Beyond the boundary - Schizophrenia, anyone? (17 May 1999)

17 May 1999

Beyond the boundary - Schizophrenia, anyone?

Shakil Kasem

In taking on Brian Lara's none so convincing outfit Pakistan did what they normally do with a certain degree of elan most of the time. They bared their schizoid soul for the world to see.

They won the toss, which is always handy under the circumstances, but were rudely asked to pay the price of batting first against a seam attack that knows all about English conditions. Bowlers of the pedigree of Ambrose and Walsh are more than a handful at the best of times. At Bristol, home for Courtney Walsh, nee Gloucestershire, for more years than he would care to remember, the two remaining dinosaurs of the fast bowling species were in their elements.

Pakistan's top order quickly dissolved to a chemistry of cut and swing. Afridi's technical shortcomings were exposed to the hilt. Being tied down longer than was warranted Saeed Anwar decided to play the kind of shot one usually gets arrested for. Two wickets off consecutive deliveries from Dillon then rocked legions of Pakistani supporters round the world. The score was then a mere forty odd but the overs gone were aplenty. Inzamam's imposing frame had walked out of the dressing room at the fall of the third wicket. He looked supremely confident and imposing as he always does, at the crease. He then played a shot that defied logic and sanity. Oh dear, have I left my brains in my kitbag?

But then the Jekyll and Hyde side of the batting order manifested itself. The rest of the middle order consolidated itself sufficiently enough for the captain to launch a blistering attack on the bowling. He received some help from Brian Lara who managed to get his arithmetic awry in the end overs. Pakistan not only limped past the 200 mark gratefully, they even added twenty nine more as insurance.

The West Indian batting was always expected to struggle against what is generally regarded as the most potent bowling attack in one day cricket. What the batting needed most of all was the reassuring presence of one B. Lara in the middle for a considerable length of time. Sadly for the West Indians, Lara not for the first time surely, let them down. He chose to play his shots too early in the innings, possibly to let the newcomers in the Pakistani attack know what his credentials were. In modern day cricket only Vivian Richards, all swagger and obvious bravado, could do that and get away with it. Lara, brooding and sullen, played against the swing in Razzaq's first over and with his demise dissipated any West Indian pretensions of winning this match.

Abdul Razzaq, another from the long line of thoroughbreds in the Pakistani fast bowling stables, impressed hugely. Shoaib Akhtar huffed and puffed but it was swing not pace that brought the house down. At the end of the day it all fell into place for Pakistan. Another clean bill of health from the psychiatrist.

But wait. Bangladeshi fans were a trifle unsettled by Scotland's outing against Australia. Until now my favourite Scottish players were the late lamented Billy Bremmer and Denis Law. But one played for Leeds United and the other at Man United. They will have to move over now. I was impressed today by Hamilton and Dyer. Another time, another game. I just hope Aminul Islam and company are doing their homework. But let'ss get New Zealand out of the way first. This world is getting stranger by the minute.

Source :: The Daily Star