The man who sits by the fire...........

Downed my last drink for the night, contemplating life.
Hadn't talked to my parents for a while, nor..... to my family of five.
Sitting here by the fireplace all alone, staring at the beehive,
wondering whether she is thinking the exact same thoughts, the one whom I used to call "My Wife."




A log of wood from a tree in my backyard was crackling in the fire,
I was staring at it for far too long, and it made my eyes tire.
Though my eyes are tired now, my spirit has been long gone.
It is the end of my life's Summer, and it is the Autumn that has dawned.





The fire was slowly starting to burn away and I started to add more wood.
Added two, hoping its enough and that it would do it some good.
Didn't add any wood to my life's fire when I was young and able,
I am still paying the price of my life's mistakes, and it should be made into a fable.




The fire started to burn alright and began licking the leaves of the adjoining tree.
The insects and bugs began crowding around it, as if in a trance from which they can never be free.
The dance of the flames reminded me of a life I will never be able to forget.
The first time we danced was during our marriage, and I was behaving like a drunk hornet.




The moon came out from behind the clouds, and it was a bloody cold night,
and the sudden breeze made the flames stretch, and gave my old heart a freezing bite.
The cry of an owl somewhere in the woods reminded me that it was getting late,
I got up from my everyday position, reminded again, that time doesn't give a damn about my fate.




Had my dinner of yesterday's prawns, made by my newly appointed maid.
I ate my fill and left some for her, though how many I didn't calculate.
Went to my bed and slowly crept under the blanket, keeping some raw prawns as fish's bait,
and then stared upwards towards the ceiling and watched the blades of the fan rotate.

The Stormy Beach....

Staring at the sky, listening to the crashing of the waves.
Bracing myself, for whatever nature might throw my way.
The night was stormy and the rain added to my misery,
but it was nothing compared to what I had to endure today.



The beach was sandy and the shopkeepers were busy,
the pesky kids were all going crazy.
The gale didn't stop nor did it slow down,
and I am sure that tomorrow morning will be hazy.




Ain't no cheese, ain't no soft breeze....... in this cursed land.
The angry clouds won't spare you in their mood, even if you have an umbrella of a top brand.
The waves were crashing with their full force, and there is no escape.
If you thought that you can hide away, then its your first big mistake.




I could see the funny irony, when this storm came.
The mothers took their children away, yet they didn't stop the game.
Can't blame the children here, as they are all just kids.
But if something were to happen to them, then its the seniors who will have to take the hit.




And there were the trees, the mightiest of all,
rooted to the center of the earth, standing tall.
But even they weren't a match for this nature's call,
swaying to God's music, as if dancing in a King's ball.



And I thought, as calmly as I could.
Am I a fool to be sitting here when I should be running as everyone would.
I would have made a cave for others too, as all should.
After all, we are all equals in this world of the misunderstood.

The Forest.....

The path was decorated by dead leaves as if its autumn,
and I was twisting my way around it, to join the buds beginning to blossom.
The broken tree on the way reminding me of nature's unmistakable power,
the thunder of the black clouds unmistakably is of the coming shower.



The tire marks on the road were a guiding light,
just as in life its our morals that allow us to put up a fight.
My destination is still far enough for me to take a nap,
I better find a suitable place so that my fingers don't get snapped.




And there was She, a simple village lass,
heart of Gold, but looked brittle as a glass.
Found myself defenseless against that attack from her eyes,
couldn't control my heart, couldn't even stare into the skies.




Found myself losing my mind, after all I am a normal man.
But never mustered the courage to coax my heart, and ask her for a milk can.
She stared at me and gave me a customary smile,
and so lost was I, that I imagined myself amongst the divine.



The skies opened up, as if in robust denial,
and the clap of the thunder made me realize....... the power of the celestial.
Gone was She in a blink of an eye,
and I didn't even had the chance to bid her a final goodbye.



Never had I felt such emotion, such an extreme sensation,
a feeling of desperation, and I can now see the obvious complication.
No point now in trying to find her as she would have taken shelter in some cave.
Suddenly in front of me, I could see an ancient cemetery of graves.

The Struggle.....

The thread of life ties down our good side and evil side together,
forming our very true self, one not separated from the other.
Destiny does play its part, and no matter how hard we try,
its hands always seem to pull us back to be fried.



