I think Shoaib is a good cricketer and deserves to be treated as one. Some statistics cannot mark a commendable change in attitude towards him. I guess, it is kind of a cycle which first brings fame and then shame and then again fame to the players.

Shoaib is a good cricketer in what regard? I do not know him personally and so i will not discuss personal aspects openly. But as a player, has has always caused a rift in the team, is late to practice sessions, brawls with teammates and has been caught in a doping scandal. He is a fast bowler who was exciting while he lasted, but there are many, many other paceman who were and are far more accurate, long lasting and better serving than Shoaib. Akhtar had great potential but blew it big time. Maybe he is a good cricketer according to you but not me, but to each his own.

I dunno much about Shoaib’s off field exploits but on field, he was an absolute delight to watch, a real fast bowler who used to come steaming in like a locomotive and hurl in his deliveries at top whack. I will surely miss Shoaib Akthar, the fast bowler.

Yes each to his own is correctly stated. By the facts you have laid down, it seems you do know much about him if not personally. I am not saying that his statistics are good. The only thing which I am saying is that one should not always see the bad side. Take for example Ganguly. Do you agree with the decisions taken against him?

They are totally different issues Mayuri. Saurav and Rahul are caught in the ’Youth Madness’ of Dhoni, which I’m sure will end sooner than later. The problem with Akhtar is that he is nightmare regarding his work ethic and discipline. I may not have played in the bigger leagues, but I have led my college team for a couple of years and the thing we hated the most are the characters who think they are larger than game. Akhtar is exciting to watch, but there ends everything. I still think that if you enjoy watching him, then you should go on supporting him... nothing wrong.

Sorry to deviate from the topic, but i really dunno why Dhoni is even in the team. I think he is a perfect example of being the right man at the right place. I really don’t think Dhoni deserves to be India’s captain, this even after him leading India to a 20-20 WC win and the one day series triumph in Australia just cos the man just doesn’t have any regard for senior players. Winning is not everything!!!

Jayprashanth, I do agree that Akhtar was exciting a long time back when he was in his prime. Now on the other side of 30, I think we have seen the best of him long ago. Anyway for you sake, I hope he returns to full flight; which is unlikely.

Dhoni is the captain as Dravid declined and he is a bit better than the other youngsters in the team. I personally do not consider 20-20 as serious cricket and so that win does not even count. This is not to say that I do not enjoy 20/20, but it is just my opinion. As far as win in Australia goes, take Sachin and his 2 special knocks in the finals out and we would have lost. As Glii himself said ”sachin almost singlehandedly won the series” and he happens to be a senior. A captain is only as good as his team. Even Tatenda Taibu could lead the 1999’s Australian team to a WC win and even Steve Waugh will not help Zimbabwe win a test match today.

You are always welcome to talk cricket here; even if its is a bit tangential. welcome 24/7 :)

Dhoni isn’t a bad leader and Akhtar isn’t a bad fast bowler. I still play the game at a level better than college and school levels ...people can we please talk something else other than the game. From veeru’s 100 to sachin’s groin, from akhtar’s ban to Dhoni’s captaincy we’ve discussed it all...something more refreshing please!!! Even a debate on hockey would do though I know it would somehow boil down to cricket, but at least something different for the starters..

You want to talk about Hockey, then sure, you can talk about hockey and shooting and Olympics here:
http://attitude.instablogs.com/entry/marksmen-fed-up-with-shooting-blanks-oddly-enough-reuters/

Since this news bit is about cricket, we are going on that. I suppose i should have said, you are always welcome to discuss sports here. Just find the write article and we can get started. But it is a ’talk’, need not be always a debate. By the way ’not being bad’ does not necessarily qualify them as ’good’.

Thanks for letting me know that we were talking about cricket here...i thought it had something to do with kho-kho...cheers!!!

I think you got that wrong mate. I didn’t mean to say you could not talk anything else here, I just meant to explain why we were going on and on about it. You want to talk about Hockey here, sure.. get started right here. Wherever you do get started, keep me informed too :)

I think the recent issue of IHF probably losing out on the 2010 World Cup Hosting rights would be a good issue. Mr.Gill redundantly took on the challenge. If India does loose out on the right to stage a world cup he should be chucked out forever. Put that one up attitude but let it develop a bit, would be good fun.

