Weak fielding

Substandard fielding has been almost an endemic issue with our cricket team but, unfortunately, to date no substantive measures have been taken to help improve matters. Dropped catches, missed fielding etc play a crucial role in winning or losing a match. In the recent match against Australia, our fielding side has a lion’s share in losing the game. Had Asif Ali taken the catches of Aaron Finch and Warner, the Aussies would not have been able to post the target of 307 on the board. In the same way, the body language of our players during fielding was betraying their inner weaknesses and low spirit.

One feels pity for Pakistani pacers who move heaven and earth to give an early and timely breakthrough but all their efforts go awry owing to our poor fielding standards. Kudos to Muhammad Amir who bowled exceptionally well and claimed 5 wickets by consuming only 30 runs in his fiery spell and helped the team in restricting Australia to 307. Given the pitch conditions, the target was quite achievable but once again our batting-line up shook badly and lost the game. Our key batsmen played irresponsibly and instead of spending time and reading the conditions of the pitch, they seemed to be in a hurry, went after the wrong deliveries and paid the price for their misjudged shots. Then the rest of the damage was done by our skipper who did not lead the team from the front, rather played cowardly and presented the game in a platter. During the wee hours of the game, instead of relying on tail-lenders, he should have controlled the helm by himself and played aggressively but he failed to read the writing on the wall which led to our shameful defeat. With every defeat, the chances of the Green Shirts to move to the semi-finals are getting slimmer. If they repeat the same performance against India, they will certainly be out of the race for the semi-finals. By turning the tables on their opponents, they can still have a chance to make a place amongst the final four. Let bygones be bygones. Forget the past, gird up yourself and showcase your abilities and talent to make a difference in the upcoming games.

Muhammad Fayyaz Nawrha

Mianwali