I want some wings, some wings to fly.
If I had been born an Eagle, to reach the end of the world I would have at least tried.
But then, may be I had committed some sin for which I am being punished,
I may have been born naive, but I am definitely not foolish.




I can feel the sharpness of the knife that cuts through my heart.
In today's world, to succeed you definitely need a head start.
No need to shed tears just because you got stung by fate's dart,
in order to earn respect, you have to play your own part.




Its a shame that we keep fighting amongst ourselves for petty gains.
Compare that with the vastness of the Universe, its such a shame.
Civilizations had come and gone before us,
but I doubt they would have had to endure such pain.




They say, the lines in our hands tell us our future,
and along with the lines in our brow, people normally say that its secure.
If you believe in that, and sit on your ass,
I can assure you that you are not mature.



The past is gone and now the future beckons,
pulling you closer every second.
There ain't no use putting up a struggle.
Coz you will end up digging your own grave and putting yourselves into trouble.

Love Song........

The wind seemed to change its course whenever you walked,
and you thought I was just another one of those who stalked.
Winning your love wasn't a mission,
as I know that you became mine when Cupid's court was in session.



The fragrance of the flowers became meaningless,
as your aroma had already knocked me senseless.
Those eyes of yours held the deepest mysteries of your soul,
and I could keep staring at them......... as time unfold.



Your smile and laughter would make me realize,
how much happiness there is in this wretched world.
I am not the one for any compromise,
when fate asks me for my Soul.



Its been long since I last saw you,
and I know that the chances are increasingly becoming less.
But I do believe that there will be one last cue,
to relieve me of this destiny's stress.

God's Game.....

The heart doesn't seem to beat anymore,
Do take pity on my soulless soul.
Ages have passed since blood flowed through these veins,
Nowadays, even a snake's venom doesn't seem to leave a stain.



There was once a time when life seemed simple,
the sky was blue, and my life had principle.
Came from nowhere those heartless people,
they destroyed my life and made my wife a cripple.



Life played its worst game with me and I had no chance,
I had to become the devil and make fate dance.
Charged I truly was after that unforgettable day,
and after a few months, God cut short my wife's stay.



Never had I contemplated violence till that moment,
after that day, people came to know me as a merciless giant.
The smell of gunpowder started feeling like a flower's aroma,
Satan himself came to give me Death's diploma.



Time passed and my hair became gray,
I had my revenge and made my enemies pay.
I built a new house near a bay, with Destiny's say,
never did I imagined that my soul would just fade away.



The thirst for blood can never be satisfied,
my heart now doesn't even wish to be pacified.
Its already too late to be getting mystified,
afterall, I am soon to be crucified.

Hi folks...........I am back....I have been gone 2-3 days.....but now I am here and I have spent these 2-3 days by writing some poems in my spare time....And here they are...I hope that u all like them..

Keys to playing spin bowling....

I had predicted a 1-0 win for Pakistan in my preview and who knows, this scoreline might remain the same at the end of this series. But then England's shortcomings in the subcontinent have once again come to the fore. And England and Andy Flower would be foolish if they haven't realized by now that England have a serious problem in the subcontinent. Since they are the No. 1 team now, one can expect them to possess decent bowlers. More importantly, bowlers with heart. And we saw that in this test. I will have to say that after the 1st day's play I was expecting Pakistan to make 400 comfortably . But England's seamers have surprised me a bit with their heart and quality on these dead subcontinent pitches. The problem for England lies with their batting. I am not saying that England have a bad batting line up, they don't. But the thing is that when you come to the subcontinent, you have to make a few minor adjustments to your technique. Many great batsmen have come and had massive failures in the subcontinent. Its one thing to score heavily at home and in Australia where the conditions aren't alien to England's batsmen but its a completely different thing to play quality spin, with men around the bat in the subcontinent. Its just the same thing as when subcontinental batsmen go to England or Australia, they struggle for a while. All it takes is some getting used to, learning from experience and understanding the finer nuances of batting (these finer nuances will only make them overall better batsmen). Like, take Jacques Kallis for example, whenever he plays offspin in the subcontinent he always takes an off stump guard and this allows him to play with the spin on the legside and this forces the bowler to shift his line outside the off stump . Now what it does is that it allows Kallis to leave balls outside his eyeline as he knows that he has his stumps covered and thus he can't get bowled. Being a bit of a batsman myself (albeit not a very good one), I am gonna try and become a batting coach for England and gonna lay down a few things which overseas' batsmen need to do when they come down to the subcontinent................


