Pakistan’s Tour of India, 2005

Okay so Pakistan are now set to tour India for the first time in 6 years and after a whole load of jockeying over venues and television rights and all sorts of problems concerning security and scheduling it now looks as if the series may finally go ahead. I think all of those problems before hand has actually made the series a little interesting and even though both sides have come off some pretty poor reults (both sides getting a good hiding from Australia) the series could still have some merit. I won't bother to go into all the details of the problems before with the television rights and the security problems etc etc as i don't really think anbody cares. I'm not even entirely sure that anyone cares about the series at all to be honest. I think India may just be favorites going into this but i think Pakistan will be eventual winners. India have no Sachin Tendulkar and Pakistan no Shoaib Akthar so key players missing on both sides which really makes the series that little bit less interesting. Even though India are at home their form of late has been abysmall lately, practically through all of 2004 with heavy defeats in One Day torunaments including a loss to Pakistan in the ICC trophy in which they got nowhere and a Challenge series loss to England followed by a home defeat to the Australians. It all actually began to fall apart for the Indians after that successful tour of Pakistan last year in which they won the One Day series 3&2 and the Test series 2&1. Since then they've even managed to lose a One Day match to Bangladesh and only just scraped home in a series against a pathetic South African side. Pakistan on the other hand haven't faired as badly as India. They were never in with a shout of winning the triangular One Day series but the question was whether they could overcome the West Indies (which they failed to do in the ICC trophy) and make it to the finals which they eventually did (i thought they wouldn't) but did then get beaten. With India being at home and Shoaib missing they may just start of as favorites but i doubt that India will win, confidence will be very low for a start and there is no fluency or rythm to the team at the moment. The Sachin factor will make a difference but India do have strength with the bat and even though they don't have anybody with nearly as good a record as his they can compensate for his absence (if he does indeed miss the series) where as Pakistan have no chance of replacing Shoaib even though at times he can be hurrendously bad. There will be 3 Tests and 6 One Day Internationals (or at least that's the stage of negotiating that has been reached so far) and it starts early(ish) next month with their being a warm up game before both the Test and One Day series starting.

That's if it does eventually go ahead, more problems with broadcast rights and the series now looks very unlikely to go ahead.

Sachin will play in a domestic game against Hydrebad to assertain if he is now match fit to play in the series.

The broadcasting rights issue has been settled and both of the parties involved originally have now both been given the boot and a third party has not taken rights coverage. Both original parties (Zee and ESPN) are now both going to challenge the ruling so we could be in for more delays. If ESPN don't have any rights at all to televise the series then it will mean that nobody in South or North America will be able watch the series. Also if Zee fails to secure the rights nobody in Australasia or Europe will be able to watch the series, but that apparently is irrelevant to the ICC so long as there is live coverage of the series. Its complicated as to how the logistics of the whole thing work but basically those 2 networks have the rights for those respective regions when it comes to cricket outside the nation concerned (i.e. abroad) so anything in Europe that doesn't involve England cannot be shown unless the News Corporation give their approval and likewise for the America's without ESPN's approval. So it looks as if the ratings are going to be very low if the tour does go ahead and if the ratings are high because the primary networks have been given sponsorship rights it in effect means that the tour will in all probability be delyaed due to legal wranglings as the appeals proccess won't be completed for some time.

I don't think there is any chance of pakistan beating India in the test matches.India will surely win it 2-0 or 3-0.In the one day matches probably it will be a 3-3 draw or India will win it 4-2 because Pakistan lacks experience and now they don't even have Shoaib Akhtar nor do they have good spinners.And playing on an Indian ground without any world class spinners I don't think they have any chance.The Indians will surely win it because they have a fantastic bating line up and also now they have a worldclass bowling line up with Irfan Pathan and Zaheer Khan as their pace spearheads and ofcource Anil Kumble and Harbhajan Singh as two of the best spinners in the world.Pakistan will be dead .

Yeah i think you are exactly right, momentum will be the key as to who comes out on top. I think it favors India more than Pakistan where as if India scream ahead they'll steamroller the Paki's but if Pakistan race ahead i think India will still be in with a shout. As much as they are hit and miss (Pakistan) i think they have gained a bit more consistency as of late and are now getting their act together a bit. They did beat India in the ICC trophy to make the Semi-Finals and they did make the finals of the VB series with Australia and The West Indies. I think what it is now coming down to is Pakistan are performing consistantly well against most teams but when they play the real toughest of oppositions like they just did against Australia they are just not good enough, no excuses given they are just second best. They do however still have players who are here and there and you don't know which player is gonna show up on the day like Shoaib and Razzaq. I think i am the only person who has given Pakistan a hope in hell in this series. I reckon they'll win the Test series 2&1 and the One Day series probably 3&1. I think at least 2 of the matches will be called off due to rain but that's of course assuming they all go ahead in the first place. Still unresolved issues looming over broadcast rights etc etc. And who is gonna be helped the most by the torential rain? Possible thunderstorms tomorrow incidently so one of the Tests or two may also be cut short.

Originally posted by Inducker Well after all the drama , the must awaited rematch is on. Woolmer's job is no the line (much like previous Pakistani coaches has been when playing India - just ask Javed Miandad!).

This is his final series anyway though isn't it? I know his leaving at the end of his current contract (when it expires) but i'm not sure whether he has one more series before then or not.

Originally posted by Inducker If ( a BIG if) Pakistan are to win this series , then I think that Kaneria might be their surprise package - fine bowler in the making , this lad !!

Yeah god only knows why he was left out of the One Day series with Australia and The West Indies, i can only assume injury as unlike Australia Pakistan are not usually reknown for leaving predominant spinners out of their limited overs matches! And you can bet the pitches will favor him too, his record in the subcontinent is far greater than his record away from Asia (which is probably to be expected) so maybe he was left out last time due to the pitch being hard and fast and runs being so much more vital in limited overs cricket than Test cricket as his economy and average is not that great in One Day cricket.

Yes, most definately so as indicitated by the absolutely tumping 1-1 victory India had in the series right? What an absolute maulling they gave Pakistan. Idiot!

Edited by JALRC

Don't worry he'll (or i guess it could be a women (which would explain a lot)) be gone soon enough as will his posts.