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There is the possibility that we might see a Pakistan-India final in the ICC Knockout tournament in Nairobi and should that happen, both teams will have deserved to get there, judging by their performance so far. India out-batted, out-bowled and out-fielded Australia and Pakistan did the same to Sri Lanka, only more emphatically. Sri Lanka is a team that does not throw in the towel but once Wasim Akram and Azhar Mahmood had broken the back of the batting top order, the body-language of the Sri Lankans suggested that they were reconciled to packing their bags and going home.

Pakistan, on the other hand looked like a well-oiled machine that was firing on all cylinders. Clearly a six-week lay-off from cricket has done Wasim Akram a world of good. Not only has he been able to re-charge his batteries but he seems hungrier to get wickets. Jayasuriya gave him some stick and Wasim Akram looked visibly fired-up instead of allowing his shoulders to droop as the Sri Lankan bowlers, Muralitharan included, did when it became obvious that it was going to be Saeed Anwar's day.

I was very sorry to see Imran Nazir run out because he was batting with supreme confidence. It was a bad call from Saeed Anwar but then the non-striker has the prerogative to decline the run. Imran Nazir missed out on a big score. I still maintain that he is most exciting find since Inzamamul Haq, he is also a far better fielder, and he needs to have his confidence bolstered and one way of doing that would be to make him an automatic selection in both versions of the game.

The team that played against Sri Lanka should be Pakistan's Test team with possibly one change, Waqar Yunus for Arshad Khan but depending on the wicket. I have really no idea what Shoaib Akhtar is up to and I would imagine neither has the PCB. Shoaib Akhtar needs to have a long talk with himself. He has to decide what he wants to do with his cricket career. No one else can decide for him. If he stays out too long, he may find that there is no place in the team for him. If he is injured and he seems to go from one injury to another, he should let the PCB decide on his treatment and not free-lance his recovery. I know from my personal discussions with the PCB chairman that he is eager to have a fully fit Shoaib Akhtar back in the squad. He has the backing and should take advantage of it.

Pakistan looked very good against Sri Lanka and if they can maintain that smooth flow, they will be unbeatable. But in the past, Pakistan have been their worst enemy and it will be up to Javed Miandad to ensure that the team remains focused and does not allow its mind to wander. Just as superb was India against Australia and owes its top class performance to two teen-agers, both debutants, Yuvraj Singh and Zaheer Khan. Yuvraj may well be Azharuddin's replacement for he has the same temperament. He is unflappable and he came into bat at a critical time in the Indian innings with Tendulkar, Gangully and Dravid, the big three, out and Australia had regained the initiative but he batted calmly and with controlled aggression and he wrested the initiative.

I was surprised that Steve Waugh did not bring on Brett Lee before Yuvraj was set. He is a genuine batting find and the first thing I would do, if I had anything to do with the Indian cricket establishment, is to prohibit him from appearing in television commercials. He needs to concentrate on his cricket and not become a pin-up boy.

Zaheer Khan is the best fast bowling for India since Kapil Dev. He has the advantage of being left-handed and I am sure that he will add a yard to his pace. He is already pretty sharp and carries a wise head on his young shoulders. A Bombay lad, he moved to Baroda when he found that the Bombay selectors were not unduly impressed with him I hope these selectors will have the decency to resign! Has he the making of becoming another Wasim Akram? Time will tell but Wasim Akram is a class act and there has never been a left-arm fast bowler of his genius. But there would be no harm if Zaheer Khan was to make Wasim Akram his role-model and sets his sights high. He too should be prevented from appearing in television commercials.

The ICC handled the Darrel Hair issue like Inspector Clouseau of Pink Panther fame. He should not have been on the panel. They should have known that Sri Lanka would not have been amused. But having put him on the panel, they should have stuck to their guns. Now a precedent has been set where a team can object to a particular umpire and have him changed.

The reason that the ICC gave for picking him to supervise the Sri Lanka game was pathetic - a clerical oversight! Who are they kidding? And a final comment on the ICC knockout in Nairobi.

There has been reasonable good crowd support but mainly Asians. Where are the Africans? It hasn't helped that the rates of the tickets are on the high side. Someone failed to do his homework on the financial condition of the average Kenyan. Money is made from sponsorship and television rights and advertising boards.

The revenue from ticket sales is not all that much. The rates of admission to the general enclosures should have been nominal, if not free. The idea, after all, is to spread the gospel of cricket. That's the purpose of tournaments like this one otherwise it makes no sense to have a mini-world cup in a country whose own people are not interested in the game. It made sense in Dhaka because the Bangladeshis are cricket-mad. Not so the Kenyans, it would seem. The ICC should get itself a thinking cap.

© Dawn