1. Play with soft hands: The first basic in playing spin bowling is to play with soft hands. All great batsmen of spin bowling have this one thing in common. I saw Eoin Morgan nick one off Abdul Rehman today and I thought he did this mistake. He pushed at it. In the subcontinent, you have to allow the ball to come to you and play with soft hands .

2. Watch the ball and play it late: This is one basic which is helpful in playing all sorts of bowling, whether swing or spin. England's batsmen were pushing at the ball a bit, especially in the 1st innings. Like Kevin Pietersen in the 1st innings. He planted the foot forward and pushed at it. You can't do that here in the subcontinent, KP....

3. Use your feet: England batsmen are more prone to playing the sweep shot . This is due to the fact that they don't play spin bowling a lot back home. As a result they haven't quite perfected their footwork against spin and are scared of getting stumped. Let me remind you all that "Coming down the track" isn't the only way of using one's feet. One can go deep in the crease and turn a reasonable ball into a short one . Positive footwork often destroys the confidence of even the best of spinners.

4. Be positive in your attitude: England got stuck whenever the spinners came on. If you defend too many balls , you only end up digging your own grave. They allowed Pakistan to bring the fielders close in and built pressure for themselves. The great Aussie side were so successful in all conditions because their batsmen wanted to dominate the spinners the moment they came onto bowl. Don't allow them to settle is the mantra.

5. Play with a cool and calm head: England seem to lose their cool whenever they see the spinners coming onto bowl. They panic. You can never make the correct judgment if your mind is clouded. Playing with a cool head is the best way of taking pressure off you. Even the opposition don't feel comfortable if they see you batting calmly .

6. Rotate the strike: The best way to play a bowler is by watching from the nonstriker's end. One doesn't need to hit boundaries every over. Simple rotation of the strike helps a batsmen in more ways then one. It will keep the scoreboard moving, it will take the pressure off you and it it won't allow the bowler to settle.

I will be away for 2-3 days ..So, I wont be able to post any new articles till I come back..Of course, I will try to write a few things while I am away....Hopefully, when I come back, I get to see the blog reach 1000 views...Till then, be safe everybody...........

INTERACTION:2

Well folks, its been a while since i have communicated with you all. Firstly, i would like to thank you all for visiting my blog . Seriously, when I first made this blog I had no idea as to whether anyone would even bother visiting it..But now, after close to 850 views I can safely assume that you all like what I post. Secondly, I would like it even better if you guys join this blog as members and comment on my poems and other stuff. It will be an honour to interact with you all. It can only benefit us if we discuss about some serious topics in life. Till next time folks...........

The world of politics..........

Staring into the horizon trying to find the meaning of life,
and the harsh reality cuts into my soul, just like a knife.
No point trying to fight it, like you would if you were in a war
because in the end, its just like a Lion's roar.



The tombs of soldiers lie unmoved, testing the potency of time,
and their sacrifice has been ignored by all of us who wake up at nine.
The people who matter never do care, as to whether the soldiers live or die,
but when dark clouds gather from the arrows of an archer, all they do is stare into the sky.




"Don't worry", they say.....we are doing our work for your own good,
but when the results come, we can see that the majority don't even get the basic food.
I pay my taxes and my bills so that they are used for everyone's benefit,
only to find that the government is just one big misfit.




No use criticizing, if you just talk from afar,
dive into the muddy waters to clean them, and you will truly become a star.
Governing and ruling isn't easy, afterall thats the way they are
but if you believe that you can make a change, you will definitely start from par.



Dictatorship, Aristocracy, Democracy
yet none can survive if it doesn't have the support of the society.
Entering into politics isn't another form of lunacy,
but eventually it is just another one of Satan's conspiracy.



Wake up, the time is past........we have slept for far too long,
If you want to live a better life, then you have to start singing the song.
Ain't going to do anyone any good if you think that you don't belong,
because slowly we all realize that we were all wrong.

THOUGHTS AND DREAMS: a poem........

Thoughts,......they always want to run,
we can't control them, but thats wherein lies the fun.
Sometimes they bring us joy.....of old, pleasant memories,
and at times they make us smile through endless possibilities.



