The Karachi grind might still pay off
The Black Caps’ toil in Pakistan could yet be rewarded, a terrible moment in the NFL, and an internecine war in US football.
Not going to lie, the ongoing two-test series against Pakistan has been for the most part a hard watch.
Much of this is down to the Karachi pitch. More life has been detected on the surface of Uranus than on the National Stadium wicket block.
It is cricket, just not like we hope to see it.
Complicating matters is the niggly fact that England managed to blitz through similar conditions, essentially by turning the games into Wild West shootouts. The Black Caps do not have the firepower to do that, nor is it advisable to mimic another team’s identity just because it works for them.
That being said (and in the knowledge this could all look very silly by this time tomorrow), there are some observations worth highlighting as we get ready for a potential blockbuster final day.
1. Boom or bust coverage of tests can get a little tedious…
I’m not going to insult your intelligence and pretend these tests have been a great advertisement for the sport. They’ve been played between two evenly matched teams both going through awkward phases in their development in uber-benign conditions in front of a few Tapal Tea actors posing as a crowd.
This series, however, is not a sign that test cricket is dead any more than the good crowds at the Sydney Cricket Ground on days one and two of the dead-rubber test against South Africa despite the awful weather is a sign that they’re firing on all cylinders.
Test cricket is constantly evolving. For the past 40-plus years, since the emergence of short-form cricket as a viable television product, they have been looking for a space in the sports and entertainment matrix. Even if we despair of them from time to time, they remain a wonderful anachronism and still the format by which we judge a players’ ultimate ability (though no longer their worth).
I will boldly state that as long as the weather plays ball, the crowds at Bay Oval and Basin Reserve when England visit next month will give a markedly different impression as to the “health” of the format.
Test cricket is not without issues in a T20 world, but the Karachiwala giving this test a wide berth is not high on the list of issues - that’s a job for the PCB to address.
2. True pace is a missing ingredient.
Mark Wood, and sometimes just the threat of Mark Wood, was one of the keys to England’s series win. He was fast, aggressive and never allowed Pakistan’s players to bat with their weight going forward. His eight wickets might not look amazing across two tests, but he was critical.
With Shaheen Shah Afridi out, this series has been a bit two-paced: either very slow or medium pace.
3. It feels like there should have been something riding on Henry Nicholls’ third and final bat of the series, but there probably wasn’t.
Nicholls is a curious kind of cricketer who has compiled a good record without making an indelible mark on the collective consciousness of cricket followers.
That usually speaks to somebody who goes about their job in a consistent, unfussy way, yet he’s not particularly consistent, which is why I find him such an interesting, contradictory and occasionally frustrating case study.
If centuries are a batter’s currency, here’s a list of New Zealanders who have played as many as Nicholls’ 50 tests and have compiled less than his eight tons: Bevan Congdon (61 tests, 7 100s); Craig McMillan (55, 6); John R Reid (58, 6); Daniel Vettori (112, 6); Mark Burgess (50, 5); Chris Cairns (62, 5); Jeremy Coney (52, 3); and Ken Rutherford (56, 3).
There are really good players in that lot. Admittedly half of them had more than one string to their bow, so let’s put forward another metric.
Nicholls’ ratio of a test century every 9.5 innings compares well with luminaries such as Stephen Fleming (century every 21 innings), Brendon McCullum (14.7), BJ Watling (14.6), Nathan Astle (12.5), John Wright (12.3), Andrew Jones (10.6), Glenn Turner (10.4), Ross Taylor (10.3) and Tom Latham (9.3).
Nicholls is a highly effective compiler of three-figure scores. His problem is he doesn’t do a lot in between. Of the 10 Black Caps to have scored eight or more test centuries he has by far the lowest number of scores between 50-200 (12) and it’s not even close to the next - Martin Crowe, who scored 18 50s to go along with his 17 centuries. For example, in his current century-less streak of nine innings, his highest score is 39.
Yet regardless of that, his average remains a solid 37.9.
Where it gets harder to defend Nicholls is his trajectory. Since January 1, 2021, he’s averaged 30, which is not good enough for a top-order player who does not bowl and points to something of a prolonged slump.
That’s why it feels like we’re reaching a pinch point.
There are two blue-chip tests against England coming up next month. At this point I find it hard to imagine Nicholls not playing a part - particularly with no red-ball cricket for the likes of Will Young, Glenn Phillips or a longer shot like Tom Bruce to force their way in - but after that mistimed pull shot he skewed to mid-off for 5 last night, the chatter will increase.
3. Pakistan are terrible at using the DRS - just shockingly, awfully bad.
4. For such a brilliant batter, Kane Williamson is a really awkward sweeper.
This is an observation without data points and based purely on watching Williamson flap over the top of, or squirt, more attempted sweeps than he has middled.
He has a magnificent record against spin, averaging close to 80 (though that figure is organically boosted by playing half his tests on pitches that do not turn), but if there is ever any drama surrounding his batting, you can almost guarantee his constipated, hybrid paddle-sweep will be nearby.
5. Just your regular reminder that despite a first-ball duck Devon Conway averages 67.9 as an opener and yet somebody in a position of influence decided Will Young was a better option to face the new ball.
6. For all the stodge, NZ has held the strongest hand going into day 5 of both tests.
Despite Babar Azam’s really, really weird declaration in the first test that might have been designed to give the impression Pakistan were the ones forcing the issue, New Zealand has held the whip hand in both tests.
