The Whole Point ???

I did say in an earlier post that it is important that the weather play fair so that the warm-up match in Dharamshala go smoothly; but on second thoughts - really how important is this match ??? Is there any point having a warm-up match at all ?? We all know what the result is going to be - the team batting first would score 330 odd and declare overnight or possibly early next day. The team batting second would either get a 50-odd run lead or concede one and the third innings will be played out drably.

Isn't that the way all warm-up matches go; particularly those played in India ?? Would it not make sense in the very least to at least make this a 4-day affair to add some sort of competitive spirit ?? Maybe, for foreign teams, such games provide some sort of value - but for the Board President's X1 it would mean very little if anything at all. For all the fringe players - Kaif, Jadhav, Venugopal Rao a big score is not going to open the door in the Test team at all. When the next foreign team comes to tour these are going to form the core of the President's team again.

Teams like Australia (New Zealand really, Australia wouldn't need it) might use such games to get used to the conditions but for Pakistan there is nothing much to get used to either. Yeah - Inzy and co. would be glad to have some runs under their belt going into the first Test - but nothing more than that. My point: Not much value in such a match. In fact I would be happier if this stupid Board X1 concept is done away with and foreign teams are given warm-up matches against the Ranji/Duleep winners or something like that. At least that first-class side looks a team and not just a group of hopeful individuals !!!

The ideal scenario would be what used to happen in England until a few years ago - lots of first class games - more days of side games than international stuff - boy ! wasn't that an experience ?? The way the wickets changed with the progress of the summer, the way players who would start off disastrously regain their form over the months to shine at the Oval at the end of the tour - ah those good old days when cricket was played in such leisure !

Anyway back to today's rushed and miniature pocket-sized tours and looking forward to the rehersal in Dharamshala !!!