If ever it were possible, I would want to live within those thoughts and dreams,
afteralI, I am just another slave of Life's endless streams.
But, Life is not my greatest friend......it keeps reminding me of the harsh reality,
and my dreams just fade away like my very own spirituality.




Some thoughts never go away, because they were meant to last,
till my last breath, I will make sure they don't blow up in a mental blast.
The painful memories of yore keeps coming back thick and fast,
and I can only laugh at my mind's plight, suffocating within a cast.




If I were an eagle, I would have soared away high and far,
away from it all, away to a distant star.
I wouldn't have thought about hiding my scar,
because I will be my very own czar.




There my mind goes again running with the flow,
looking to free itself, it dug itself a hole.
One should never rein one's mind and make it slow,
because then we will only dig ourselves a burrow , just like a mole.



My dreams are my very own and nobody can take them away from me,
when we die, the only thing we can take back is our very own creativity.
Whats the use then of any further delay ???
because its better to burn out then to just fade away............

CHANGE THE WORLD: a poem...........

They say that we are not meant to live our life in misery,
but then, don't they know that in this world there is no equality ???
The rich keep getting richer, whereas the poor continue to live in poverty,
eventually we are all left with nothing, not even our own property.



The world was meant to be a place of orthodoxy,
yet we all live without any tranquility.
There is no serenity,
because we all want to make our own identity.



How I wish, there was no division amongst us all,
because in the end no matter who our friends are, we will all fall.
There is no use in standing up tall,
afterall when its all over, we will all end up in the same stall.




He said "You are black and I am white",
we can't be friends, as my mom will get a fright.
I can feel the noose around my neck beginning to get tight,
because after all these years I am still suffering my forefather's plight.




Life is dictated here by our very own society,
even if we know they are wrong, we continue living in anxiety.
Why seek peace in spirituality ???
when we all know that its just another form of brutality.



The world can be made a better place if we choose to,
if we change our own hearts, and stop being wild animals of a zoo.
Don't be late , as the bird has already flew
because the only person that can change the world is you.

WAR..................

The pain of loneliness is a bit too much,
even if the the hospital bed isn't uncomfortable as such.
Trapped in hell is my remorseful soul,
the days felt like nights .........and it was bloody cold.



Its been ages since my hands and legs have stopped working,
and I feel my life slowly slipping away with the clock's tick tocking.
The corpses of my fellow comrades remind me of the setting Sun
and that soon, I too will be joining them after I am done.



War is an event that no one should see,
Am I the only one who has conquered destiny ???
The morning fog of the battlefield was what shielded me,
after I had shot the one whom I label as my enemy.



Only the edge of the knife was built to kill,
yet when it takes a life, its the entire blade that goes in.
The colours of red and green is what decorates the entire field,
mixed with the cries of agony it makes for an unforgettable scene.



Oh, how difficult it is to let the family of a comrade know,
that their loved one will never ever show.
No matter how much you try to dodge this fate's throw,
the scar made by it will always be visible in your brow.



The politicians are the ones to start this row,
but why should it be us who should become the hated crow ???
Even God shies away from this show,
and here I sleep having taken destiny's last blow.

The dark side of life........

I walk through a path which I know is true,
yet I shiver at the thought,
of what might happen if all I believe in fails to come through.
People will say that I am a fool,
but I believe that in the end, the world is just another tool.


The Player plays games with us all,
yet we believe that we are the mightiest during our winter's fall.
Destiny has many different routes,
but if you don't have the patience there will be no fruit.


Years roll on and one day you find that you are growing old,
and they will ask "Why didn't you do just as we told ?"
Nobody will walk with you after the road comes to an end,
And I will try to find some shelter in a Lion's Den.


The night will be wet , and it will be very cold,
but when the Sun's rays touch the horizon, everything will look like Gold.
No time to have breakfast, or to have tea,
because you have to swim the bullish sea.


In this journey, you will meet many foes,
but will they be honest enough to sing you the hated prose ?
Nobody will warn you when you are about to slip,
because everybody just wants to see you get stripped.


I will close all doors and switch off the light,
because nobody cares if I had put up a fight.
I won't be the one who will crawl,
because in the end Life fucks us all.........

steps in how to achieve one's goals.........