Me and Pratyush had that conversation maybe a few weeks back in my cj about politics in Indian sports. I promised even him then, that i will write something exclusive about Indian Hockey and i will do that. It will be there very soon. Thouh on a shorter note, Gill and Kalmadi are both two demons haunting Indian sports today. I really do not understand what qualifies them to take up those posts for decades together. But we will talk about this in detail soon... very soon.

I am a great fan of shoaib’s. The decision was assumed in advance, so it isn’t a surprise at all. He used to be(can’t say is or will be, undecided)a real treat to watch bowling at a speed of more than 150 kmph. Was a match winner for Pak side, but I still believe its a just decision and the gates for filing petition against the judgment are wide open. So, you never know when the ban gets lifted.

I am a great fan of shoaib’s. The decision was assumed in advance, so it isn’t a surprise at all. He used to be(can’t say is or will be, undecided)a real treat to watch bowling at a speed of more than 150 kmph. Was a match winner for Pak side, but I still believe its a just decision and the gates for filing petition against the judgment are wide open. So, you never know when the ban gets lifted.

I still do think that Akhtar always was asking for trouble with both his conduct and his long run up. It is impossible to sustain that for as long as he wishes to. I remember Waquar Younis having similarly long run up in the beginning of his career, but he soon cut it short and added new stuff to his bag of tricks. Desh, I have seen plenty of Akhtar fans and I really hope the guy knows that people are looking at hime and behaves accordingly

Awais, all I can say is that- I could not agree with you more on that and that has been my opinion too for a long time. Akhtar needs to conquer his own demons first.

Shoiab Akhtar - the man who came on earth just to create controversy and hype about speed of balling. He deserved what he wanted for long. Let him live in the darkness, away from media hypes and see how he becomes a normal man in just one year. Success straightway goes to mind and Shoaib is the best example of this phrase.

I think Shoaib is the best example of how you can ruin yourself. I think a part of the problem is that he became the spearhead of the attack too soon and he still believes that it is only pace that gets you wickets. You say one year, PCB has given him 5 years to think. If the ban is not revoked, his career is over.

@ Manishkumar
Shoaib was always a normal man; instead every player who represents his team on a national level is a star. Leaving him in darkness would mean not seeing someone with outstanding ability perform. He may ball a stupid over but then the next over would see deliveries making the batsmen literally shiver.

No bowler ever came steaming in the way he did. That is what fast bowling is all about; making the batsman feel jittery by bowling your heart out. Injuries curbed his performance on many occasions but at full stretch, he was lethal.

It has been kinda revamped artistically by the likes of McGrath or Walsh. The likes of Michael Holding, Jeff Thompson, Lillie use to make the batters shiver with nippy pace and coupled with line and length.

A pure fast bowler is a challenge to face even on a flat track but a swinger on a flat track is like a hen under the butcher’s knife. At 130 Ks on a flat deck bring the best in the world and they would all get smashed especially the likes of Shreesanth and RP, our spearhead bowlers in the last test. The only ones who succeed then are the ones who master line n length or come steaming in.

Atul, I know you do not like to go on and on about only cricket, but since you are talking about Akhtar further, let me just put in a further word.

Pure pace can do only that much and while you are totally right that it can send batsman ducking for cover, It still needs to be bowled on the right spot. The problem with Akhtar is that he often got it wrong and the percentages never worked beyond his first couple of years. Walsh and McGrath are totally different as I will not even put Holding, Marshal, Garner, Roberts here as the 4 were totally above the rest; both as a group and individually. I think that most people really like him and that is because we lack that sort of pace in this era and find it rarely. But the problem with him is his strength- the faster it comes on to the bat, the faster it can go to the fence if you get it wrong. Akhtar got more wrong than right. Anyway, I will still agree that he was awesome in his first two seasons and occasionally today.

though shoaib akhthar is having a tumultous time now, he was a real fast bowler in every sense. I really hope the PCB revokes the ban and shoaib too changes his attitude and stops thinking that he is bigger than the game itself.

Always an occasional burst bowler to be precise. But his bursts were pleasing to see for otherwise we normally see the likes of punter or my beloved Tendua pummelling the best of them to all corners with ease once they have their eye in.

He never did justice to his ability for he never stuck to a tough fitness regime. Off-late Akhtar was more like a Baniya (if u know what I mean) running with a potato in his hand who would seldom get it right.

Should have taken inspiration from Brett Lee but then he wouldn’t have been Akhtar right.