KARACHI: With the final four semifinal spots at the cricket World Cup virtually guaranteed, it is an opportune moment to look back at what have been the major tactical trends at this tournament.
To start off, rain was one of the main characters of the series. Indeed, one of cricket’s enduring pleasures, and idiosyncrasies, is that factors like the weather, the toss and the pitches can have an outsized impact on the match. Thus, despite four years of feverish discussions about how this World Cup would see 500 runs in an innings and every batting record being broken, the actual tournament saw rain converting flat tracks to sticky, tricky ones that lost their pace over the course of a match.
“The nature of the pitches have surprised me,” Freddie Wilde, an analyst for cricket analytics website Cricviz.com, told Arab News. “I thought they’d be flatter than this. We’ve seen such good conditions for batting in England in recent years that I didn’t think they would change so drastically for the tournament itself.”
The capricious nature of the pitches had an immediate impact on games, upending plans for many teams, not least England.
“Given how the likes of England had mastered the art of chasing — they hadn’t lost a single match chasing in almost 4 years at home — I expected a lot of teams to chase down big totals,” Rehan ul Haq, the manager of the Pakistan Super League team Islamabad United, said.
Instead, as Wilde pointed out, teams quickly began changing years of planning once they realized how futile chasing was: “Initially we saw teams opting to chase 16/19 matches but the chasing team won less than half those matches. Since then, 12 of the 19 toss winners have chosen to bat and they have won 14 matches.”
Pakistani statistician Mazhar Arshed, part of the World Cup’s broadcasting team, noted another trend in batting, which seems to have also been inspired by the changing pitches.
“What has stood out to me was how much the two top sides, Australia and India, put a price on their wickets in the first power play,” Arshed said. “Throughout the tournament (as of Thursday’s matches) India lost just four wickets in that period in all its matches, and Australia lost only six. Similarly, Australia’s David Warner scored one of his slowest 50s at this tournament, while India’s Rohit Sharma scored his slowed ever 100 at this event.”
Expanding on this, Wilde said winning teams had averaged 78 for the first wicket and losing teams had averaged just 18 in the first innings.
“That’s a huge disparity,” he said. But he also offered an insight into how this tactic might still need to change in the final round of matches, arguing that “after two weeks of hot weather and some worn pitches, teams might need to be a bit more proactive early on.”
On the bowling side, Rehan pointed out that the major trend had been the return of pure pace.
“Over the last few years, you have heard [a lot] about how pure pace is dying and how raw pace can scare any batsman on any pitch,” Haq said. “The likes of Jofra Archer, Mitchell Starc, Lockie Ferguson, Jasprit Bumrah etc., have proven that in this World Cup. Raw pace is back and it is still as scary and lethal as it was.”
Rehan’s fellow manager at Islamabad United, Hassan Cheema, agreed with that view and noted that teams had turned to using pace in the middle overs, which had the knock-on effect of the weakest bowlers being bowled between the 30th and 40th overs, leading to those overs becoming “mini death-overs.”
Another major takeaway from the bowling tactics has been the ineffectiveness of spin. Mazhar Arshad expressed his surprise at the disparity between pace and spin, noting that squad selections for most teams suggested they also hadn’t expected such a mismatch.
Fascinatingly, the slowness of the pitches seems to have helped pacers more than spinners. Rehan noted that one of the major sources of success for pacers had been changing their pace: “This World Cup has seen the higher percentage of wickets for pacers on cutter/slower balls than previous world cups.”
All these last minute changes have meant that the sides that have done the best have shown a lot of adaptability. Intriguingly, one major exception remains England, who have stubbornly stuck to their stated plan of attacking before all else. Shock defeats to Pakistan and Sri Lanka didn’t change their stance, though Wilde said dropping the spinner Moeen Ali and bringing in pacer Liam Plunkett in the must-win game against India was a huge move that might have helped put them back on track.
However, all the experts believed that Australia was the best team when it came to the use of tactics. For Cheema, this was displayed by the fact that they were “top of the table despite not having the most talent.” Wilde felt it was a tricky call to go with any one team, and agreed with Rehan that many teams had made both good and bad calls. His ultimate choice for Australia was based on the fact that they stuck to the seemingly outdated tactics of batting first and starting slow, which turned out to be hugely effective in games they could have lost.
For Haq, Australia’s use of their resources was the best out of all teams. “Their bowling plans, especially the way Starc has been utilized by [captain Aaron] Finch has been the stand-out factor,” Haq said. “Often captains have saved their strike bowler for the last few overs but Finch has given Starc the ball whenever a partnership has developed. It is no coincidence that Starc is the highest wicket-taker of this World Cup. It’s not only because he is good, it’s also because he has been given the ball at the right time.”
