Life is a game of luck they say, and cricket is no exception,head to head Pak has won more ODIs than India,but we got the better of them in WCUPS,but if u see closely luck plays a major role in WCUPS,we have lost to lesser teams in WCUPs sometimes,like that loss to Zimb 1999 and so many other losses,the first three wcup wins against Pak came when we batted first,Indo Pak crunch games be it Sahara Cup or Sharjah or in India or anywhere the team batting second hardly wins,and fourth time we got lucky when we chased in 2003 against a attack that was weak,yes it was weak even though it featured Wasim,Waqar and Shoaib,Wasim and Waqar were well past their prime,infact it was their last match as the next match was rained out,so they were no threat,and Shoiab had a awful wcup except a match against a Minnow.. WCUPs and big tournaments are decided by luck at times,not always but sometimes,like Slanka in 1996 got lucky as they got 2 matches for free when Windies and AUS didnt even go play,that saved them lot of energy and also kept their plans unexposed when they shocked India in Delhi and again in semis.... 1992 Pak got lucky when they peaked at the right time 1983,we got lucky when Windies due to their arrogance and overconfidence messed up the run chase 1999 Aus got lucky in a way as Southafrica choked. all these factors can be luck or bookies job,we dont know for sure.... this time we r already suffering due to injuries to match winners like Sehwag Zaheer and Yuvraj
Re: In a way Afridi is right
by Raman Shiva on Sep 24, 2009 11:45 PM
To think games like the test match in 1999 in chennai,where Afridi of all players scored that 141 in trying conditions proves that luck can be crucial factor...Afridi has played some stunning knock against us,that 100 in Kanpur in 2005 off 45 balls,odi cricket is anyones game....form on that day matters...
Re: Re: In a way Afridi is right
by Gugga on Sep 25, 2009 04:06 AM
Great to see a sensible cricket follower commenting! Cricket is "on the day" basis game. You can have form but you might get a great bowl by a very ordinary bowler to get out. Look at Tendulkar, he is a player for Wasim, Waqar,Imran Mcgrath, Saqlain, Warne class of bowlers, but he got out manier times to bowlers who were not even good bowlers at club level example Ata-Ur-Rehman of Pakistan. Miandad hit a six off Sharma to begin Pakistan's dominance over Indian cricket, before that India used to win in Sharjah even, India had successfully defended 125 run against Pakistan. The same Miandad got lucky then to hit a six, but was unlucky not to do the same in the Quarter final against India in 1996. He did not have a smile he had 10 years before when he hit the six but tears when he left the ground and many in the stadium stood for valiant Miandad. Same way when Sehwag scored 300 many in Multan stood for the knock. In T20 Misbah played all the shots which were right and calculated, only one shot stood before him and glory, but No 207 went for India! 2009 it went the other way! Pak played well. You create your own luck by virtue of hard work. Pak has always been bowling oriented, sheer exuberance,raw talent and killer instincts team. On their day, they have made Viv Richards look ordinary and on a given day Bangladesh defeated them in 1999 WC. Its known Pakis are unpredictable. Indians are great in batting, manier times were not lucky due to weak bowling like Pakis weak batting
