-called PCB cricket committee ask report from chief selector for picking Imam and Hafeez?

Ex-players have been biased and have failed the country by protecting their fellow friends in PCB. No worthwhile quotes, talking on bowling and Amir. The only batsman Wasim mentioned was Fakhar, what about the rest? What about the selections?