Mazhar was also a fan of Australia’s bowling tactics, noting that most teams sought to bowl out their weakest bowlers when they were on top, often allowing opposition sides to come back into matches. In contrast, Australia “have always gone looking for wickets in such moments, knowing that bowling a side out quickly would mean not needing to bowl their weaker bowlers at all.”
With five of the last six World Cups in the bag, and two of the other three semifinalists never having won the tournament, Australia have somehow (yet again) found a way to figure out the tournament well before anyone else. With rain and conditions bringing back old-school approaches, their ability to adapt the quickest has them as the favorites with the tournament wrapping up. It looks like it’s going to be another triumph for the green and gold.
ICC World Cup: Pace like fire, capricious pitches and other top tactical trends
ICC World Cup: Pace like fire, capricious pitches and other top tactical trends
- Pitches had a major impact on games, upending plans for many teams including England
- The return of pure pace, ineffectiveness of spin and an aversion to chasing were major patterns in the series
Pakistan says building ‘wider consensus’ on constitutional amendments amid criticism from lawyers, opposition
- Package of reforms is expected to increase retirement age of superior judges, change chief justice’s appointment process
- Prominent lawyers threaten to stage protest against amendments, describe them as “assault on unity of the nation”
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s information minister on Wednesday said the government was building a “wider consensus” on constitutional amendments seeking to reform the judiciary, as prominent lawyers and opposition parties in the country rejected the proposals which they say compromise the independence of the judiciary.
The package of reforms, widely believed to include as many as 22 amendments to the constitution, is expected to increase the retirement age of superior judges by three years and change the process by which the Supreme Court chief justice is appointed.
The amendments have raised widespread concerns among opposition parties and legal experts who say the moves are aimed at increasing the government’s power in making key judicial appointments and dealing with the defection of lawmakers during house votes.
The ruling coalition comprising the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) and the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) is short of at least 13 lawmakers in the National Assembly and four in the Senate to complete the required two-thirds majority required for the amendments to pass. Both parties have since engaged various political players, including the leader of the Jamiat Ulama-e-Islam Fazl (JUI-F) Fazl-ur-Rehman, to garner his support for the amendments.
“The process for a wider consensus on the constitutional amendments is continuing as all political parties have talked about it and tried to build a consensus,” Information Minister Attaullah Tarar told reporters at a news conference.
One of the key proposals is to create a new federal Constitutional Court alongside the Supreme Court. Tarar defended the proposal, saying it would make life easy for thousands of litigants in the country.
“The constitutional matters go to the constitutional court so that no obstruction should be created in way of justice for common litigants,” he said.
Speaking to reporters earlier in the day, Rehman said his party had “completely rejected” the proposed draft of the amendments presented to the opposition. Meanwhile, the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) opposition party of jailed former premier Imran Khan has also criticized the amendments, alleging that they are meant to grant an extension to incumbent Supreme Court Chief Justice Qazi Faez Isa, who is widely believed to be aligned with the ruling coalition led by PM Shehbaz Sharif and in opposition to its chief rival, the PTI.
Tarar said the government is engaged with the JUI chief to build a consensus on the document.
At a news conference in Islamabad, Federal Law Minister Azam Nazir Tarar said the bill will not be introduced in parliament till the cabinet approves it.
“When it [bill] is introduced in the assembly, then it can be said the government has brought this bill and which amendments it would be able to get passed and which one it would withdraw,” the law minister said.
PPP lawmaker Sehar Kamran told Arab News that after the government’s failure to build consensus on the matter, her party’s chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari had decided to engage other political parties to do the same.
“Now Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari has taken up this job of engaging with all political forces to build consensus on at least two points, including the establishment of a constitutional court and increased parliamentary role in the appointment of the judges,” Kamran said.
She said the move was neither time-bound nor person-specific, saying that it was instead aimed at facilitating the public in the speedy dispensation of justice.
'ASSAULT ON UNITY OF NATION'
Meanwhile, prominent Pakistani lawyers rejected the proposed amendments, threatening to take to the streets against it.
“Lawyers are ready to play their role in stopping these amendments from being passed by the parliament as they are aimed at abolishing the independence of the judiciary,” Rabbiya Bajwa, former vice president of the Lahore High Court Bar Association (LHCBA) told Arab News.
She said the LHCBA was holding a convention on Thursday where lawyers from across the country would protest against the proposed constitutional amendment package.
Advocate Amanullah Kanrani, former president of the Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA), said the government’s constitutional package was “an assault on the unity of the nation” which must be thwarted.
“The government wants to dilute powers of the Supreme Court by establishing a parallel constitutional court for temporary benefits, but this will haunt the nation for time to come,” Kanrani said.