Ah well. Let me make it clear that I am just an amateur writer as I believe most of you all are. But I do carry a certain disadvantage and its that I am an "Arts" person which means that I like to write long and boring paragraphs one after the other, instead of writing point after point. Now that I have exposed myself its only fair that I write something up to save my pride. So, I have thought about writing the various steps which are necessary to be accomplished in order to fulfill one's goals in a particular year, say for this current year 2012.:

1. IDENTIFY YOUR FINAL TARGET: Its very essential before starting out on a particular task that we all identify where we want to be at. In this case, its necessary that we recognize the position where we want to be, at the year end. If we don't know what we are aiming for then whats the use of starting ???

2. TAKE IT ONE STEP AT A TIME: Quite often, we think too much about the end product and as a result we forget about the steps that are necessary to be accomplished. In order to reach the final goal at the year end its necessary that we take it one step at a time, setting oneself small targets.

3. HAVE NO DISTRACTIONS: Man is quite prone to distractions . We might have noticed that quite often in our daily lives. Television and Parties are probably two of the biggest distractions in modern life. So, in order to achieve our goals we have to make sure that we don't get distracted too often.

4. LISTEN TO ADVICE: We often tend to look to accomplish things in our own way. i.e. we don't look for help even if its provided to us by someone. Thats alright, as long as you know that those people are not going to provide you with good advice. But when advice is given to you by your closest friends, your parents, your elders etc it does one no harm whatsoever if we listen to them every once in a while.

5. BE EFFICIENT: Efficiency often goes a long way in accomplishing one's goals. There is no use in just beating about the bush. You might not give your final target much time but whatever time you give, better make sure that you use it to the best of your abilities.

6. INCREASE YOUR WORK RATE AS YOU GET CLOSER TO THE GOAL: Its in our nature that whenever we see a task of ours nearing completion , our confidence and self-belief goes up . And this is the best time for one to press home the advantage by increasing the work rate. Work-rate as in the work that we are doing in order to achieve our goal.

Thierry Henry : The King is back..........

                          There are few players in the world who have a statue built of them outside their stadium. And there are even fewer players who get to play for their club after the statue has been unveiled, Thierry Henry is one of them. I see no need to explain to you all who Thierry Henry is because if you are reading this then surely you know a little bit about football. And if you know a little bit of football, then its imperative that you would have heard the name "Thierry Henry" .

                          Legends like him arrive once in a generation and we are really lucky that we have got the chance to see him play for Arsenal ...............TWICE. And when it was confirmed that he will come back to Arsenal FC for a 2 month long loan deal, the joy or should I say the relief was too much. Yes, its just a 2 month loan deal but this deal is not just an ordinary transfer deal, this deal is beyond football. It doesn't matter how long Henry will play, the only thing that matters is that he has come back "HOME" and the faithful fans of all age groups will get the chance to see him ............again. It was an opportunity for young Arsenal fans who haven't seen Henry play LIVE  before to get an idea of how great the Arsenal side was in Arsene Wenger's first 8-9 years as manager. It was also an opportunity for these young gooners to respect the fact that how lucky all us gooners really are to have a legend like Henry .


                            That the script was out of any popular blockbuster movie was a given once the scores were still  0-0 at HT yesterday.  He came on in the 65th minute and what an irony it is that the player he replaced was Marouane Chamakh . Yes, he is not the Henry of 6-7 years ago. He has lost a bit of pace and he does look a bit "OLD", if i dare use that word. But, one thing that was unmistakable was that he has the class. Its a popular term that "Form is temporary, Class is permanent." and thats what we saw yesterday. Arshavin had a good game yesterday. He gave it his all. He showed the desire that has been missing for most parts this season. But he was unable to finish the many chances that he got. On the other hand Chamakh, who I wonder as to whether he will get a starting place in any other Premier League team , kept on messing things up as only he can. How many chances does a player need to prove that he has got it ??? i think chamakh has gone way beyond those deserved chances. Anyways, when Henry came on the first thing I noticed was that he knew his limitations. He knows that he is an old man now, in footballing terms, and he has lost a bit of pace. He wasn't experimenting or looking to prove to his innumerable fans that he still HAS IT. All he did was play his normal game, he played exactly the way he would play for NY Red bulls. And, he has played too many big games in his carrier to be overawed by the stage. 1 chance, thats all it took...............1 chance,      1 chance = 1 goal. All those years of  Thierry Henry were immersed in that goal. If there was ever a signature Henry goal then that was it. Throughout his carrier, if the defenders and goalkeepers of the world has seen or known 1 thing its this..........that if Henry gets into "THAT" position , then no matter how good a goalie you are, 80% of the time Henry would score that.


