da 888casino： So far the 14 fluffed chances in Australia have cost Pakistan over 550 runs
da esport bet： Osman Samiuddin at Bellerive Oval14-Jan-2010Pakistan have dropped 14 catches in this series. There are still a maximumof four days left and many batsmen to give lives to so thenumber could rise. In New Zealand before this affair they dropped,conservatively, 10 catches, in three matches which means that by the time this Test comesto an end, they will have missed on average four per match overthe course of their Australasian adventure.So far the 14 fluffed chances in Australia have cost them over 550 runs;what cost there has been in morale, mood and momentum nobody can put anumber on. All catches are crucial but some more than others. Of all thebatsmen in the world, the one not to drop when on 0, in uncertain formand at an advanced age, is Ricky Ponting. Pakistan were fully on top whenPonting pulled again, this time straight to Mohammad Aamer, only for him to drop oneof the simplest offerings likely to come his way. It changed the day.Intikhab Alam, Pakistan’s coach, was left to repeat the excuse thatPakistan’s camp has been using every day here. It is agrassroots problem and a serious one. “Yes that was a bad drop and thingswould have been different,” Intikhab said. “It was an easy catch but againthat was a very vital catch for us. Especially on a wicket like this wecan’t give chances.”When we arrived here I said we had a problem. It’s a grassroot problemback home, people don’t take fielding seriously when they play forassociations and departments and regions. This is where we have to workreally hard. It is a serious problem, we practice every day, we practiceall kinds of different drills but at the end of the day they have to do itthemselves.”What can be, or is being, done about it is not clear. Specialist fieldingcoaches have been talked about and their usefulness with the Pakistan sidecould be argued either way. Jonty Rhodes couldn’t do much in 2006, but hewas only with them for two weeks. Mohtashim Rasheed has been with the sideon and off over the last couple of years and when he has been around thecatching hasn’t been as poor as it has over these last few months.The current coaching team is adamant that as much as can be done is beingdone. Clearly it is not enough, but they feel no need for a specialistfielding coach. “Myself, Waqar [Younis] and Aaqib [Javed], the three ofus, work very hard and do different drills,” Intikhab said. “A specialistfielder can come and coach and won’t make much difference. At the end ofthe day these are the players and they have to have confidence in theirability. It is serious and we have to address it. It is a debatable pointactually. I don’t think he will come with new ideas. We have doneeverything and we do it every day. But it’s up to the Board now if theywant to have a specialist man for it.”Pakistan’s other major obstacle on this tour has been their own lack ofintent, which has been startling at times. It became apparent again here, immediatelyafter lunch. Pakistan were fully on top then, the pace bowlers had awicket each and Ponting was still struggling. Yet Mohammad Yousuf chose toopen the afternoon session with Danish Kaneria, disregarding both Pontingand Michael Clarke’s general command over spin. Aamer didn’t bowl throughthe entire session, by which time captain and vice-captain were firmlyentrenched.No clarity emerged as to why they did it, only further evidence – and itisn’t needed – that Pakistan still don’t think they can take Australia. “Idon’t think it was a mistake to not bowl him [Aamer],” Intikhab said. “Itwas very important to keep every bowler fresh. After lunch Kaneria bowled downwind and the idea was to give him a few overs and seeand seamers can bowl at the other end. But it didn’t work out that way. Wedid talk about it, but we thought if we bowled two seamers again one willget tired and we will have a problem.”They have a problem now anyway with Australia dominant and looking goodfor a fourth successive whitewash against Pakistan. Intikhab is confidentPakistan can score runs on this track as well, but it matters little now.”If you analyse the first two Tests, we say senior players are not gettingruns but actually it is the fielding,” Intikhab said. “Even though wehaven’t got runs, if we had taken those catches still we had a very goodchance of winning it.”