Russia says will support Pakistan’s bid to join BRICS
- Russian Deputy Prime Minister, Alexey Overchuk arrives in Islamabad on two-day visit with high-level delegation
- Foreign affairs experts say Russian official’s visit “significant” in backdrop of Pakistan’s economic, security challenges
ISLAMABAD: Russia’s Deputy Prime Minister Alexey Overchuk said on Wednesday that Moscow would support Pakistan’s bid to join BRICS, an intergovernmental organization featuring the world’s leading emerging market economies.
Overchuk arrived in Islamabad on a two-day visit with a high-level delegation. He held talks with his counterpart Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar after which both sides signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) for bilateral cooperation relating to economy and trade.
In 2006, Brazil, Russia, India and China created the “Bric” group before South Africa joined in 2010, making it “Brics.” The bloc was founded as an informal club to provide a platform for its members to challenge a world order dominated by the United States and its Western allies.
Countries like Pakistan who want to join BRICS see it as an alternative to global bodies viewed as dominated by the traditional Western powers and hope membership will unlock benefits including development finance, and increased trade and investment. Pakistan had last year applied to become a member of BRICS.
“We are happy that Pakistan has applied [to BRICS],” Overchuk said during a joint press stakeout with Dar. “And, of course, BRICS and Shanghai Cooperation Organization are brotherly organizations, and we will be supportive of that.”
Dar held delegation-level talks with Overchuk where the two sides reviewed the entire spectrum of bilateral cooperation and agreed to pursue robust dialogue and cooperation in all areas.
Pakistan and Russia, once Cold War rivals, have warmed up to each other in recent years through regular business and trade interactions. As Islamabad seeks to enhance its role as a transit hub for landlocked economies in Central Asia, it has expressed interest in connecting with Russia through Central Asia for bilateral trade.
“We agreed today to identify specific projects in all areas of mutual interest on the bilateral agenda, including trade, economy, energy, connectivity, culture, educational relations and people-to-people contacts,” Dar said.
He said bilateral trade between Pakistan and Russia last year reached an “unprecedented” $1 billion mark, adding that efforts were underway to further enhance it.
“There is the Pakistan-Russia Trade and Investment Forum, which is taking place of its unique nature first time from September 30 to October 1 in Moscow, and we are looking into all areas of mutual cooperation, be it trade, connectivity, the road, railways, energy, agriculture and even education,” Dar said.
The Pakistani deputy prime minister said preparations were being made for the ninth session of the Pakistan-Russia Commission on Trade, Economy, Science, Technology, Culture which is scheduled to be held in Russia by the end of this year.
Overchuk said Russia is interested in expanding regional ties with Pakistan, especially with an important Shanghai Cooperation Organization meeting set to take place in Islamabad next month.
“Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin is expected to take part in this meeting,” he confirmed.
‘SIGNIFICANT VISIT’
Foreign affairs experts described the visit as a “significant” one considering Pakistan’s efforts to strengthen economic ties with Russia, the upcoming SCO summit and security challenges in Afghanistan.
“It is indeed a significant visit and a good thing that Pakistan is interacting with Russians as we have a very extensive agenda including trade, energy and economic challenges so we need to engage with them,” former Pakistani foreign secretary Salman Bashir told Arab News.
He said both sides would likely have discussed Afghanistan, as Pakistan is facing numerous challenges from the neighboring country, particularly those related to security.
Dr. Talat Shabbir, director of the China-Pakistan Study Center at the Institute of Strategic Studies, said the visit benefits both countries as Russia is seeking to strengthen regional alliances amid gloal pressure from the Ukraine war.
“Russia is facing a lot of criticism on Ukraine war especially from Europe and Russia obviously wants maximum friends and especially in the region, therefore the visit is beneficial for both countries,” Shabbir told Arab News.
Pakistan Railways says 40% restoration work completed on Balochistan bridge targeted by militants
- Track connecting Balochistan to other parts of country was targeted by militants on Aug. 26
- Train operations expected to resume by October 15, says railways spokesperson
ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Railways has completed 40% of the restoration work on a bridge damaged in a militant attack in the southwestern Balochistan province last month, state-run media reported on Wednesday, saying that train operations are set to resume by Oct. 15.
The bridge, located in the Bolan area of the Kachi district in Balochistan, was destroyed in one of multiple militant attacks on Aug. 26.
Pakistan Railways suspended train operations via the bridge, which connects the militancy-hit province to other parts of the country.
“The Pakistan Railways has successfully completed 40 percent of the restoration work on a bridge damaged by terrorism in Quetta, Balochistan,” the Associated Press of Pakistan said on Wednesday. “The spokesperson assured that the bridge would be ready for train operations by October 15.”
He said the rail connection between Balochistan and other parts of the country via the bridge would be restored once the railways receive security clearance.