                             And thats why we needed Henry . He would provide all those years of experience to the lads. Too many times we have seen our players mess things up. Too many times we have seen our guys not scoring from very good positions. Henry's signing has been done so that he can resolve a few of those matters. Yes, he can play a huge role in these coming 2 months as a player. But  one of Wenger's primary intention was that Henry could share his experiences with the squad and bring in an atmosphere of calmness and composure.  Its only to be seen how Henry can combine with Robin Van Persie in these 2 months. But one thing that we can be assured of is that if Henry gets a chance to score , the 80% of the time he would take it. That David Beckham along with his "Gooner" son was there to watch him play and the joy that was there on Beckham's face when Henry scored the goal says it all. Beckham and Henry had been bitter rivals during there glory days, but when you are talking about legends there is no such thing as rivalry, all that there is "RESPECT."

He is back.....The King is back......How much we missed him....A dream script.. of a hollywood movie....Come on you ARSENAL.....

The Hunter..........a poem ...

The sun wasn't shining in the evening sky,
And then there was me walking to prove someone right.
The wind kept howling like a drugged wolf,
and along with the fog it made a horrifying sight.


The grass was moist with the evening dew,
and though there were dry patches, they were quite a few.
The trees were singing their silent tune,
and then rose up slowly........ the bright, new moon.


Out came the bug out of its tiny home,
woken up, by the calling of of its own.
Crawling through the leaves , it made silent progress,
And climbing up the tree as if it were in distress.


"Don't go there." warned me he,
but if he had known me better, he wouldn't have made that anxious plea.
The slopes of the hill weren't that slippery,
but even if it were , would that have stopped me ?


The monkeys started to chatter, as if to warn me
telling stories of the tragedies that had befallen thee.
Out came their tormentor , from the depths of the previously abandoned cave
Staring right into my eye, turning me into its slave.


Its roar was loud and clear,
as if commanding me to disappear.
But I was no fool,
as I had brought with me my trustworthy tool.


I took my aim , hoping I wouldn't miss,
'cause if I did, then the blame would fall on my friend "Chris".
Sweat started to pour down my chin,
as I pulled the trigger , hitting it on its shin.


He is not called as the "King of the beasts" for nothing
as it pounced on Chris , and I was caught reloading.
Loud and painful was Chris' cry,
as I was his only reliable ally.


The forest shook , as the Tiger uttered its last roar
as my bullet hit him in its heart, it rolled in pain.......on the floor.
I could see that Chris was shaken,
but if I had hesitated he would certainly have been "TAKEN".


The moon chose to hide behind the clouds,
As the village folk came running in huge crowds.
My job was done, as I now started to roam,
and I could feel my hands shaking when I started my way back home.

Pakistan vs England: a preview........

Well, 2012 has arrived and even though we have had the customary new year tests, there is nothing quite like the first series of the new year. And what a cracker of a series it promises to be........England, the new world No.1 touring the middle east (U.A.E. , Sharjah, Abu Dhabi etc) to take on Pakistan . And that these two are arguably the two most inform sides in the world gives this series an extra edge. High stakes are at risk for both these teams. Neither would want to lose. I dare say there is more at stake for England here as they are the current and new world No. 1s and their record in the subcontinent, notwithstanding their series' wins in Pakistan and Sri lanka in 2000 under Nasser Hussain isn't the best . People rightly say that getting to No. 1 is the easy part, its staying as No. 1 thats hard. And this entire calender year of 2012 is a very challenging one for England. They have series' against Pakistan (away), Sri Lanka (away), West Indies (home), South Africa (home) and then India (away). If England end 2012 still on top of the perch then England will truly earn the respect of the entire cricketing world. England are indeed the No.1 ranked Test side in the world currently but many , including England fans do have their doubts over how England might do in the subcontinent. Its very, very important from England's point of view that they don't lose both these subcontinent test series' as they might lose more then their No. 1 ranking. If England have to stay as No. 1 and earn the respect of the entire cricketing world then its imperative that they do well in these 2 test series. So, in that respect this series against Pakistan is huge from their point of view. England are also coming to this series after their winter break with no match practice and that may well be a disadvantage for them.


