Mohammad Asif

[SJS]

Miandad's statement are shocking, its unfortunate to see a fine batsmen using such foul abusive language.

One doesnt know where he said that. If it was said in the close company of cricketing peers whats surprising. Cricketers are like everyone and such language is commonplace in today's world. It just looks so 'bad' hereor in print.

If, however, it was said in a public place or while speaking to the media, it IS objectionable even coming from the uncouth Jeved.

 

[SJS]

Miandad is uncouth (I cant think of a better word hence the repitition). During his cricketing days we used to call him "taangewallah" (horse cart driver) because that profession seemed to fit him better than that of a professional cricketer as far as his demeanour was concerned. But, having said that, we are upset by his strong language because it is not-the-done thing to say such things in public fora or to the media.

Otherwise, to say what he said of Asif and of Pathan is not surprising (as far as language used is concerned.

One has heard of similar sentiments as he expressed about the young Pathan about most spinners coming to India.

Aise spiiner to take ser milte hain - Such spinners are dime a dozen OR

Ik patthar putto te dus eho jahe spinner milan ge - Pick up one stone and you will find ten such spinners (the analogy of stone is a way of calling them worms).

Such comments are common place amongst Indian cricketing circles. Why do we react so strongly when Javed says such things. I think it is because of his abrasive persona, the fact that he doesnt care who is listening and that those who react are non-Pakistanis. I am sure Pakistanis agreed whole heartedly, at least initially, when he talked of Pathan. Its us Indians who were offended.

 

[Sanz]

Miandad did say such comments, it was quoted in some article that i read more than a month ago. Also Miandad has made comments over the years which came back to bite him his "Gali Gali Mein Pathan" before the 2004 Indo-Pak series (which he later denied in an article he wrote) but that did come back to bite him as Pathan in that series truned out to be a difference maker. Coming back to Asif though, he is definitely a terrific bowler. Time will only tell how great he can become.

Actually Miandad never said that about Pathan, No one has heard him say that, all we have seen is the media quotes which he has denied from the very beginning. I myself have watched Miandad's several interviews during India-Pak 2004 and almost in every Interview he denied saying any such thing. Media just needs to get hint of something and they blow it out of proportion. They ask the question and then they answer themselves. Miandad as coach may have dismissed the hype surrounding Pathan but I dont think he ever said that there are Irfan Pathan in every streets of Pakistan, at least not in public.

Rememer Sehwag's bold claim that he will make 200 in an ODI in Pakistan ?? Fact is Sehwag never said that, mediamen asked him 'If he would make 200 against Pak in ODIs ?' Sehwag said 'He will try' and that was it. Next day it was all over in the media Sehwag saying 'I will make 200 in Pakistan in an ODI' or something like that. That was plain stupid and ir-responsible.

 

[PakPowered]

I am sure Pakistanis agreed whole heartedly, at least initially, when he talked of Pathan. Its us Indians who were offended.

Maybe those biased Pakistanis who think that quality pacers can only be found in Pakistan and who can't appreciate talent that exists outside Pakistan.

 

[HowsThat]

Javed Miandad had made a comment about Mohammad Asif later last year i.e "Gaandh phaad de ga angrez ki" (Will blow up the as*h*l*s of English) & I think thats gonna prove true in Pakistan's upcoming tour of England..

That seems like x-rated language, looks like Miandad has lost his brains.If Mr SA's statement happens to be true, then it can be said that Miandad qualify as a "Cricket Troll"!

 

[aussie]

I'd back them to play Harmison pretty well - as most people tend to.

not if he can bowl like he did in the in 2004 or get a hard bouncy deck.

 

[nightprowler10]

I can't believe how many people keep bringing his test debut into light in an attempt to dismiss him as an ordinary bowler. He has obviously worked hard on his bowling and his action has changed a bit too. 24 wickets in three matches against India and Sri Lanka is no joke.

 

[Fusion]

Actually Miandad never said that about Pathan, No one has heard him say that, all we have seen is the media quotes which he has denied from the very beginning. I myself have watched Miandad's several interviews during India-Pak 2004 and almost in every Interview he denied saying any such thing. Media just needs to get hint of something and they blow it out of proportion. They ask the question and then they answer themselves. Miandad as coach may have dismissed the hype surrounding Pathan but I dont think he ever said that there are Irfan Pathan in every streets of Pakistan, at least not in public.

Rememer Sehwag's bold claim that he will make 200 in an ODI in Pakistan ?? Fact is Sehwag never said that, mediamen asked him 'If he would make 200 against Pak in ODIs ?' Sehwag said 'He will try' and that was it. Next day it was all over in the media Sehwag saying 'I will make 200 in Pakistan in an ODI' or something like that. That was plain stupid and ir-responsible.

I agree. Those bashing Miandad for supposedly making that offensive statement regarding Asif and England, provide a source of that article. I'll believe it AND condemn it if it's a reputable source like Cricinfo.

 

[chris.hinton]

I reckon he will be another false dawn like Umar Gul remember him?

 

[Mr Mxyzptlk]

not if he can bowl like he did in the in 2004 or get a hard bouncy deck.

You mean like he did in a couple Tests in 2004?