Ask the players who toured that country in the 1980s and 90s about whether they’d take a scenario where they had a chance to win the series on the final day and they’d have bitten your hand off for the opportunity.
This is not a great Pakistan side (and, yes, umpiring protocols and the DRS has made life a little easier for touring teams), but the fact remains that New Zealand has won just two tests in Pakistan.
While the draw remains favourite tonight, I’m looking forward to watching New Zealand’s spinners trying to eke out eight wickets. I’m especially looking forward to watching a rejuvenated Ish Sodhi go about his work.
My biggest criticism of Sodhi the red-ball bowler was his inability to take wickets with his stock ball, but it looks like a faster approach to the crease has given him more energy through his action and, as a result, more sidespin. Mir Hamza is no Saeed Anwar, but the last ball of the fourth day was still a ripper and a good illustration of Sodhi’s increased confidence.
Pakistan v NZ, day 5, 2nd test Karachi, tonight 6pm, Sky Sport 1
THE WEEK THAT WAS
When I described the Pakistan-NZ series as a tough watch, I should have checked myself. Damar Hamlin’s cardiac arrest after making a tackle for the Buffalo Bills against the Cincinnati Bengals on Monday Night Football was a genuinely tough watch.
“We’re going to need everybody,” the New York Times (metered $) reported the emergency radio traffic from the on-field medics as saying. “All-call, all-call.
“Call, bring everybody. We need an airway doctor, everybody. Bring the cot with the medics.”
The incident was a stark reminder of the risks contact-sport athletes take for our entertainment. The NYT story gives a sense of the urgency that was immediately recognised from those on the field next to the stricken Hamlin, who is reportedly improving, is neurologically intact, is holding hands with family and can communicate in writing.
“I need an end-tidal CO2 now per the doc.”
When he is told that the device, which helps measure how well a patient is breathing, is on the way, he barks back: “Yeah, you need to step it up.”
Horrifying.
This piece in The Guardian says the decision to stop and postpone the game, marks a shift for the NFL, which played on when the Detroit Lions’ Chuck Hughes collapsed on the field and later died.
Monday night was different. The players demonstrated their power in numbers by appealing to coaches to postpone this huge game, ultimately forcing the NFL’s hand well before the league had formulated a clear rescheduling plan. ESPN showed remarkable restraint by not replaying Hamlin’s collision, and not getting impatient about resuming the game.
This is a wild story that indicates that hell hath no fury like the parents of a scorned football star.
To recap:
US football coach Greg Berhalter told star Borussia Dortmund winger Gio Reyna that he would have only a limited role to play at the recent World Cup;
Berhalter was heavily criticised for not playing Reyna more, including by Reyna’s father, former USA footballer Claudio, who it was later revealed was communicating his displeasure directly to US football officials;
After the World Cup, Berhalter gave a talk at a ‘Moral Leadership’ conference in New York when he explained how Gio sulked when informed of his limited role and was going to be sent home unless he apologised to his teammates and management;
This public airing of an in-house drama incensed the Reynas, including mother Danielle, a former international player herself, who was also a former close friend of Berhalter’s wife Rosalind.;
She decided to inform US football officials, including Claudio’s former international teammate Earnie Stewart who is the governing body’s sporting director, of an historic assault committed by Berhalter against his then girlfriend and now wife;
Pre-empting the airing of the story, Berhalter put out a long social media post detailing the assault and the attempted outing;
In response to that, Danielle outed herself as the person who had supplied the information to officials, and also said: “The statements from [Gregg] yesterday significantly minimise the abuse on the night in question. Rosalind Berhalter was my roommate, teammate and best friend, and I supported her through the trauma that followed. It took a long time for me to forgive and accept Gregg afterward, but I worked hard to give him grace, and ultimately made both of them and their kids a huge part of my family’s life. I would have wanted and expected him to give the same grace to Gio. This is why the current situation is so very hurtful and hard.”
It feels like a dark storyline in Days of Our Lives has been brought to life in the halls of US football.
THE WEEKEND THAT WILL BE (and next week)
What I’ll attempt to get in front of a screen for as summer continues to play cruel tricks.
The ASB Classic can’t buy a break. The indoor courts make for a really bad spectacle and aren’t fit for top-level tennis according to grand slam winner Emma Raducanu. The reason Auckland appeals to good players is because the surfaces replicate Melbourne, so this is a real blow to the tournament’s reputation. Raducanu was not the only player to express frustration at a situation they say could have been handled better. It’s tempting to say you can’t legislate for the weather, but you actually can with a retractable roof, though whether that’s a sound investment for two weeks of top-line tennis per year is another matter.
The forecast is not looking great next week, either.
ASB Classic, schedule TBD, Sky Sport 3
A Manchester derby that actually has title implications.
United v City, Old Trafford, Sunday 1.30am, Sky Sport EPL
I’m not a massive fan of watching full games of NFL but this is the last week before the playoffs and the below game will have a bearing on how they shake out. More than that, I’m intrigued to see how Buffalo responds to the trauma referenced above.
Buffalo v New England, Buffalo, Monday 7am, ESPN
It’s a very skinny watching schedule, which I won’t apologise for as I prepare to head off for the beach with my trusty canvas tent in the trailer. Right now, the forecast is grim and getting grimmer, so in the absence of UV rays, I might take the laptop along. Either way, The Bounce will return to normal programming by the middle of the month. I apologise also to those correspondents who I haven’t replied to. I’m trying really hard and mostly succeeding at ignoring emails for a couple of weeks.