Balochistan, which borders Iran and Afghanistan and is home to major China-led projects such as a strategic port and a gold and copper mine, has been the site of a decades-long separatist insurgency, with ethnic Baloch militants saying they are fighting what they see as the unfair exploitation of the province’s mineral and gas wealth by the federation. The Pakistani state denies the allegations and says it is working to uplift the impoverished province through various development schemes.
The province is also currently in the grips of civil rights protests by Baloch people who are calling for an end to what they describe as a pattern of enforced disappearances and human rights abuses by security forces, which deny the charge.
Pakistan to organize ‘Seerat Festival’ this week to pay tribute to Prophet Muhammad
- Three-day festival to take place in Islamabad’s National Skills University from Sept. 20-22
- Festival to feature research papers by scholars, documentary screenings on Prophet Muhammad’s life
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan will organize a three-day “Seerat Festival” from Sept. 20-22 in Islamabad to pay tribute to Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) and highlight valuable lessons from his life, a government authority said on Wednesday.
The National Rahmatul-lil-Alameen Wa Khatamun Nabiyyin Authority (NRKNA), an ideological government institution that aims to promote research on Prophet Muhammad’s life for the betterment of society, will organize the festival.
The NRKNA said the theme for the festival, which will take place in the Islamic month of Rabi Al-Awwal when Prophet Muhammad was born, is titled: ‘Searching for World Peace: In the Light of the Prophet’s Teachings.’
“The festival, organized by the Rahmat Lal Alamin wa Khatam-ul-Nabieen Authority, will feature over sixty research papers presented by scholars from both Pakistan and abroad,” the NRKNA said in a statement.
“Special sessions dedicated to children, women, and minorities will also be included in the festival agenda.”
NRKNA Chairman Khurshid Nadeem told reporters during a press conference that the festival, which would be held in Islamabad’s National Skills University, would “transform the atmosphere of the capital.”
“The international conference, ‘Searching for World Peace: In the Light of the Prophet’s Teachings,’ will bring scholars from around the world to explore various aspects of the Prophet’s biography,” Nadeem told reporters during a press conference.
“Our aim is to promote scholarly engagement with the teachings of the Prophet Muhammad.”
Pakistani publishers will offer discounts of up to 50 percent on biographical books, the NRKNA said, adding that the festival will also showcase Islamic art and culture through a calligraphy exhibition.
“Additionally, poetry readings and documentary screenings will highlight the life and teachings of the Holy Prophet, aiming to convey messages of moral integrity based on Qur’anic verses and prophetic sayings,” it said.
Pakistan police arrest key suspect in gang rape of woman polio worker
- Three men assaulted woman polio worker during last week’s vaccination campaign in Jacobabad district
- Anti-polio campaigns in Pakistan are regularly marred by violence by militant groups opposed to them
MULTAN, Pakistan: Pakistani police arrested the key suspect in the gang rape of a woman polio worker who was assaulted by three men during last week’s vaccination campaign, officials said Wednesday. Two other suspects are still at large.
The assault on Thursday in Jacobabad, a district in the southern Sindh province, was one in a spate of attacks targeting polio vaccination teams going door to door in the campaign across Pakistan.
The woman who was attacked had alerted the authorities, saying she was raped by three men after going into a house in Jacobabad to administer polio drops to the children there, local police official Mohammad Saifal said.
The suspect, identified as Ahmad Jakhrani, was arrested overnight, Saifal added.
Police are still seeking the arrest of the two other men, accused of taking turns to assault the woman, Saifal said. A local police chief was fired for negligence following the attack, for failing to provide the polio worker with adequate security.
The attack shocked many Pakistanis as such sexual assaults are rare, though women polio workers have complained of harassment in the past during the campaigns. The provincial government in Sindh has said it would fully investigate the case.
Police also detained the husband of the attacked woman for kicking her out of their home and threatening to kill her after the assault over allegedly tarnishing the family’s honor by being raped.
So-called honor killings, in which women and girls are slain by their own relatives for allegedly dishonoring the family’s reputation, are still common in Pakistan.
Saifal also said police have been deployed to the house where the woman was now staying with her relatives for her protection.
Anti-polio campaigns in Pakistan are regularly marred by violence. Militants often target polio vaccination teams and police assigned to protect them, falsely claiming that the campaigns are a Western conspiracy to sterilize children.
Since January, Pakistan has reported 17 new cases of polio, jeopardizing decades of efforts to eliminate the potentially fatal, paralyzing disease from the country. Polio often strikes children under age 5 and typically spreads through contaminated water.
Pakistan and Afghanistan are the only countries in which the spread of polio has never been stopped. Pakistan’s government is planning another polio vaccination drive in October.