Pakistan, have come to this series on their best run of form for quite some time. Since the World Cup, they have played and beaten Zimbabwe , Sri Lanka and Bangladesh, and have drawn against the West Indies. I admit that except Sri Lanka, the rest are not very tough competition but we have to respect this fact about sports that "Winning gives you confidence." And Pakistan have come to this series with a truck load of confidence. Chipping-chopping in the squad and controversies are a part of Pakistan cricket and that adds an extra edge to this series . The spot-fixing saga has left everybody with a sour taste in their mouths. And Pakistan would want to prove to the world that they have forgotten all about it and are ready to only play cricket .........in the right spirit. Misbah-ul-haq wasn't the most popular choice as captain, to put it mildly but he has earned the respect of not only his teammates but also of the entire cricketing world. The fact that he is mostly a quiet sort of a guy and helps quite a bit. He prefers to not make any big statements and rather lets his cricket do the talking. His batting too has progressed a fair bit.



Coming back to the series, this series promises to provide us with some intriguing battles. Here are some of them which i think will play a big part in deciding which way this series might go.......


1. CAPTAINCY: Both Andrew Strauss and Misbah-ul-haq are both of the quiet, calculative sort and in a series like this where both the teams are evenly matched captaincy often decides the result. Andrew Strauss has more experience of winning , he has also won most of the big series' that he has captained. So, when the crucial times do come then I expect Strauss to be slightly more positive then Misbah. Misbah too is a smart captain but i do feel that he has the tendency to slightly go on the defensive a bit too soon. I feel Strauss will win this battle.

2. BATTING: No need for me to say that Pakistan's strength is their bowling and often its the batting which has lead them down. England , on the other hand have a very strong batting line up. Also, the depth in the batting of England has won them many matches in the recent past. So, on first glance it looks like England should win this battle too . But, we have to bring the conditions and the pitches into consideration too. In the subcontinent , England's batsmen have a tendency to struggle against spin from both ends and Pakistan knows that. So, this battle should be an even one as i expect the U.A.E. pitches too be quite flat and in these pitches the Pakistani batsmen will score quite a bit of runs too.

3. SEAM BOWLING: This is an intriguing battle. England's experienced bowling line up of Anderson, Broad, Bresnan, Finn and Tremlett against the slightly unorthodox and varied line up of Gul, Cheema, Riaz and Junaid Khan. I am pretty certain that there will be no grass whatsoever in these pitches , so that negates the threat of Anderson and the new ball slightly. Pakistan , on the other hand are masters of reverse swing and are used to bowling on these sort of pitches with high levels of success. Plus, with their added variety i feel Pakistan will shade this department.

4.SPIN BOWLING: Swann vs Ajmal.....This battle may well decide the series . Swann is the orthodox, classical off spinner . Whereas Ajmal is the unorthodox type who relies on his doosra. There is no doubt though that these 2 guys are the best 2 offies in the world now. Pakistan may be a subcontinent side but for me, they are probably the worst of the subcontinent teams in playing spin (except Bangladesh). So, I feel that Swann will take wickets and will play a role for England. As for Pakistan, its not only Ajmal . They have Abdul Rehman and Mohammed Hafeez too. I wont be surprised if Hafeez takes the new ball too . Pakistan , for me takes this round as they have 3 spinners who are definite certainities in the team compared to England's 1.

5. FIELDING: England are a clear winner of this round. One of England's main reason for their success has been their fielding and catching. Andy Flower has done a lot to improve the fitness of the England players as a whole. Pakistan, on the other hand are amongst the worst fielding sides of the world. And even though they have a few good individual fielders most of their players are slightly unfit in comparison with England's players.


MY PREDICTION FOR THE SERIES: I feel that England's bowlers do have it in them to dismiss the Pakistan batsmen twice in a match. But will they be able to do that in all the 3 test is doubtful. Pakistan's bowlers on the other hand are well capable of taking 20 England wickets at least twice in this series. And as you all know, its the bowlers that win you Test matches. It remains to be seen how do England's batsmen cope against spin and that may well decide the series. If England play spin well then I expect them to not lose this series. All in all, I feel Pakistan will win this series 1-0 as the wickets are going to be quite flat and i expect 2 tests to be drawn.