 

[Mr Mxyzptlk]

I reckon he will be another false dawn like Umar Gul remember him?

Except Gul got injured when he was going well.

 

[mahartaab]

To be precise it appeared on cricinfo.com, by andrew miller i think, and was later taken out of the article though
here's the link
http://content-uk.cricinfo.com/ci/content/story/236242.html

 

[Jono]

I can't believe how many people keep bringing his test debut into light in an attempt to dismiss him as an ordinary bowler. He has obviously worked hard on his bowling and his action has changed a bit too. 24 wickets in three matches against India and Sri Lanka is no joke.

Agreed 100%.

 

[billie424]

So far Asif has played in 4 test matches, and three test wkts were bowling friendly (Karachi and two test wkts in Lanka) and the matches were low scoring ones.Also he took most of his wkts against weak opponents, like Lanka.

It remains to be seen as to how he fares against top team on pitches that haven't got much for bowlers.So far he has played one test against a top team in Australia, and he only got a hamerring.

This guy needs a nap... hmm low scoring ....600+ in karachi ...... a lead of what 400+ in srilanka.. and you call these low scroing matches ... oh .. today was a very high scoring match Pakistan scored 1021/3d
and the most amazing thing is .. that the lankans were able to give a lead of 429 runs ... amazing isnt it... GET REAL SIR....

 

[Richard]

Did Miandad say that...it was quoted around that time in Indian and Pakistani media, for both instances Pathan's and Asif's, although Miandad himself has denied both.

1 good test? is that for Pathan? welll he had a damn good 3 test series with 12 wkts for 342 runs.

Pathan's stats in 03/04 vs Pak in tests

1 good Test, 1 poor 1 and 1 average 1.
Pathan was far from a star of the series - just that Shoaib was terrible and the rest of Pakistan's attack wasn't up to much.

 

[Richard]

yet they struggled against him in the first 2 tests in pakistan. infact even at the end of the series, Harmison outbowled everyone bar Flintoff(who was only marginally ahead of him in averages)

Err, I hardly see how they struggled with him...
Younis missed a straight ball in the first-innings at Multan. It happens. He'd been utterly innocuous before.
Raza fell for the most blindingly obvious three-card trick. Hopefully he won't be around to fall for it again. Ever.
Kaneria cut a Long-Hop to gully.
Malik played his typical terrible stroke. It was a nothing delivery. Malik just isn't Test-class, certainly not as an opener.
Dismissing Shabbir Ahmed means absolutely nothing. I've seen worse batsmen only once or twice.
Akmal then had a slog because he was batting with the tail.
So that 6-89 was exceptionally flattering. 3 wickets came at the end, and the 3 that came at the top certainly didn't come from wicket-taking deliveries. Only 1 was a Test-class batsman.
Then...
Salman Butt chased one. It's a typical dismissal for him. It was still a nothing ball.
Rana and Shoaib then got out after he'd been dealt with well by the batsmen.
Then, after being innocuous for most of the innings, he got gifted 2 on the final morning, by Akmal and Rana again.
The fact that his figures were decent in the first 2 Tests certainly does not equate to him causing troubles in some way that any bowler was not going to.

 

[Richard]

no bar Lords 05 and Headingly 04, almost every other pitch offered very little in terms of seam movement or conventional swing in the last 2 years.

And bar Trent Bridge and Headingley 2003, Headingley 2002 and the first session at Edgbaston 2002, none did in the 2 previous years either.
You know why there's been so little conventional swing recently? That actually dates back a season further than the change in pitches. In 2001, it was widely noted that many seamers who'd normally been able to swing it struggled to - Dominic Cork the most obvious example. The reason was a change of ball.
Of course, we've still seen occasions where it swung, but we've also seen countless where conditions seemed perfect for conventional-swing and commentators commented on how little of it had actually happened.

 

[Richard]

not if he can bowl like he did in the in 2004 or get a hard bouncy deck.

He's bowled like he bowled in the first 7 Tests in 2004 (not the last 7) once or twice, and usually caused few problems.
Added to the fact that he's extremely unlikely even to bowl like it more than very occasionally from now on.
Quite what you mean by a "hard bouncy deck" I don't exactly know. England have played on plenty of reasonably bouncy decks (many with inconsistent bounce too) since the home West Indies series - and Harmison has never made use of it. Even at Lord's in 2005, only 1 wicket came from the uneven bounce.

 

[Richard]

I reckon he will be another false dawn like Umar Gul remember him?

He who has so far bowled well in a sum-total of 1 Test innings?

 

[Richard]

I can't believe how many people keep bringing his test debut into light in an attempt to dismiss him as an ordinary bowler. He has obviously worked hard on his bowling and his action has changed a bit too. 24 wickets in three matches against India and Sri Lanka is no joke.

Plenty of people don't realise that to best assess some cricketers you have to draw a line somewhere and say that 1 part of a career really doesn't have any relation to another, even if the player is the same.
Andrew Flintoff 1998-2002 and 2003-current is one.
Mohammad Asif debut-2004\05 and 2005\06-onwards may be another.
There are millions of other examples I could give.
Then there are the three-part players like Gatting and Mushtaq Ahmed.